Your cup of coffee can provide you with more than just a jolt of caffeine, it can also have significant benefits for your health. But what isn’t great is that coffee spills always happen at the most inconvenient time: as you’re running out the door, at the end of a long dinner party, or just when you finally sit down to curl up with a book. Similar to some red wines, coffee stains can be extremely hard to remove. This is because many beverages — coffee, tea, and red wine included — contain tannins due their high temperatures.
Whether you trip while walking through the room or you’re entertaining not so careful guests, coffee spills will inevitably occur. Unfortunately, when they occur, it leaves an ugly brown stain that can be hard to eliminate. So let me tell you how to remove coffee stains from your carpet, clothes, and just about everything else with a few simple tricks.
Clothing
What You’ll Need
Toothbrush
Materials
Liquid laundry detergent
Powdered laundry detergent
White vinegar
Laundry stain remover
Dishwashing liquid (optional)
Oxygen bleach laundry detergent (optional)
Instructions
Flush With Cold Water
For a fresh stain, run cold water from a faucet through the backside of the fabric to keep the coffee from penetrating the cloth. Continue to run cold water through the back of the stain for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water running out is completely clear. If the stain isn’t fully removed, or your stain is old, move on to the next step.
Apply Liquid Detergent
Rub liquid laundry detergent or liquid dish soap and a little cold water into the coffee stain. Allow fresh stains to sit for three to five minutes. You can let it sit for longer, but don’t let it dry. For old coffee stains, you’ll need to soak the clothing in water after you’ve rubbed the in the liquid detergent.
Every five minutes, gently rub the stained fabric with your thumb and fingers to loosen the stain. After 30 minutes of soaking in cold water, check the stained area. If the stain remains, try soaking for five to 15 minutes in warm water before rinsing thoroughly.
Try Powdered Detergent
If the stain is still there, mix some powdered laundry detergent with equal parts white vinegar and water and turn it into a paste. Test it on the garment to make sure it doesn’t discolor the fabric. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain. Rinse the fabric thoroughly.
Pretreat and Wash
Apply a stain remover spray or gel to the coffee stain; you can also use an oxygen bleach laundry detergent as your stain remover, which may be best at this point. Let it stand for five minutes. Wash the garment as you normally would.
Inspect and Dry
Check that the coffee stain is completely removed. If any hint remains, repeat the treatment steps before drying. Air-dry the clothing. (Do not machine dry item; the heat will set the stain.)
Inspect it again for any trace of the stain by holding the dried clothing up to a light to make sure that any hint of discoloration is completely removed. If there’s still discoloration, repeat the powdered detergent step, wash, and air-dry again.
Upholstery
Mix 1/2 tsp of liquid dish soap with 2 cups of cool water. Using a clean, white cloth, sponge the stain with the mixture. Repeat until the stain disappears, then sponge once more with cold water and blot dry.
Carpet
Blot up as much of the coffee as you can. Then, mix 1/2 tsp of liquid dish soap and 1/2 tsp of white vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water. Using a clean, white cloth, sponge the stain with the mixture. Apply a little bit at a time, blotting frequently with a dry cloth until the stain disappears. Finally, sponge with cold water and blot dry.
Mugs
If you’ve ever left your mug in the sink for a couple days, you know the struggle that is a stained ceramic cup. Forte says all you need is a Good Housekeeping Seal Star Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to wipe off marks. Or, if you don’t have one on hand, sprinkle some baking soda on top of your dish soap to add an extra oomph of abrasion and clean as usual.
