In this work, a tribological approach was used to distinguish the synergistic effects of mechanical removal and chemical removal (i.e. dissolution) of a layer of representative food soil from a solid surface, using a tribometer, Mini Traction Machine (MTM). Gravimetric and wear measurements of the soil were used to calculate the cleaning rates of burnt tomato puree on a stainless-steel disc, and the corresponding frictional characteristics offers insight of the mechanical removal. The cleaning due to soil dissolution (chemical removal) was quantified by UV–Vis measurements. The overall cleaning rates of food soil featured a linear reduction in mass over time, with a scaled removal rate k = 0.0046 s⁻¹ (5 N applied force and 100 mm s⁻¹ relative velocity), for most cases studied. It was observed that the cleaning rate can be improved with an increasing mechanical load or speed (50% from 1 to 2.5 N and 13% from 50 to 100 mm s⁻¹), but is independent of the initial mass. UV–Vis measurements show that by increasing the load or speed the removal of chunks of burnt tomato puree was enhanced more than removal attributed to dissolution. Similar values of cleaning rates for most experimental parameters were extracted from both the gravimetric and wear measurements. Adhesion and cohesion measurements of the burnt tomato puree were conducted with a micromanipulator. It was found that adhesion forces are higher than cohesion for short soaking times, but for longer times the adhesion forces became weaker and with the additional shear rate in the MTM cleaning experiment, adhesion failure was observed in many cases by the end of the experiment. Indentation measurements showed the change in mechanical properties of the food foulant with a few minutes of soaking in water.