Upholstery Cleaning tricks will help you deal with persistent ketchup stains fast and easily
How to remove ketchup stains on upholstered furniture?
It’s no doubt that ketchup is delicious. Not only children, but also adults cannot imagine fries, sausages or even pasta without the spicy tomato sauce. Unfortunately, however, the intense red color is the reason why ketchup stains regularly cause panic. If the sauce drips from the plate onto the sofa or armchair, many men and women ‘see red’ in the truest sense of the word.
Quickly remove fresh ketchup stains
First of all, ketchup stains can never go away. But no worries! With the right tools, the sauce soon disappears. Nevertheless, ketchup stains on upholstered furniture should be treated quickly, because the fresher the stain, the easier it is to clean.
To begin treating the stain, excess ketchup should be gently scraped off the surface with a spoon. A good adviser here is caution, lest the stain grow any further. It is then sufficient to dab the stain thoroughly with clear, cold water, preferably from the outside inwards. Under no circumstances should colorful napkins or other staining materials be used for this, but always lint-free and colorfast alternatives. If the stain is already very faded, it can be treated with a little vinegar water and finally the fabric can be washed thoroughly again (vinegar is good as a cleaning agent).
If the stain turns out to be a bit more stubborn, soaking the affected area with gall soap also helps. It can remain on the stain for about 15 minutes and should then be washed out with clear water. Vinegar water then tackles light shadows effectively.
Dried ketchup stains on upholstered furniture
If ketchup has crept onto upholstered furniture unnoticed and was able to dry thoroughly before it was discovered, a little preparation is required. Dried ketchup binds more strongly to the fabric and should be softened first. This works best with glycerin from the pharmacy. It penetrates the dried area and dissolves the ketchup. The stain removal steps described above can then be carried out.
For particularly stubborn ketchup, stains that just do not want to leave the upholstery, alcohol is an alternative. However, since this is a fairly aggressive agent that can also attack the fabric and its color, the effects should first be treated and be tested on a little piece of fabric in an invisible place. If upholstered furniture is resistant to the spirit, it is carefully dabbed onto the stain and then washed first with water and finally with vinegar water. Additional washing with a little washing-up liquid helps against the vinegar smell.
