Tomato sauce stains will vanish in minutes with 3p first aid kit staple

No matter how careful you are when you're eating, we've all suffered the embarrassment of dropping some food down our freshly washed t-shirt before. And, by extension, we know the pain of trying to get the stain it leaves out of our clothes.

If you're a parent with small children, however, you'll know this feeling more than most. Kids are notorious for getting their food just about everywhere except for their mouths, and dinnertime can leave your child, their clothes, and the furniture around them covered in a mushed-up mess.

One of the worst culprits for staining when it comes to food items is tomatoes. Whether you've cooked up a delicious tomato pasta sauce and dropped some on your cream carpet, or you've had a splodge of tomato ketchup fall from your chip onto your shirt, the bright red cooking staple is a nightmare to clean.

But according to cleaning fans on social media, there might actually be something you can use to get tomato stains out of just about anything. And what's more, it will only cost you 3p per use.

In a Facebook group dedicated to fans of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch, one woman asked for help getting pasta sauce stains out of her cream faux leather sofa after a dinner disaster.

The woman said she had already tried Pink Stuff Paste to remove the staining but had "no luck" with it. She then reached out for further advice, and one answer she received stood out from the rest.

Another woman responded to her post to suggest: "Try some aspirin in hot water."

Aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid, which helps break down stains. To use it, crush a few aspirin tablets in some warm water or use dissolvable aspirin and soak your clothes in the mixture.

Cleaning expert Deyan Dimitrov previously said: "Aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid, which helps break down stains, brighten whites, and even tackle mould spores lurking in fabric. It's a game-changer for anyone dealing with yellowed shirts, sweat stains."

You might already have aspirin in your first-aid kit, but if you need to buy some, it can be purchased for as little as 54p for 18 tablets from places like Boots - meaning the hack will cost you just 3p per tablet used.

How to remove stains with natural remedies

1. Baking Soda

• How to use: Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a quarter cup of water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then wash as usual.
• Best for: Sweat stains, grease, and food stains.

2. White Vinegar

• How to use: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water. Dab the mixture onto the stain, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then launder.
• Best for: Coffee, tea, and deodorant stains.

3. Lemon Juice

• How to use: Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the stain. Let it sit in the sun for an hour, then wash.
• Best for: Rust stains, yellowing, and mildew.

4. Salt

• How to use: Sprinkle salt directly onto a fresh stain (especially red wine or blood), let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse with cold water.
• Best for: Red wine, blood, and sweat stains.

5. Cornstarch

• How to use: Sprinkle cornstarch on oily stains, let sit for 30 minutes to absorb, then brush off and wash.
• Best for: Grease and oil stains.

Tips:

• Always treat stains as soon as possible for the best results.
• Test any solution on a hidden area of the fabric first.
• Avoid using hot water on protein-based stains (like blood or milk), as it can set the stain.