Tomato sauce stain on white wood cabinet

5 years ago

Recently renovated. New white kitchen. Discovered our first stain - tomato sauce. See pic below. Luckily it’s on the inside of trash can THIS time - but with 3 kids it’s inevitable it will happen at some point where it’s visible

. Figured now is a good time to test different cleaning methods to see what will work. My cabinet maker told me for stubborn stains try lacquer thinner. I tried lacquer thinner and it didn’t budge. Anyone have any good remedies?

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HALLETT & Co.

5 years ago

We had a non responsive stain that didn't come off with my go to (vinegar is my all purpose cleaner, followed by classic blue dawn). The final thing that worked was 'spray-and-wash". It is designed to break down food based stains on laundry- took it off in seconds. Ours was some kind of red chili sauce...

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Comments (43)

miss lindsey (She/Her)
5 years ago
It would help to know what you've tried. For any mark that doesn't wipe off with dish soap I use hydrogen peroxide, dish soap (just a drop), and baking soda to make a paste that will stick to it. That usually takes care of it. Let it sit long enough for the soap to break up the grease.
Jamie Ludwig
5 years ago
Sorry looks like your photo did not post.
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Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Here is the photo
sznns
5 years ago
I would try a Magic Eraser. I haven't had that exact situation but I have used them on white cabinets for other marks with success.
lindahambleton
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
curious too
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Lindsey - I tried lacquer thinner. Rubbed it for a bit. Also tried a little bit of white vinegar and goo gone. But I didn’t let any of these “sit” on the stain. Just used wet a white lint free cloth with whatever cleaning product I tried and applied some pressure. I am guessing a “paste” as you suggested would be a good idea,because it’s thick enough to sit on the stain. It didn’t hurt the wood finish or sheen or your cabinets at all?
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Jamie - picture has now been posted.
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Beth H. :
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
lacquer thinner??!!! inside the home, on cabinets near a heat source? for food stains?? holy hannah.

All the cleaning products on the market and nothing takes off the stain? 409, bleach, dawn dish soap, a little scrubby pad w/bar keepers friend, etc?? you tried all of those?

what kind of paint was used on those cabs? any top coat?
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Beth H - the cabinet maker told me there is no lacquer used in the finish of these cabinets and that a small dab of lacquer thinner on a rag will get rid of a tough stain and not hurt the finish. I saw him use it on my cabinet when they were doing the final installation and touch ups. It didn’t hurt the surface. Again he said a small amount on a rag. No need to worry
PRO
Beth H. :
5 years ago
sandra,,,someone else may read this, see that it's ok, and use lacquer thinner to wipe down all of their cabinets (yes, some people are really that stupid) and then turn on the stove to start cooking. get the point?

there is no need to use lacquer thinner as a cleaning agent. just my opinion.
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
5 years ago
My previous painted cabinets (painted by me with ordinary kitchen & bath enamel) always tolerated a little bleach to remove stains.
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Beth H - I see your point. I would try to edit my initial post to say a DAB of lacquer thinner on a rag but Houzz won’t let me edit it. Not sure why.
Rawketgrl
5 years ago
Tomatoes have a PH about 4. White Vinegar has a PH about 3. This should remove the stain. It sounds like however that this stain is now 'set'. Time to use some tsp to clean the wall, water on a rag to clean the tsp off, let thoroughly dry, lightly sand with very fine grit sandpaper. Paint matching white. Since it sounds like this will happen again: Cover area with clear plexiglass /acrylic plastic or contact paper you can wipe off.
artistsharonva
5 years ago
put the tiniest dab of nail polish remover on a wet magic erase sponge and it should come off with a few strokes. 2 wet rags standing by, one with dish soap and the other plain water to quickly clean off the nail polish so it wouldn’t do damage.
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Rawketgirl what is tsp?
Rawketgrl
5 years ago
Trisodium phosphate made by Savogran, Krud Kutter makes a TSP substitute called prepaint cleaner that works the same.
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JAN MOYER
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I have ordinary satin paint on cabinets I despised? Every darnn thing comes OFF. Tomatoes, a red wine drip, everything !

