Tomato Stains on Your Bowl: How to Get Them Out, and Is It Still Safe?

To get a tomato stain out of a bowl, wash it promptly, then scrub the mark by hand with a paste of dish soap and baking soda or kosher salt, plus a splash of white vinegar. Use a soft sponge or brush, never a metal scrub pad. A faint tint that will not lift is usually cosmetic, and on Maple Origins pieces a little darkening with use does not mean the bowl is unsafe.

Tomato sauce, salsa, chili and curry are the usual culprits. Their pigments cling to porous and slightly textured surfaces, which is why the orange ring shows up on plastic containers, wooden bowls and composite dinnerware alike. We make our bowls in Southington, Connecticut, from recycled maple wood combined with plastic, and the stain method below is the one in our own care guide.

Why do bowls stain orange from tomato sauce?

Tomatoes get their red color from a natural pigment that dissolves in fat. When a sauce has oil in it, the oil carries that pigment into the surface of the bowl, and plain water will not lift it back out. Heat makes it worse, and so does time: a bowl of spaghetti left on the counter overnight stains more than one rinsed right after dinner.

Plastic and wood plastic composite pick up these stains more easily than glazed ceramic or glass, because their surfaces hold onto oil. Solid wooden bowls with a worn oil finish can stain as well. Our care guide says it plainly: some sauces, like tomato, may stain our products.

How do I remove tomato stains from a bowl?

Start gentle and only step up if the mark stays.

1. Scrape and rinse. Get the leftover sauce out soon after the meal, then rinse with warm water.
2. Wash as usual. Warm water, dish soap and a soft sponge remove most fresh stains. Maple Origins pieces can also go on the top shelf of the dishwasher with any regular detergent.
3. Make a scrubbing paste. For a stain that is still there, mix standard dish soap with kosher salt or baking soda. Add a splash of white vinegar and scrub by hand as you would any normal dish. The salt or baking soda gives you grit without scratching, and the soap breaks up the oil that holds the pigment.
4. Rinse and dry. Rinse well with warm water and let the bowl dry.
5. Repeat once if needed. A second round often fades what the first one left.

This method is the one we give for Maple Origins bowls, plates and trays, and it is a reasonable first try for plastic containers too.

What should I not use on a stained bowl?

• Stainless steel or copper scrub pads. These will scratch Maple Origins products, and scratches give the next stain more to hold onto.
• Sharp tools to scrape it out. Sharp metal utensils can scratch our pieces, the same as any wooden product.
• The microwave. Some stain tips involve heating a container. We do not recommend microwave use for Maple Origins pieces, because they contain real maple wood.

If a cleaning trick calls for something we have not listed here, test it on a small spot on the underside first, or ask us.

Is a stained bowl still safe to use?

A stain is a color change on the surface. For a Maple Origins piece, a tomato tint or a gradual darkening over time is cosmetic. Our care guide notes that our products may darken with use, and that this does not mean the product is unsafe to use.

Most stains fall into the first group below.

Usually fine

• An even orange or pink tint after tomato sauce, salsa or curry.
• A piece that has slowly darkened over months of everyday use.
• Light surface marks from serving utensils.

Needs a closer look

• Deep cracks, or a chip with a sharp edge.
• Any change in shape, such as a bowl that no longer sits flat.
• Sticky or rough patches that do not wash clean.
• Smells that stay after washing.

If any of those show up on one of our pieces, call or email us and we will do our best to help.

Will the color of my bowl wash off with the stain?

No. Our colors are molded into the material during production. They are not painted or sprayed on, so scrubbing a stain will not flake, peel or smudge the color underneath. That also means a light Oatmeal or Light Grey bowl will show a tomato tint more than a darker Paprika, Beetroot or Cocoa one. If your family eats a lot of red sauce, a deeper color hides it best.

How do I keep bowls from staining in the first place?

• Rinse soon after the meal. Fresh sauce lifts far more easily than sauce that has sat for hours.
• Serve warm, not piping hot. Our pieces are made for cold or warm foods. Let pasta and chili cool a few minutes before they go in.
• Store leftovers elsewhere. Move leftover sauce to a glass container rather than covering the serving bowl and putting it in the fridge.
• Pick a darker color for red-sauce dishes. Keep the lighter bowls for salads, fruit and snacks.

Does sunlight or lemon juice remove tomato stains?

Both are common tips for plastic food containers. Many people set a clean, stained container in a sunny window for an afternoon to fade the color, or rub the mark with a cut lemon. Our care guide does not cover either one for Maple Origins pieces, so for our bowls we stick with the method we know works: dish soap, kosher salt or baking soda, and a splash of white vinegar, scrubbed by hand. If you try something else on a plastic container, rinse and wash it well afterward.

How do I remove stains from a solid wooden bowl?

Solid wooden bowls need a gentler approach than composite ones. Wash by hand with warm, soapy water, scrub a stain with a little coarse salt and a cut lemon or a splash of vinegar, rinse, and dry right away. Once it is dry, rub in a food-safe bowl oil or board conditioner to restore the finish. Do not soak a solid wooden bowl or put it in the dishwasher.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get tomato stains out of plastic containers?

The same paste works: dish soap with baking soda or kosher salt and a splash of white vinegar, scrubbed by hand with a soft sponge. Wash promptly next time, since older stains are harder to lift.

Can I use bleach on my Maple Origins bowls?

Our care guide does not cover bleach, so we suggest sticking to the soap, salt or baking soda and vinegar method. If a stain will not shift, contact us before trying anything stronger.

Why is my bowl darker than when I bought it?

Maple Origins products may darken with use over time. It is a normal change in the material and does not mean the bowl is unsafe to use.

Do Maple Origins bowls go in the dishwasher?

Yes. All of our products are top-shelf dishwasher safe, and any regular dishwasher detergent can be used.

If the orange ring is back after spaghetti night

Rinse it soon, scrub it with soap, salt or baking soda and a splash of vinegar, and keep metal pads away from it. A faint tint that stays is part of a bowl that gets used. Our care guide has the full method, and if you are choosing new pieces for pasta night, the Serving Bowl in a deeper color is a good place to start.