How to Remove Salsa Stains from Fabric

Olivia asked, “Someone help; how do I get a salsa stain (the size of my fist) out of my bed sheets?”

You Will Need:

• Unsharpened knife
• Club soda
• Enzyme detergent
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Clean sponge
• White vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Hydrogen peroxide

Steps to Remove the Salsa Stain:

1. Scrape off the solid salsa with the knife.¹
2. As soon as you can, use a clean cloth to dab at the stain with club soda, removing as much of the stain as you can.²
3. If the stain remains follow with the steps below.
4. Run a strong flow of water through the fabric from the back to push the stain out.¹
5. Apply enough enzyme detergent to cover the stain. Let the item sit for several minutes. Occasionally use your fingers to rub the stain.¹
6. If you do not have an enzyme detergent, you can also use a liquid laundry detergent, following the directions above.³
7. Rinse the item thoroughly.
8. The white vinegar, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide all act as gentle bleach. Using whichever you have at your disposal, apply a small amount to the sponge and gently agitate the stain.¹ Work from the outside edges in. Always test a cleaning solution on a small hidden area first, especially if using a gentle bleach on a dark color of fabric.
9. You may need to repeat the steps above several times until the stain is gone.¹
10. Treat the area with a spot stain remover, allowing it to sit for a few minutes.¹
11. Wash in the enzyme detergent¹ or the liquid detergent.³
12. If you can, it sometimes helps to allow the item to air dry in a sunny area.¹
13. If after allowing the item to air dry you find the stain is still there, apply the enzyme detergent¹ or laundry detergent again. This time, place the item in warm water for approximately 30 minutes.³
14. Repeat steps 11-12.

• Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover and Red Erase are products typically used to remove red wine stains, but they can be helpful in removing any red-based stain.²
• An interesting possibility is waterless hand cleaner. You might try it if nothing else seems to be working.⁴
• They say there are thousands of uses for WD-40 and this might be one of them. Spray a small amount right on the spot, let it soak in for a minute or two and then launder as you normally would.⁵

1. Field Guide to Stains by Virginia M. Friedman, Melissa Wagner & Nancy Armstrong
2. How the Queen Cleans Everything by Linda Cobb
3. Stain Rescue! by Anne Marie Soto
4. Haley’s Cleaning Hints by Graham & Rosemary Haley
5. Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest