Tomato and ketchup mix an acidic sauce with the strong natural pigment lycopene, which can stain if left. Lifted promptly, though, they usually come up well.
Scoop up the excess with a spoon, then blot — don't smear it across a wider area. Speed stops the pigment setting.
- Clean white cloths / kitchen roll
- Washing-up liquid
- White vinegar
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Cool or lukewarm water
Step by step (carpet)
- Lift the excess with a spoon, scraping gently toward the middle.
- Blot the rest with a damp cloth.
- Treat with a teaspoon of washing-up liquid and a tablespoon of white vinegar in 250ml of lukewarm water; dab and blot.
- Rinse with clean cool water and press dry.
- Repeat gently if a pink tint remains.
The pigment can be stubborn once dry, so a faint pink shadow sometimes lingers on pale carpet — another good candidate for a professional follow-up.
By surface
🛋️ Sofas & upholstery
Check the cushion's cleaning code first: W or W/S means the method above is fine used sparingly; S means solvent-clean only, so leave that to a professional. Use less water than on carpet and blot, don't soak.
🧶 Wool & delicate rugs
Use cool water and a gentle touch — wool can ‘brown’ if over-wet and some rug dyes run. Test a hidden corner first, and for an antique, hand-knotted or silk rug, don't gamble — leave it to us.
🛏️ Mattresses
You can't rinse a mattress, so go light: blot, treat sparingly, then use bicarbonate of soda to absorb the rest. Never soak it — trapped moisture leads to mould and smells.
✅ Do
- Act fast and keep it cool
- Blot from the outside in
- Test on a hidden patch first
- Build up with several light passes
🚫 Don't
- Rub — it drives the stain deeper
- Use hot water on a fresh stain
- Use bleach or harsh spot removers
- Over-wet, especially a mattress or wool rug
Tried it and the tomato & ketchup mark is still there — or it's a wool rug, a mattress or something you'd hate to ruin? Don't keep scrubbing; that's how a stain turns permanent. We can often draw out what's left with professional hot-water extraction, and we'll tell you honestly what we expect to get up before we start. Watford family business, 25 years, fully insured — the quote's free.
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