Cleaning Tomato Sauce Stains from Plasticware

Written by Julia Woodbury (last updated July 22, 2024)

Tomato sauce is oily and pigmented; plasticware is often clean and porous. Put the two together and you get a nearly unbreakable combination of two materials. The pigment of tomato sauce seems to dye the plastic so that it doesn't become a matter of scrubbing out the material so much as a need to dye back the plastic.

For newer tomato stains that are less that a week old try treating them with baking soda. Mix enough water and baking soda to create a paste. Rub a thick amount of the paste onto the stained plastic. Allow the paste to dry and then rinse it off, rubbing it again as it washes off, then run the plasticware through a regular dishwashing cycle. Repeat the process as needed. Many have found that enough use will fade the stain in plasticware. This baking soda method simply expedites the process.

For stubborn stains that are old or that won't come out you can try putting the natural bleaching effects of the sun on your side. Simply leave the plasticware outside in a sunny place for a day. The sunshine should naturally bleach out the red tomato stain. But be aware that leaving plastic out in the sun too long or too often will probably cause brittleness and cracking in the plasticware.

Other options are to soak the plasticware overnight in warm soapy water. You can also soak the plasticware in diluted bleach until the stain is gone. Be sure to rinse your plasticware thoroughly after using bleach so that no traces of it will get in your food.

In tandem with removing stains you will also want to prevent tomato sauce stains. To provide short term protection for your plasticware, spray it with oil or cooking spray before filling it with any foods containing tomato sauce. The oil or spray will make a barrier between the plastic and the tomato pigments.

Another short term solution is to dip the plastic in cold water before using it for tomato sauce. Once you have emptied the container, use cold water to rinse it before washing it in the dishwasher.

Finally, try to not leave tomato sauce in contact with your plasticware for too long. The less time the sauce is in the plasticware, the less likely it is that it will stain.

Author Bio

Julia Woodbury

Julia Woodbury is a recent graduate of Brigham Young University. She delights in the written word and has interests in magazine writing and editing. ...

MORE FROM JULIA

Cleaning Your Grill

Just because it's not inside the house doesn't mean that your grill doesn't need to be cleaned. Like any other item used ...

Discover More

Cleaning Out Your Attic

It might not be so childish to fear the attic. Instead of ghosts there's something much worse up there: a massive, ...

Discover More

Removing Bumper Stickers

Bumper stickers always look cool when you first put them on your vehicle. Over time however, they begin to look tacky and ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Keeping Plasticware Clean

Keeping plasticware clean can be sometimes be something of a difficulty. For some reason, plastic containers such as ...

Discover More

Washing Your Dishes

Washing dishes may seem like something that just about anyone over the age of twelve knows how to do. Washing your dishes ...

Discover More

Removing Hardwater Stains from Crystal

Crystal is beautiful, but it can easily develop spots caused by hard water. Vinegar can be an effective way to fix this ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.