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June 15, 2022 Pepper Palace

How to Get Rid of Hot Sauce Stains, Fast!

You just finished basking in the fiery glory of a hot-sauce-tastic feast and you’re settling in to throw back a cold one when you notice it: a spot of sauce that betrayed your mouth and bounced off your belly before settling into the carpet. Cue the panic. How do you get rid of the devilishly delicious evidence before it permanently fuses with your favorite white tee (and your wife’s cherished persian rug? Fear not, you hot mess, you. We’ve all experienced the woes of hot sauce gone awry and we’re happy to report that there are a few simple ways to erase hot sauce stains, fast!


Hot Sauce Stain Removal 101

Regardless of where the stain is situated, there are a few basics that universally apply to all hot sauce stains:

  • Time is of the essence. The faster you get to the stain, the easier it will be to get out. Once stains have a chance to soak in and make themselves at home, they’ll be harder to shake than that awkward co-worker who insists on giving you his full weekend run-down every Monday morning.

  • Dab, don’t smear. Always dab stains gently, using a clean cloth, moving from the outer edges inward, otherwise you’ll risk smearing the stain and making a great big mess of things.

  • One at a time. While there are a handful of different ways to try to get stains out, from dish soap to vinegar, lemon juice, and more, don’t just try them all at once in an attempt to create a Franken-stain-fighter. It just doesn’t work like that, so pick one method and give it the ol’ college try before you give up and try something else.

  • Skip the spin cycle. Even if you think you’ve got the stain out, don’t put the item in the dryer until you’re absolutely sure. Once a stain goes in the dryer, the heat bakes it in and makes it infinitely less likely to ever get it out. 

    • How to Remove Hot Sauce Stains from Shirts and Other Clothing

    If you managed to contain the mess to the front of your shirt (or shorts), you’re in luck. Clothing stains are the easiest to remove because you have modern technology aka washing machines on your side. So, if you notice a spot on your favorite slacks, follow the “sponge, soak, wash, and sun” method.

    • Sponge away the excess with a clean cloth. Remember, dab gently from the outside in to soak up any excess sauce and prevent it from spreading.
    • Soak it with some soapy water. Mix a few squirts of dish soap in a cup or two of water and gently dab this concoction on the spot until it fades significantly or disappears entirely. Note that it may take some time for this one to work, so give the soapy water a chance to really soak in before you abandon all hope.
    • Wash it well. What are you, a Victorian handmaiden? Once you’ve gotten rid of most of the stain, let your trusty washing machine take over. Throw it in the washer on the hottest cycle the fabric can handle (no shrinkage, please) and throw in some good quality detergent—this is not the time to skimp on stain-fighting promises. 
    • Harness the power of the sun. Seriously, did you know that sunlight has kickass stain-fighting powers? Skip the dryer until you are 100% sure that stain is gone. In the meantime, hang or lay it in the sunniest spot you can find and then pat yourself on the back for being such a nature-loving eco warrior. 


    This method is fairly foolproof for removing hot sauce stains from clothes, but if there are still some shadows lurking on your favorite flannel, give it another dish-soap-soak and repeat.


    How to Remove Hot Sauce Stains from Carpets and Couches

    So, you got a little too excited watching the big game and a super saucy hot wing slipped between your fingers and introduced itself to the couch before settling in on the carpet for the butt fumble of the century. Unfortunately, you can’t just throw ‘em in the washer and there’s no way you can hide that saucy spot without your wife noticing. Don’t panic; unlike Mark Sanchez’s quarterbacking career, there’s still hope to recover from this one.

  • Dabbity-dab-dab it up. Grab a clean dishcloth, paper towel, or whatever you’ve got handy and start dabbing, moving from the outside in so you don’t spread the mess around. 
  • Stir up a solution. Mix warm water and white vinegar together in a 1:1 ratio—so, 1 tsp. of vinegar and 1 tsp. of water, or 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar, etc.—with the actual amount determined by the size of the stain. 
  • Soak and blot. Spray or dab the solution onto the stain, soaking the area thoroughly. Then use a clean cloth to blot—never rub—the stain. 
  • Repeat. Don’t accept defeat. This process may take a while, so repeat the soaking and blotting process until that stubborn stain disappears for good. 
  • Suck it up. With a vacuum, that is. Get out the Hoover and vacuum the spot to help dry it out before patting yourself on the back and digging back in for some more wings. 

    • How to Remove Hot Sauce Stains from Sheets and Blankets

    We’re not gonna ask how you got hot sauce stains in your sheets or blankets—some things are better left to the imagination. But if you’ve gotten yourself into this saucy situation, we’ve got your back with these easy steps to clean it up and get back to whatever it was you were doing.


  • Blot away the excess. Grab a clean paper towel or dish cloth and start dabbing to get rid of any excess sauce and prevent it from spreading. Always make sure you’re dabbing with a clean surface otherwise you’ll just make things worse. 
  • Sprinkle on some fairy dust. Baking soda and cornstarch work well here, too. Sprinkle it over the spot to help soak up some of the oil, then turn your linens over and rinse it off with warm water. 
  • Pre-wash. Grab that laundry detergent and rub some directly onto the spot to let the sudsy superpowers get to work, stat. Let it sit for a few minutes—you’re not done yet, friend.
  • Real wash. If your blanket fits in your washing machine, throw it in with the hottest water your linens can tolerate. If not, get thee to a laundromat or dry cleaner as fast as possible. 

    • Practice Responsible Hot-Saucing

    While we encourage you to be your true chili-head self and put hot sauce on everything, we encourage you to sauce responsibly. Seriously, just use a plate (and maybe a bib, if you really can’t contain yourself). Then shop our selection and pick up some more hot sauces to get excited about. After all, if you’re gonna go through all this work to get the hot sauce stain out, it better have been really darn delicious, am I right?
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