Coffee stains can be a real pain if you don’t know how to remove them. No matter how long they’ve been there, they can easily ruin the appearance of your favorite clothes, furniture, and surfaces. On this page we’ll explore how to remove coffee stains the right way.
Fresh Coffee Stains – A Quick Note
Most of the guidance on this page will deal with dried coffee stains. If you’re dealing with fresh coffee stains, follow our tips in this section. The first thing to do is soak up as much liquid and excess coffee as possible.
Place a dry paper towel over the new stain and let it fully absorb. Use multiple paper towels if necessary. Try not to rub or move the coffee about too much as this will entrench the coffee stains further into your fabric.
Once as much excess coffee has been removed as possible, the suggestions below should be of use.
Remove Coffee Stains – Our Tips
The good news here is that removing coffee stains can be much easier than you might think. While the stains left by most coffee spills might seem irreversible, most can be put right with minimal effort. The tips below should help you put things right.
Cold Water for a Coffee Spill
If you catch your coffee stains fast enough, flushing your clothes in cold water may be enough. If you get there before the coffee has dried, the cold water should be able to remove any lingering stains from the fabric.
Don’t worry if this doesn’t work, though; there are plenty of other options that can help.
Why Try This One First?
We’ve included this tip right at the top of our article as its the least intrusive and requires next to no effort. Protecting your clothes and furniture means only using chemicals and other cleaning substances when strictly necessary.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
This a great one for coffee stains that have got onto your clothing. On fresh coffee stains, apply liquid laundry detergent by thoroughly rubbing it into the stain with your fingers. Leave it to sit for at least five minutes before flushing thoroughly with cold water.
Repeat as many times as necessary until the stain has vanished!
For more stubborn coffee stains, you may need to soak the clothing in cold water after applying the laundry detergent. Once this has been applied, regularly rub the fabric with your fingers to help loosen the coffee particles further before flushing with water.
Why Liquid Laundry Detergent?
Laundry detergents are designed to remove stains from clothing, including coffee stains. This makes them a fantastic option when dealing with stains in your clothes.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
This technique uses a combination of equal parts vinegar, water, and powdered laundry detergent. Mix these three into a paste and then rub it thoroughly into your coffee stains. Be sure to test an inconspicuous part of the fabric first to make sure that it won’t cause any discoloration.
Why Powdered Detergent?
Powdered detergent products contain surfactants that are designed to ‘lift’ stubborn stains from fabrics. After applying this paste to your clothes, flush thoroughly with cold water and allow to dry fully.
Commercial Stain Remover
Hoping to remove coffee stains from carpet and similar materials? Stain removers like this one can do a fantastic job. Just be sure to test any product you buy on a more hidden patch of your carpet first to double-check that it won’t change its color.
Follow the manufacturer’s specific guidance for best results.
Why Use a Stain Remover?
We think this option is perfect for more stubborn coffee stains. The only thing we’ll say is that the chemicals used in some of these products can be quite strong so look out for any discoloration or even new stains that they may cause.
If you test an inconspicuous spot first, you should be fine.
Remove Coffee Stains From Cups and Mugs
Sick of that dried coffee stain on the surface of your favorite cup? It’s easier than you might think to get rid of it. Your first port of call here should be some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Half the time, applying a little extra pressure with a damp cloth can be all you need to remove coffee stains from the surface of your cup.
But what if you’ve already tried this to no avail?
Next up, try creating a paste by combining baking soda with some warm water. Rub this newly formed paste on the stain using firm, circular motions. The abrasive nature of baking soda should be enough to lift the stain.
If this fails, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Stain removers like Astonish are designed to eliminate mug stains and can be more effective than baking soda in certain situations. Give it a go for yourself and see if it works. Just make sure you thoroughly clean any cup that makes contact with it.
Shaving Cream
This option can be a great alternative to a carpet stain remover. We know it sounds crazy, but if you use it on a recent stain, it can really work! First, blot up the spill with a dry paper towel. Next, apply a generous amount of shaving cream and massage thoroughly into your carpet.
Barbasol is reported by some users online as working quite well for this purpose. When massaging the foam into your carpet, you should notice that the stain starts to disappear. Finally, wipe your carpet clean with a damp cloth and then pat it dry with a clean towel.
Why Use Shaving Cream?
We think this is a great option if you already have shaving cream lying around the house. While use a commercial stain remover when you already have everything you need at home!
Liquid Dish Soap
Remember when we discussed laundry detergent above? Liquid dish soap works just as well for coffee stains on your clothes and fabrics. Apply some with water to the stains and allow to sit for up to five minutes. Just make sure it doesn’t dry.
Flush away the liquid dish soap with cold water and repeat if necessary until the stain has gone.
Why Use This Method?
It’s tough to go wrong here as dish soap is remarkably affordable and is probably already waiting to be used in your kitchen!
White Distilled Vinegar
As long as you clean your clothes or fabrics afterwards to remove the smell, white vinegar can be a great stain remover! Mix one teaspoon of white vinegar with 4 cups of cold water to create a cleaning solution. Apply this solution to your coffee stains and then flush thoroughly with more cold water.
You might be surprised by how great vinegar is at removing coffee stains! It’s been used in households around the world to clean for generations now.
Why Use White Vinegar?
A commercial stain remover can do a great job of remove coffee stains, but it can also have a significant impact on the environment. Ingredients like vinegar can be far less damaging and still remove coffee stains in record time!
Removing Coffee Stains – Final Thoughts
Removing coffee stains can be fairly easy if you know what you’re doing. We hope the suggestions made on this page prove useful for your home; good luck!
Last update on 2024-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
