It doesn’t matter how careful you are, if you drink coffee, then you’re eventually going to end up with coffee stains. Coffee is a great beverage, but it has the capability of ruining fabrics and can even stain some household surfaces as well. Therefore, the average coffee drinker needs to learn how to protect all of their stuff from accidental coffee spills, or they’re going to end up having to learn how to clean up coffee spills.
Since we know that it’s impossible to protect everything from any accidental spill that might happen, we decided to write a guide on how to deal with coffee stains. As coffee fans, we all know that there are going to be stains, so let’s find out how to mitigate the damage from those stains. If that sounds good to you, then follow along with us as we give you some truly practical coffee stain removal advice.
Removing Coffee Stains From Synthetic Fabrics
Without a doubt, a spilled cup of coffee can absolutely ruin a shirt. It’s doesn’t matter if the shirt is made out of cotton or if it’s made out of a synthetic material such as polyester, nylon, olefin, or acrylic. Fortunately, those materials are extremely durable, so removing coffee stains from them shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Below are the steps for removing coffee stains from your synthetic fabrics.
- Using a dry cloth or paper towel, blot up any excess coffee on the surface.
- Make a solution of 1-quart warm water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 1/2-teaspoon of dish detergent.
- Use The cleaning solution to presoak the stain.
- After 15-20 minutes, rinse the affected area with warm water.
- Use a clean sponge and rubbing alcohol to finish removing any remaining traces of the stain.
- Throw the fabric in the washer and wash according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Removing Coffee Stains From Cotton Fabrics
Although cotton isn’t as durable as most synthetic fabrics, it’s still not as fragile as a piece of fabric such as silk. Having said that, it’s still important for a person to remove coffee from cotton as quickly as possible to keep it from becoming permanently marred by the oils that are present in coffee. Below are the steps for removing coffee stains from cotton.
- Using a paper towel or wet cloth, blot the excess coffee off of the stain.
- Run cold water through the stain from the opposite side of the fabric the stain is on.
- Use ordinary dish liquid and rub it into the stain.
- Using white vinegar, rise the dish soap and the stain.
- If the stain isn’t gone, repeat the process again.
- If the second time doesn’t remove the stain, then switch to a commercial stain remover.
- Rinse the shirt and then toss it in the washer.
Removing Coffee Stains From Other Surfaces
Of course, coffee stains just don’t end up on your favorite shirt, it also has a bad tendency of ending up on counters, coffee tables (not surprisingly) and other surfaces. That’s why we’ve wanted to give all of our readers more information on the subject. Below are some of the tips that we use to remove coffee from tables and other surfaces.
A Warning First
Okay, before we talk about some of the ways that coffee stains can be removed from surfaces, it needs to be said that not all of the following methods are safe for use on all surfaces. As always, be sure to exercise your best judgment and be sure to test out a small, inconspicuous portion of the surface to make sure it’s not going to damage the surface.
Do A Preliminary Cleanup
No matter what surface you’re cleaning, there are a few initial steps that are you’re going to want to do. It doesn’t matter if its wood, plastic, metal, or any other type of surface—be sure to do the following things first before moving on to material-specific cleanup instructions.
- Use a paper or cloth towel to blot up excess coffee.
- Wipe the surface with a sponge with warm water and dish soap
- Rinse the surface well.
If the following steps don’t remove the coffee stains, then be sure to go ahead and follow the below material specific cleaning steps to try and remove the coffee stain.
Carpets
- Use a commercial carpet stain remover according to directions.
- Make a solution of 1-quart warm water, 1-tablespoon of vinegar, and 1-teaspoon of dish soap.
- Apply the solution to the stain and then blot with a clean pad.
- Rinse the area well with water.
Leather & Suede
- Make a solution of warm water and 1-teaspoon dish soap.
- Whip the solution to create a volume of suds.
- Apply the foam to the stain on the leather or suede.
- Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Porcelain
- Make a solution of warm, sudsy water.
- Use the solution to clean the surface.
- Wipe dry with a clean cloth.
- If stain persists, use a solution of baking soda and water to remove.
- Rinse the stain well and dry.
Wood
- Using a solution of dish soap and water, wipe the stain.
- Rinse well with a cloth dipped in cold water.
- Don’t allow water to pool on the wood’s surface.
- Dry the wood surface well.
- Polish and/or wax the wood as soon as possible.
Stone Surfaces
- Make a solution of dish soap and water.
- Use a stiff brush to brush the stain with the solution.
- Rinse the stain with clean water and allow it to naturally dry.
Some Additional Coffee Stain Removal Hacks
Before we conclude this article, we would like to give our readers some other hacks that can be used to clean coffee stains off of clothing. We’ve already covered the most effective methods, but the following methods also tend to do a pretty good job as well. As was the case without other cleaning recommendations, be sure to test out a small sample of the fabric to make sure that the following methods won’t cause harm to the fabric.
Club Soda & Salt
This method is simple and effective. It’s also usually safe for most fabrics. All you have to do is sprinkle some salt on the coffee stain and then pour club soda over it. Let the solution sit for 30-minutes, and then toss it in the washer. This method does a good job of removing coffee stains without having to use a whole lot of elbow grease.
Baking Soda
Baking soda also does a good job of removing coffee stains. Just make a paste out of it with water, rub it into the stain and then rinse the stain. Most of the time it will remove the stain without a whole lot of fuss.
Egg Yolks & Rubbing Alcohol
The last hack for removing coffee stains from some articles of clothing might seem odd, but it does work well. This trick involves whisking two egg yolks (just the yolks not the white part of the egg) with a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Rub that solution into the stain, rinse with cold water, and then wash according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This trick works surprisingly well for most non-delicate fabrics.