What are these cabinets??? !!!
PRO
JudyG Designs
5 years ago
Try eye makeup remover..
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Jan Moyer - they are a custom wood cabinet. Made by Honeybrook for my cabinet maker. Really nice quality. I’ve been using the kitchen for 2 months and they have cleaned up beautifully. This is the first time I have a stain that won’t budge. I’m guessing it’s harder to remove because it sat - noone noticed bc it’s on the inner panel of the trash cabinet....SO if it doesn’t come clean it will be fine but when you have 3 kids (ages 11,15,17) who often use the kitchen themselves BUT don’t always clean up their messes I thought playing with this stain would be good practice for the next time one shows up in a noticeable spot.
wilson853
5 years ago
Try toothpaste with a whitener.
shead
5 years ago
Magic Eraser and lots of elbow grease or some soft scrub, letting it stay over the stain for a while.
artistsharonva
5 years ago
A similar problem

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/stain-on-white-lacquer-cabinet-door-dsvw-vd~4245796

read down to end, this is what worked for their cabinets

"put the tiniest dab of nail polish remover on a wet magic erase sponge and it should come off with a few strokes. 2 wet rags standing by, one with dish soap and the other plain water to quickly clean off the nail polish so it wouldn’t do damage."
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Does anyone know - when a cabinet company sprays the final protective finish on the cabinet doors, is it only done to the outer face? I was just thinking maybe this stain set because it’s on the inner panel of my garbage cabinet...and if that same sauce landed on the outer side of the door it wouldn’t have set in? Wishful thinking?
artistsharonva
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Possible. Sense mentioned they're custom. I would ask the maker of them & what they suggest. Maybe they have a good solution. Wishing you success :)
PRO
Anglophilia
5 years ago
Yes, call the cabinet maker and pay him to come out and remove this stain. And ask him what to do in the future.
Sandra Durante thanked Anglophilia
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Artistsharonva and Anglophilia - thanks for all your help. The cabinet maker suggested lacquer thinner for a tough stain. It didn’t work. They will come out to do touch ups and repaint if necessary. Supposedly they do it free of charge as part of the warranty for the first year, and then an hourly fee after that. I was just hoping someone had a remedy that would work since the lacquer thinner didn’t. I won’t have them out to come out and fix this. As I mentioned above, it’s on the inner part of the door that can’t be seen. But I will have them come out in the future for any stains that are visible. Thanks again.
erinsean
5 years ago
Have you tried a cleaner called Fantastik? It is a spray and comes with or without bleach? I use it on Formica, painted walls, appliances..etc. That may work.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
5 years ago
" It didn’t hurt the wood finish or sheen or your cabinets at all?"

Nope! It is certainly less potentially harmful than many chemicals. If you are very concerned leave the hydrogen peroxide out.
Sandra Durante thanked miss lindsey (She/Her)
ci_lantro
5 years ago
I think you've tried about everything except the old standby. Chlorine bleach.
vpierce
5 years ago
Comet.
niccidhg
5 years ago
Soft Scrub with Bleach cleaner GEL - I would try this on a scrub pad or old toothbrush . I’ve used this on our granite composite sink , as was recommended by the manufacturer, and it does a beautiful job without damage ( non-abrasive ) . It’s worth a try.
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JAN MOYER
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
A pro paint shop ( your custom shop ) usually uses conversion varnish. It IS paint. It is sprayed, and two coats over a primer are the usual. If the inside of the trash pullout is staining, perhaps it had minimal coverage.

What did your guy use? Because a stain on the face should that happen? I will tell you it should NOT happen. So what did YOUR custom shop use?
artistsharonva
5 years ago
That's good that your cabinet maker offers that. I would take him up on that within the warranty period. If he does come to fix, watch what he does, so you'll know what to do in the future ;). If he does a cool trick, please share. It would be cool to know how a Pro remedy this & may help others in the same predicament.

btw, Thanks for the thanks :)
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
5 years ago
Don't try any of the suggested abrasives (Comet, Magic Eraser etc). Those may remove the stain but will also damage the finish, even if so finely that it isn't readily noticeable. I would try the SprayNWash, or a dab of bleach.

