Coffee stains can be difficult to get rid of. More than the stain itself, it is the stained material that often makes coffee stain removal so tricky. There are varying degrees in which different fabrics and materials will hold on to a stain. Whether you’re dealing with fresh or old coffee stains, decides which method works best.
Here are some easy ways to deal with coffee stains:
Removing Coffee Stains From Carpet
Removing coffee stains from carpet is not as difficult as you think. It might require some time and effort to remove the stain completely, but you do not have to worry about discarding the carpet. If you find spilled coffee on the carpet, take these steps:
- First, use a paper towel to absorb the excess coffee.
- If the stain is old, then wet the stain with some salt water and then blot off the brown liquid which the stain releases to remove excess residue.
- Use your regular detergent to lighten the stain, but use it sparingly, so as not to roughen the delicate carpet threads.
- Then, make a mixture of one teaspoon of dish soap, one teaspoon of vinegar, and two spoons of warm water.
- Apply the mixture and let it rest for five minutes.
- Use wet paper towels to rinse the stain, moving from the edges of the stain to the center.
- Repeat the process if needed.
- If the coffee contained sugar, you can also use some lime juice to break down the stickiness of the stain.
Removing Coffee Stains From Clothes
We have all spilled coffee on our clothes at some point. We will start with some of the easier hacks to remove coffee stains from clothes and then move to the more difficult ones if the stain persists. We will also tackle various fabrics.
Removing Stains From Synthetic Fabric
This is the easiest part. Any synthetic material like nylon, polyester, or spandex does not hold to stain for a long while. That’s because of the non-absorbent nature of the material.
- First, blot off the excess coffee on the surface with a clean, dry cloth
- Next, soak a sponge in a mixture of warm water and detergent and rub on the stain. This is for items that are fixed to the spot. If you can remove the fabric, you can dip the stained area in a bowl of the mixture.
- A light rub should get rid of the stain, but if the stain is old and persists, try using a scrub sponge to rub on it. You can use alcohol as well and then rinse the area with warm water.
Removing Stains From Cotton Fabric
Cotton or linen will hold on to the stain for longer and chances are that the stain will also spread a good deal, because of the absorbent nature of the material. To get coffee stains out of cotton:
- First, tackle the stain by dipping the fabric in warm soapy water.
- Use a commercial stain remover to treat the stain first.
- If the stain persists, use a solution of warm water and white vinegar, which is very effective for most kinds of spot stains.
- Let the stain sit in the mixture for about 15 minutes. Give it a rub.
- If there are still residues of the stain, use rubbing alcohol to get rid of the traces.
If you want to remove a coffee stain from white shirt or any white cotton, then you can use some bleach with the above concoction. Bleach draws out and whitens any fabric, because of which it is not ideal for colored clothes. But in a white garment, it will act on the stain only and you will get your white shirt back.
Removing Coffee Stains From Upholstery
Follow the same method as you did for cleaning carpets. Since upholstery materials are very delicate and also quite expensive, you have to be cautious about what to use.
- First, use a dry cleaning solvent on the stain. This will greatly loosen up the stain, even if it does not remove it completely.
- Then, take two teaspoons of liquid dish soap and mix it with two spoons of cool water.
- Dip a white cloth into the mixture and rub the stain with it.
- Rinse with cold water and the stain should be gone.
- Using this method, you can also remove coffee stains from furniture.
You can also use some other methods of cleaning your precious upholstery.
Removing Coffee Stains From Car Seat
You can use good leather cleaners to clean your car seat off coffee stains. Leather cleaners will most likely wipe out the stain without causing damage to the natural sheen of leather. If you cannot find an effective cleaner, or if your car seat is made of suede, then you can try the following:
- Make a solution using white vinegar, mild liquid soap, and warm water.
- Work up a lather to create big suds.
- Then, only use the soap suds to clean the stain with the help of a sponge.
- This is because you cannot use water directly on leather.
- Repeat the process for a couple of times and the stain should be gone.
You can use the same process to eliminate similar stains from the couch.
