You can spill coffee on something like your clothes or floor when drinking it. How do you do to remove these stains? Here are some tricks to remove coffee trains, according to experts.
Does coffee stain?
Before you start crying over a spilled cup, the good news is that coffee stains are not permanent—if you know how to remove them and act promptly. Whether it’s in your car or on your clothes, furniture, or carpet, experts unanimously agree that your chances of success are much higher if you treat the stain quickly. We talked to some cleaning experts to learn about what products and methods they use to remove coffee stains. Luckily, you probably already have most of these things in your cabinet.
1. How to get coffee stains out of carpet
What you will need:
- Detergent
- Vinegar
- Warm water
- A spot remover kit
- A toothbrush or stain brush
If your coffee cup runneth over onto your light-colored or white carpet, don’t stress. Instead, act promptly by treating the spot. There are a few methods you can use to treat a coffee stain on the carpet—including vinegar, dish detergent, or hydrogen peroxide—but make sure to start by blotting the stain with a dry cloth or paper towel. It is important not to rub the spot, as you could unintentionally spread the stain. Then, follow these steps to get coffee stains out of your carpet.
2. How to get coffee stains out of clothes
What you will need:
- A dry rag
- Liquid laundry detergent
- White vinegar
- OxiClean or chlorine bleach
Coffee stains on clothing come with the territory when you are a devoted coffee drinker. However, if treated correctly those brown spots can be removed 95 percent of the time, according to Kathleen Razmus, director of store profitability, ZIPS Dry Cleaners—even when it comes to your favorite white t-shirts and jeans! Just follow these simple steps for removing coffee stains from your clothes. Bonus tip: liquid laundry soap can also be used to remove mustard stains—here’s a guide on how to get mustard out of clothes.
3. How to remove coffee stains from cups and mugs
What you will need:
- Baking soda
- Astonish Cup Clean
- Denture tablets
Coffee stains on cups and mugs are inevitable. Unfortunately, running them through the dishwasher usually doesn’t get the job done. There are a few different methods of removing coffee ring stains from cups and mugs, depending on what type of cleaning agent you prefer to use. Find out how to clean your coffee cup.
4. How to get coffee out of couch and upholstery
What you will need:
- Dry rag or paper towels
- Liquid laundry detergent
- Vinegar
Removing coffee stains from upholstery or a couch is similar to treating clothing. Start by blotting the spot with paper towels or a dry rag to remove as much of the liquid stain as possible. “Make sure to avoid rubbing the stain as you can damage the fabric,” warns Razmus. Then, use a wet and dry method: Make a solution of one tablespoon laundry detergent, one tablespoon of vinegar, and a cup of water. Using your rag, blot the solution into the upholstery. Then, dry the area by blotting. Repeat the process until the stain is lifted.
5. Other common coffee stain removal solutions
Coldwater
It might seem simple, but Lauren Haynes, a cleaning expert at Star Domestic Cleaners, says it works. “Run cold water through the front and back of the stain until you manage to clean it,” says Haynes. It should work well if the stain is fresh.
Shaving cream
When you’re trying to figure out how to remove coffee stains, your mind probably doesn’t go to shaving cream. “Shaving cream contains active ingredients such as surfactants and cleansing agents that are like the ones found in other household soaps,” says Haynes. “To clean coffee stains with shaving cream just rub, rinse with water, and repeat if necessary.”
Toothpaste
Haynes says that toothpaste has an exfoliating effect and can be used to get rid of coffee stains. Use an old toothbrush to brush toothpaste lightly into the fabric and then rinse. Just make sure the toothpaste you use is white.
Baby powder
Apply baby powder to the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Then brush it off with a damp cloth, says Haynes.
Egg yolk
This stain remover might surprise you, but many people swear by it. Beat an egg yolk and work into the coffee stain with a terry-cloth towel for about a minute. Rinse thoroughly with water, and the stain should be completely gone.
Natural soap
If you have a bar of soap lying around get it wet and scrub it on the coffee stain, says Haynes. Let it sit for an hour and then rinse it with water.
Baking soda
Similar to toothpaste, baking soda is abrasive and will remove stains easily. Navarrete recommends mixing water and baking soda—or if the stain is really bad, laundry detergent and baking soda—and rubbing the stain until it comes out. Try this genius cleaning hacks from professional house cleaners.
Beer
Figuring out how to remove coffee stains from your carpet may seem impossible, but you can literally lift it out by pouring a bit of light or pale-colored beer right on top, says Bryan Stoddard, director of Homewares Insider. Rub the beer lightly into the material, and the stain should disappear. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times to remove all traces of the stain. Now that you know how to remove coffee stains, read up on these cleaning tricks for hard-to-clean household objects. And if you’re a chocolate lover, this guide on how to remove chocolate stains is a must-read.