How to Remove a Marinara Sauce Stain from Carpet

Little J asked, “If anyone has tips on how to get marinara sauce out of a white carpet, feel free to send them my way…”

Table of Contents:

Removing a Marinara Sauce Stain
Additional Tips and Advice
Sources

Carpet covers the floors of most homes these days and is prone to gather stains almost daily. With a little know-how and a bit of guidance, even tough tomato sauce stains can be handled. Before tackling the stain removal though, check out our guide How to Clean Carpet to determine the type of carpet you have and any special cleaning recommendations for your carpet type. Remember to test a cleaning solution on an out-of-the-way spot to determine if it will damage the carpet. Then, follow the steps below to handle the tomato sauce stain.

Removing a Marinara Sauce Stain

You Will Need:

Dull knife or spoon
Spray bottle (for the cleaning mixture)
Non-bleach dish liquid
White vinegar
Cold water
Clean white cloth/paper towels
Spray bottle (for plain water)
A heavy weight

Steps to Remove the Marinara Sauce Stain:

Scoop up as much of the sauce as you can from the carpet.
In the first spray bottle, mix 1 quart of cold water with 1 teaspoon non-bleach dish liquid and 1 teaspoon white vinegar. If you do not have vinegar, you can try using only the non-bleach dish liquid.
Spray the stain with your selected cleaner.
Using a white cloth/towel, blot, don’t rub, the stain. Keep moving to a clean spot on the cloth until the stain no longer transfers to the cloth. Work from the outer edge of the stain to the middle.
Put clean, plain water in the second spray bottle and spray the area.
Using a white cloth/towel, blot the stain until any remaining cleaning solution is gone.
Place a pile of clean cloths/towels on top of the stain and place something heavy on top (books, hand weights, etc.).
Allow everything to sit for a few hours so the towels can soak up any residual fluid.
After a few hours, take up the heavy items and discard the cloths/towels. Allow the spot to continue drying.
When the area has dried totally, vacuum well to revive the fibers of the carpet.

Additional Tips and Advice

It may sound strange, but you might test waterless hand cleaner on a small part of the stain. If the solution is successful, rub the cleaner into the remainder of the stain, then rinse the area with cold water once the stain is removed.¹
Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover works well on many red stains, including marinara sauce.²
Do not use laundry detergent or automatic dishwasher detergents as they may damage the fibers of your carpet.
Avoid using carpet spot cleaners on oriental rugs; there is a chance the fibers may be damaged.
Proceed with caution when cleaning oriental rugs. Antique, silk or even partial silk rugs should be taken to a professional for handling.