Coffee stains are some of the most common ones in our everyday lives. Coffee stains can be a pain if you spilled some coffee on the carpet in your living room or splashed some on your shirt while driving. Some people believe it is nearly impossible to remove such stains. However, it is not so hard to do that. The ideal approach is to start simple (rinse with cold water, for example) and if that doesn’t work – take more serious cleaning steps involving laundry detergent or stain removers. These steps will help you clean both fresh and dry coffee stains.
We will show you some simple steps you can take in order to succeed in cleaning coffee stains from both clothing and carpets. Keep reading to find out what those are.
To remove coffee stains from clothing
You will need: a toothbrush, liquid laundry detergent, powder laundry detergent, white vinegar, laundry stain remover, dishwashing liquid, oxygen bleach laundry detergent;
Instructions:
1. Flush with cold water – Run fresh stains under cold water. Always do that on the backside of the fabric in order to prevent the coffee from penetrating further in it. Keep the stained clothing under cold water for 10-15 minutes. If the stain is not completely removed after, continue to the next step.
2. Apply liquid detergent – Rub liquid laundry or dishwashing detergent and some cold water into the stain. Allow fresh stains to sit like this for 3-5 minutes. For old coffee stains, you will need to soak the clothing in water after rubbing detergent in. Every 5 minutes, rub the stained area with your fingers, gently working the detergent in. If after 30 minutes of this and soaking in cold water, the stain is still there, try soaking in warm water or continue to the next step.
3. Use powdered laundry detergent – If the previous two steps did not succeed in cleaning the stain, mix some powdered laundry detergent with equal parts white vinegar and water. Turn this into a paste and always test on the fabric in order to prevent damage or colour change. Gently rub this in with an old toothbrush.
Why powder? The surfactants in powder detergent may be better for stain removal than the liquid laundry detergent.
4. Pre-treat and wash – Apply laundry stain removal on the stained area. You may also use oxygen bleach laundry detergent. Let the garment sit for 5 minutes, then wash how you normally would.
Extra tip! Apply a gel stain remover to both sides of the fabric. That way you will allow it to properly penetrate and dissolve the stain better.
5. Inspect and dry – Make sure the stain is completely gone before drying the piece of clothing. If any residue is still there, repeat the steps and air dry the garment. Do not put it in the dryer because the heat will set the stain. Hold up the piece of clothing to a light source and carefully inspect the area where the stain was. If there are still visible coffee spots, repeat the powder detergent step and wash right after.
Pro tips:
• For pure white clothing with coffee stains, mix chlorine bleach and a bit of water and soak the piece of clothing in there. Do not use this method on coloured clothing.
• If the label on your clothing says dry cleaning only, it is best to bring it to a professional. Do not risk damaging the garment by treating it on your own. The professional cleaner will know what the best approach for the particular piece of clothing is.
How to remove coffee stains from carpets
You will need: clean white cloths, a small container, spoon, vacuum cleaner, white vinegar, dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda;
Instructions:
1. Blot up the coffee – Blot as much of the coffee as possible. Press a clean white cloth against the stain and continue until all the coffee transfers from the carpet to the rag. Always work from the outside to the centre of the stain to prevent it from spreading around. Do not rub the stain since you may damage the carpet and work the stain further in its fibres. Always use a blotting or pressing motion without any movements back and forth.
2. Pour some cold water – Pour a little bit of cold water on the stain in order to dilute it. Use a new white cloth in order to blot away the liquid once again. Depending on how much coffee you have spilled, you may need to repeat this process a few times. Repeat until no coffee transfers to the cloth.
3. Apply your DIY carpet stain remover – Mix 1 tablespoon of whtie vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dish soap with 2 cups of warm water. Do this in a small container or a bowl. Dip a cloth in this solution and blot away the stain. Keep doing this until you have fully lifted the stain.