Tomato and ketchup
Short answer: Scrape off the thick part with a spoon, rinse cold from the inside and add liquid detergent. Tomato is both colour and fat, so both need handling, and warm water makes the stain harder to remove.
The two parts of the stain
The colour from the tomato is water soluble, while the oil in ketchup is fat. That is why cold water works on the colour and liquid detergent works on the fat. Seeing the stain as two jobs instead of one gives a better result and stops you giving up when water alone is not enough.
Scrape off the thick part
Start by removing what sits on top of the fabric, using the back of a spoon or a scrap of paper. Scrape away from the stain, so you do not smear it over a larger area. The less is left on the surface, the less the water and detergent have to deal with afterwards.
Rinse cold from the inside
Turn the garment inside out and rinse the stain cold from the back, so the water pushes the colour out of the fabric rather than deeper in. Use plenty of water and keep going until the red is almost gone. Do not rinse warm, because heat binds the colour and makes the fat harder to remove.
Liquid detergent for the fat
Rub liquid detergent lightly into the stain and leave it for about twenty minutes, so it can bind the fat in the ketchup to the water. Then wash the garment according to its label. See bamboo shirts for women if you want a soft shirt for everyday wear.
If a yellowish shadow remains
That is the fat left behind. Treat again with liquid detergent and wash at forty degrees if the label allows it. Check the stain before the garment dries, because heat from drying can make the rest permanent. See bamboo footies for women and bamboo bedding.
What if the stain is in a seam
Seams hold moisture and fat, so the stain can be hard to reach. Use an old toothbrush to work the detergent into the seam, and rinse thoroughly afterwards so no detergent is left behind. Be gentle, so you do not wear down the fabric or the seam itself.
Blot rather than rub
For the last traces, it is better to blot than to rub hard. Rubbing pushes the tomato colour deeper between the fibres and can roughen the fabric. Use a clean cloth and press lightly on the stain, so the cloth and detergent can carry the traces out of the fabric.
Check the stain before drying
Look at the stain after the garment has been washed, and hold it up to the light to see a faint shadow. If it is there, treat it again while the fabric is still damp. It takes a few minutes and saves you a stain that turns permanent in the tumble dryer.
Ketchup at the table
Ketchup often lands on clothes at lunch or at the barbecue, and the stain can look worse than it is. If you have a spoon, a cloth and cold water close by, you can lift most of the thick mass away. The rest is handled with detergent and twenty minutes of patience.
Frequently asked questions
Why not warm water
Heat binds the colour and makes the fat harder to remove. So use cold water for rinsing, and let liquid detergent handle the fat before you wash the garment according to its label.
Should you scrape or blot
Scrape off the thick part first, then blot. Scraping removes most of the mass, and blotting takes the rest without pushing the stain deeper into the fabric or roughening the fibres.
What if the stain is in a seam
Use an old toothbrush to work the detergent in. Be gentle, rinse thoroughly, and check the stain before drying, so you can treat it again if a shadow remains.
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