Another product that I have used successfully and without damage to painted woodwork or wallpaper is Palmolive Eco dishwasher detergent. This has removed waxy grimy buildup from the dog's coat, smoke stain from the fireplace surround (fire lit with damper closed!) and a couple of decades worth of hand grime from a stair bannister. It might be worth a try.
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio - Thanks for your reply. I wasn't going to try anything abrasive. I know it can hurt the finish. I only tried a little vinegar, dawn dish soap and goo gone. Thanks for your suggestion. Ironically, right before I went to bed last night I noticed some macaroni and cheese stuck to one cabinet! My kids made it the night before and obviously didn't clean up so well. It's organic Mac n Cheese but the orange cheese must have been greasy and left a small stain. I used a dab of lacquer thinner as my cabinet maker suggested and it worked! I guess the key is a stain can't sit for a few days. Thankfully my cabinet maker offers touch up services (along with respraying if a door is particularly bad). It's a white kitchen and I know it will get wear and tear. Part of life....
Lynda
5 years ago
I have a similar problem... I got hair dye on my white cabinets. Ugh. I’ve tried all of the above except for the lacquer thinner. Since it’s not a food stain, not sure what else I can try.
An option would be to buy a new door front, but would like to avoid that if possible.
Any suggestions for removing hair dye? Thanks.
Sandra Durante
Original Author
5 years ago
Lynda - I saw an old post on Houzz about hair dye and white cabinets. Do a search. Maybe it will come up. I wouldn’t try lacquer thinner unless you know how your cabinets are finished. My cabinet maker told me mine don’t have a lacquer top coat. I will say the lacquer thinner faded the stain of the orange cheese a lot, but if you look closely it didn’t remove it 100 pct. No one will notice but me. Didn’t want to keep rubbing too hard and possibly hurt the wood. Do you have a touch up kit? Maybe you can just paint over it?
PRO
Home & Decor Hub
5 years ago
As an interior designer, I work with lots of wooden surfaces, painted, oiled, polished and not and I had passed a restoration training course from Heinrich & Co (Germany), These are my conclusions based on practice:

Yes tomatoes make "bad" stains , especially on soaking up surfaces; without top coat a paint is soaking up substance.

Before starting to erase a stain You have to take into conclusion that if no top coat defence, then You will apply chemical removers/erasers directy to the paint. Any stain eraser would thin the paint layer. It can change color.

Secondly, applying lots of different erasers, will cause a chemical reaction even between micro amounts and stain will not go out beacuse of multiple times.

Thats why my opinion is that You have to ask Youe manufacturer to give You a professional restoration advise- first, and second, if there is a chance, to make a top defence- top coat on all Your furniture.Wish You good luck in that. Regards.
PRO
Freshlook Painting LLC
5 years ago
Did you have the cabinets painted? If so that may not be a sauce stain it may be bleeding through from a previous stain if not treated correctly in the first place the stain will always yellow. From the pic its it's hard o tell if its yellow or red. If it is sauce and it was painted then just touch it up. Looks like its it's in the drawer just get some
kathyg_in_mi
5 years ago
I stained my brand new white bathroom cabinet a week after it was put in, with red hair color! Did not notice it for at least a week. It looked like Lynda’s Pic, only red. I tried everything to clean it, no luck.

went and bought myself a white paint pen and gave it thin coats over a few days. It worked! Unless you knew there was a repair, you would never know it had happened! Just make sure to not let the paint drip.
helbrod
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Just an fyi I have a small stain and luckily tested the inside of a cabinet door with acetone as suggested and the paint literally melted as anticipated. Yeah, don't do that.
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
helbrod,,,acetone on paint? you know they use acetone to remove fingernail polish, right? also a type of lacquer paint? lol

what kind of stain do you have?

Tomato sauce stain on white wood cabinet

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