One cleaning fan was left at her wits’ end after she accidentally split tinned tomatoes on her lemon sweatshirt and couldn’t get the stain out no matter how hard she tried
Pasta lovers know the struggle of a rogue meatball or spaghetti strand causing chaos on their clothes.
But no need to fear anymore, as one cleaning enthusiast sought help from a Mrs Hinch Facebook group to tackle stubborn tomato stains. Despite trying shaving foam, white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, and even Vanish with her washing powder, the stains remained.
Posting in desperation, she wrote: “Splashed tinned tomato juice on my lemon sweatshirt. Tried shaving foam, then white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, been two days and then washed with Vanish in washing powder and still stained, any tips would be good.”
Luckily, fellow Hinching hopefuls had a bright idea – literally. Sunlight, that’s right, just leaving the garment out in the sun after washing was the top tip shared, with one person revealing: “I married into an Italian family, resulting in lots of tomato stains (love pasta sauce).
“Always goes if you leave freshly laundered fabric in the sun, even in the UK.” Another added: “The sun is the best solution for tomato-based stains. Wash as normal and peg out on a sunny day (if you’ve got one due in your area). It’s like magic.”
A third person agreed: “Definitely get it out in the sunshine, that stuff is magic on stubborn tomato stains.” UV rays from the sun break down tomato stains, aiding their removal and acting as a “natural bleach” according to textile care company Steamery.
If you fancy giving this trick a whirl, just wash your clothes as normal and leave them out in the sunshine, with the stain side facing up.