How to Remove Barbecue Stains

A pile of barbecued spare ribs and what a mess they can make if spilled.

Summer Gatherings and Barbecue Stains

It’s that time of year, my favorite time – Summer. Longer days, talking walks, working in the yard, and being outdoors playing croquet and having a barbecue with friends and family.


Having a barbecue is part of summer fun, eating wonderful foods, and ultimately getting barbecue stains somewhere. When this happens we’ll help you with the tools to get those stains out.

As is true with most stains, getting to it early is key for the best chance at getting the stain removed completely. I’m not saying if you get to it later (because you didn’t notice it) it won’t come out, it can, but it’s always easier on a fresh stain.

Removing Barbecue from Fabric

  • Use a dull knife or other product to scrape away as much of the barbecue as possible. You want to be careful not to rub it into the fabric more than it already is.
  • Run the back of the stain under cold water. This will force it back out.
  • Use a mild liquid detergent. Blot onto the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
  • For white clothing, you can use bleach on the garment, but only if it has been tested.
  • Rinse thoroughly.
  • If the stain has not been removed completely, use a stain removing product and allow it to set as directed by the product.
  • Launder the item as you would any other time, but do not place it in the dryer. Allow to air dry.
  • This allows you to go back and determine if the stain is completely gone before the dryer sets that stain permanently.

If the stain doesn’t come out and it’s one of your favorite tops, you can use a professional and they will most likely try a dry cleaning solvent to remove the stain. If you want the stain removed and don’t want to head to a professional dry cleaner, another option you can try is soaking the stained section in a solution of warm water and mild laundry detergent over night.

It may prove to be a bit difficult to remove the barbecue stain from the clothing completely though as some of the ingredients can cause it to be permanent.

Removing Barbecue from Carpet

  • Remove as much as possible with the dull knife.
  • Use a clean, dry terry towel to blot the stain and remove as much as you can. Do not rub, it will only make the stain go deeper into the carpet and you can make the stained area larger than it already is.
  • Blot on a mild laundry detergent.
  • Follow this with a clean, dry terry towel then blot to remove more of the stain.
  • Repeat as needed.
Because barbecue sauce can also be oily, you want to consider placing baking soda on the stain once it is fully removed. This will help to absorb the oils that may still be in the carpet. Allow the baking soda to sit several hours or overnight then vacuum it up.

Barbecue stains can come out successfully if you take the time to work on it. In most cases, the stain will come out easily enough. The goal is to remove the stain without damaging the item stained.

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