I got Sriracha on a pair of khakis, and it left quite a few separate stains. I Googled “sriracha stains jolie kerr” and found an old column about condiment stains. Is lemon juice the best course of action? Then washing in cold water? Its red, so I assumed it was a tomato stain but I dont really see tomatoes in the ingredient list. The stains will have dried by the time the pants can be cleaned.
Theres so much great stuff going on in this question, I can hardly contain myself. Im so excited that I get to talk about hot sauces, the Jolie Kerr Google Trick, old columns, and what is probably my favorite personal vignette from my time doing this very weird and wonderful job.
Pre-treat the stain with liquid dishwashing detergent. Wait 10 minutes and then rinse in lukewarm water. For white, bleach-safe items, pretreat with a bleach and water solution made with ¼ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach added to ¾ cup water, then immediately wash as directed in step 4.
How I Discovered the Secret Weapon in the Fight Against Sriracha Stains
I often tell people that being a Clean Person is a little like being a doctor at cocktail party: When Im in a social setting, everyone wants to ask me about their proverbial moles. I dont mind this at all—I love hearing about peoples messes. Frankly, Id much rather hear about how you ended up with candle wax on the ceiling than have to look at photos of your ugly babies. Now you know.
A few summers ago, over after-work drinks, a coworker piped up, “Jolie, can I ask you a question?” which, given my line of work was something he neednt have worried about. The question was this: He had an old pen stain on the light-colored pants he was wearing, and he wondered if there was a way to get it out. There sure was, I told him! Rubbing alcohol was the trick and, I added, if there was a bottle of hand sanitizer around, that could be used as a stain remover, since hand sanitizer contains a high concentration of alcohol.
We found some hand san, massaged a small amount of it into the pen mark and voila! No more pen stain. I went back to drinking my wine. My friend, however, wasnt content to stop there—those same pants also had some old Sriracha splatters on them and he was curious…
I bet you dont even need me to tell you that the hand sanitizer took those old Sriracha stains right out. There you have it: The solution to old Sriracha stains is hand sanitizer. Straight up rubbing alcohol will also do the trick.
Another thing About Hot Sauce Stains
Our Letter Writer mentioned that he assumed Sriracha contained tomato, because of its bright red hue, but actually, the color comes from the chili peppers (in the case of Sriracha, red jalapeños). Red chili peppers, however, operate similarly to tomatoes in terms of staining, so many of the treatments used for one will also apply to the other. Which brings me to thatold column about condiments, which Im leaving here because cookout season is upon us—no doubt youll face some sort of ketchup or mustard stain situation in the upcoming months.
The biggest thing to know about a condiment stain: Time is the enemy. If you catch it while its fresh and can dab some water on it, the likelihood of it coming out will be much higher. If you have hand sanitizer on you, all the better: Scrape or blot up as much of the offending matter as possible, then work a small amount of the hand sanitizer into the stain until it begins to lighten. Repeat as needed until the stain is gone.
How to remove chili stains from clothes
FAQ
How do you get rid of Sriracha?
How do you remove set in hot sauce stains?
What is the best stain remover for hot sauce?
How do you make sriracha sauce?
Prepare Peppers: Remove the stems and chop the chiles including the seeds. Blend: Add the chilies, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar to food processor and or blender and blend until smooth. Simmer: Strain the sriracha sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
How to reduce the acidity of tomato sauce?
There are several ways to reduce the acidity of tomato sauce. Some of them are: adding a pinch of sodium bicarbonate, a coffee or tea spoon of yeast, or putting a carrot in the pan when it’s time to find out. You can also add sugar, but be careful not to make the sauce too sweet. Carrot is the healthiest way.
How do you thicken Sriracha sauce?
Blend: Add the chilies, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar to food processor and or blender and blend until smooth. Simmer: Strain the sriracha sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
What can I use instead of Sriracha sauce?
If you run out of sauce and need a good siracha sauce substitute, you can use Garlic-Chili Sauce, or consider using Gochujang, Sambal Oelek, or making your own fresh chili paste. Harissa could work in a pinch, but you can always use a Louisiana Style Hot Sauce in place of the sriracha, depending on the recipe.