Removing Coffee Stains From Stainless Steel
All you need is a good dishwashing soap, some hot water, and a good scrub pad to add sparkle to your stainless steel utensils and remove old coffee stains from them. Use hot soapy water and apply some pressure on the scrub pad. Stainless steel is resistant to pressure and temperature and the stain will be gone in no time.
Removing coffee stains from white mugs
Your day might not start properly unless you have coffee from your favorite white mug in the mornings. No matter how well you clean it, over time, a stain, much like a film, tends to develop on the rims and the bottom corners of the mug. You cannot use boiling hot water to clean mugs because it might crack. To remove coffee stains from white mugs:
- Make a mixture of lime juice, baking soda, and hot, not boiling, water.
- Pour the mixture into the mug and allow it to stand for ten minutes.
- Use a scrub pad and apply pressure on the stain and rub it.
- Discard the water and take a dab of dishwashing solution on the scrub pad.
- Rub the remaining stain with the scrub pad and the stain should be gone.
Removing Coffee Stains From Thermos Bottle
If you are in the habit of taking your coffee with you because you cannot stand the coffee served at kiosks, then chances are your thermos will have developed a stain over time. The stain tends to be more difficult to remove because we usually do not tend to peer inside our thermos flasks and over time, could even develop a crust. Hence, a regular dishwashing solution will not be enough to remove the stain from the thermos bottle.
- Make a strong solution of hot water, citric acid, and baking soda.
- Since your thermos can already stand high temperatures, pour the hot mixture into the flask, screw the cap tightly shut and give it a shake.
- Let the mixture stand for about ten minutes and again give it a good shake.
- Do this a couple of times.
- Next, use a bottle brush to reach into the thermos and give it a good scrub.
- Rinse and repeat the process if necessary.
Removing Coffee Stains From Mattress
To remove coffee stains from the mattress, simply apply a detergent on a wet sponge and rub the stain. The tricky part is to keep blotting the stain as soon as the sponge turns murky so that the stain does not penetrate deeper into the mattress. Keep rubbing and dabbing till the marks are gone. Use some white vinegar if stain persists.
Coffee Stain Removers Available At Home
If you want to try a home remedy to get rid of your coffee stains, you will find ample materials around the house. You also know of white vinegar and bleach and here are some other DIY coffee stain removers.
Salt
If the stain is fresh, like you just spilled coffee on your shirt while you were heading out the door, just smear some table salt on the stain in a generous amount. Give it a good rub for the salt to penetrate the fabric. Leave it on for a minute and rub it off with a moist paper towel. The stain would be gone, or at least far less conspicuous.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda is another item lying around the house or that you can easily pick up at a store around the corner. If you spill coffee on anything, first use a paper towel to blot off the excess. Then, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the stain. Let it sit for a while and rub it off with another paper towel. Even if you see the marks, it will not become permanent anymore. Put the item in the laundry and wash it as soon as possible with your regular detergent and the stain should be gone.
Shaving Cream
Yes, you read that right. Shaving creams contain ingredients like cleansing agents which are found in certain soaps. If there is an emergency, get hold of some shaving cream and rinse the coffee marks. Repeat the process if necessary.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste can also be used to tackle coffee stains. It has an exfoliating effect, and you can work it into the fabric with the help of an old, soft toothbrush. Do not use water at the very beginning. Once the toothpaste has started drying a little on the fabric, rinse it with water. The coffee stain should be gone. However, make sure you use white toothpaste.
Egg yolk
This might seem a little surprising at first, but when you have some time on your hands, you can give this a try and it is known to be quite effective. Just beat an egg yolk and pour it on the coffee spot. Let it rest for about a minute or two. Rinse it thoroughly with cold water and the stain should be gone.
Beer
Yes, this might again sound new, but beer can pull out the stain from any fabric. If the coffee stain refuses to budge, just pour some beer on top of it. Rub it in gently with the back of a spoon and you should see the stain dissolving. Rinse it with water and if there are still traces left, repeat the process and remove naturally. Find out how you can use beer as a household cleaning agent.
With these simple methods, you will be able to take care of coffee stains and keep your belongings spick and span, even amidst your busy schedule.