You Only Need 3 Things to Get Barbecue Sauce Out of Your Clothes, and You Most Likely Already Have Them at Home

It’s inevitable: If I eat anything slathered in barbecue sauce, I’m getting some of it on my shirt. That won’t stop me from eating my fair share of ribs, wings, and other sauce-laden goodies this summer, of course. After all, as a cleaning writer, I’m more confident in my ability to remove stains than I am in abstaining from eating anything that would put my outfit in peril.

So how do you get barbecue sauce out of clothes? I asked Logan Taylor, president and founder of The Dazzle Cleaning Company, to walk me through a process that I just know I’ll be repeating often during barbecue season.

• A clean utensil, like a butter knife or spoon, to scrape at the stain
• Cold water 
• Stain fighter of your choosing (Dawn dish soap, a clear laundry detergent, an enzyme-based stain remover, or hydrogen peroxide [only for light-colored clothes])

Act quickly with the following pretreatment process, says Taylor, and you’ll have a much better chance of saving your outfit.

Using the edge of a clean utensil, gently remove as much of the glop as possible. If you only have a napkin on hand, you can use it, but be sure to blot the stain, don’t rub it. (Taylor says even a piece of paper could work.)

This might be easy or hard depending on where you’re eating, but if you find yourself splashing your shirt as you stand over the sink in a restaurant or public restroom, we’ve all been there, says Taylor.

You can use any one of these pretreatments. When working it into the stain, remember to blot; don’t rub.

• Dawn dish soap: Taylor suggests applying some Dawn dish soap (“It’s just really the best,” he says), which acts as a degreaser for the stain. Allow it to sit for 10–15 minutes.
• A clear laundry detergent: A clear liquid is best here to avoid color transfer to the fabric. Apply some of it directly to the stain and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
• An enzyme-based stain remover: Taylor recommends Zout, but you could use any enzymatic cleanser. Enzymes help break down proteins and other organic matter. Follow the instructions on the stain remover for dwell time.
• Hydrogen peroxide: Don’t use this on dark clothes, as it has bleaching properties. However, it’s fine to use for stain removal on white or very light-colored clothes. Apply to the stain and let sit for about five minutes.

Throw your shirt in the washing machine and launder as you normally would. “[The stain] doesn’t need to be fully gone by the time you put it in the washing machine, but it should be getting pretty close,” says Taylor. 

After the wash cycle, inspect the garment. If it looks like the stain is gone — and the care label permits it — Taylor says it’s fine to toss it in the dryer. But do be careful with a heated dry cycle to avoid further setting any remnants of the stain. “If it’s like your favorite shirt you’ve ever had, you [should] probably let it air dry and take another look at it,” he says. If the stain has indeed lingered, repeat the cleaning process.

Barbecue sauce can be tricky because it’s a multi-layered stain, Taylor explains. Not only does the sauce itself contain sugar and starches, but it also includes food dye and other additives, as well as the grease from the meat or whatever protein was cooked with the sauce. 

Good news: No one is suggesting that you forgo your favorite wings or ribs for the sake of your clothing. But Taylor does have some advice for taking the inevitable oops in stride whenever you do partake in one of your favorite BBQ meals:

• Act immediately. “You want to address [the stain] as soon as possible,” says Taylor. Again, this is harder when you’re away from home, but the sooner you can treat the stain before it sets, the better your chances of removing it.
• Don’t rub it in. Can’t say this one enough, and honestly, it’s good advice for dealing with any stain. You don’t want to make matters worse by rubbing the sauce further into the fibers of your garment.
• Check stains before drying. The heat from the dryer will set the stains, so be certain the stain is gone before tossing it in. 
• Don’t wash before pretreating. Pretreating might not remove the entire stain, but it certainly helps, so don’t just toss the garment in the wash and hope for the best.

Of course, it’s always better to get the sauce into your mouth rather than on your shirt. But barbecue sauce mishaps are bound to happen, and now you can avoid them being a complete disaster.