Barbecue sauce stains, thanks to tomato paste and oils, can be tough but are cleanable with care. For regular clothes, use baking soda and vinegar. For white clothes, lemon juice and sun bleaching work wonders. For jeans, try baking soda and dish soap. For old stains, soak in vinegar and use a baking soda paste.
Barbecues are among America's favorite pastimes, where families and friends gather outdoors to enjoy ribs, burgers, and hot dogs, all smothered in rich, tangy barbecue sauce. However, the delight of barbecue comes with a downside: those pesky, stubborn BBQ sauce stains. Thanks to the tomato paste and oils, these stains seem to settle into fabrics like they own the place. The good news? With a bit of care and some natural ingredients, you can clean them right up. Here’s how.
Getting BBQ sauce out of clothes doesn’t have to be a nightmare. First, act quickly. Blot the stain with a clean cloth to absorb as much of the sauce as possible without rubbing it in further. Next, rinse the stained area with cold water from the back of the fabric to push the sauce out rather than further into the fibers. Make a paste with baking soda and water, then gently apply it to the stain, letting it sit for about 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water again. If the stain persists, soak the garment in a mixture of white vinegar and cold water for 30 minutes, then wash as usual. Your favorite shirt should be back in action in no time!
White clothes and BBQ sauce are natural enemies, but there’s hope for peace. Begin by blotting the stain to remove excess sauce. Rinse the fabric under cold water, aiming from the backside to avoid pushing the stain deeper. Create a solution with equal parts lemon juice and water, and apply it to the stain. Lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent, especially effective on whites. Let it sit in the sun for about 30 minutes, which will help boost the lemon juice’s bleaching power. Afterward, rinse with cold water and launder as usual. That white shirt will be BBQ-stain free, ready for your next outdoor adventure.
Jeans are a bit tougher, both in fabric and in dealing with stains. Start by blotting the excess sauce from the jeans. Rinse the area with cold water from the inside out. Mix a solution of equal parts baking soda and dish soap, which is excellent for breaking down oils and tough stains. Gently scrub this mixture into the stain with a soft brush or an old toothbrush. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water. If needed, soak the jeans in a mixture of white vinegar and cold water for 30 minutes before washing as usual. Your jeans should come out looking as good as new, stain-free and ready for the next cookout.
Old and dried BBQ sauce stains are the ultimate test of your stain-removal skills, but even these can be tackled with natural ingredients. Start by soaking the stained area in a mixture of white vinegar and water for about 30 minutes to loosen the dried sauce. Create a paste using baking soda and a small amount of water, then apply it to the stain. Let this sit for another 15 minutes. For extra stubborn stains, add a few drops of lemon juice to the paste. Afterward, gently scrub the area with a soft brush and rinse with cold water. Launder the cloth as usual, and you should find that even old stains have met their match.