We’ve all been there. You’re taking a seat, enjoying your cup of coffee when suddenly, it’s not in the cup anymore. Most of us have spilled a cup or two of coffee on ourselves. It comes with the territory of being a fan of a delicious brew.
Even worse, this may have happened on your way out the door to work!
But those coffee stains don’t come out easily. Instead of furiously scrubbing with a washcloth or paper towel, consider some of these methods for making those embarrassing stains disappear.
Remove Wet Stains Quickly
Stains are easiest to remove when they recently happened and haven’t had a chance to set on the material. As soon as a stain happens, run cold water over it to dilute for a few minutes. Be careful not to scrub because this could damage the material.
If you spilled coffee on a plush chair or carpet, this method might require more effort or a different tactic altogether.
Dried Stains are not a Lost Cause
It will require more effort but it’s still possible to remove dried coffee stains! To treat dried coffee stains, you’ll need to gather regular liquid laundry detergent, non-bleaching fabric stain, or liquid dish soap.
If your clothing has a dried coffee stain, put a few drops of detergent or stain on the fabric and let it sit for a few minutes while carefully rubbing with your fingers. Don’t rush the process and aim to let the stain sit for at least 5 minutes, or even better, a few hours, before rinsing off with cold water.
Some people put together a mixture of cold water and detergent so the affected item can soak overnight. Depending on the depth of the stain, choose the method that works best for you!
Getting Coffee Stains out of Different Materials
Before removing a stain, evaluate what type of material the stain is on. Clothing is the most common, but not only victim of the dreaded coffee stain!
For example, coffee stains are generally easier to remove from cotton fabrics than synthetic ones
Let’s go through another list of materials to consider too.
Carpet: Combine a mixture of water and liquid dish soap. Pour over the affected area and dry with a blow dryer for maximum results
Wooden Surfaces: Create a mixture of water and vinegar to sit over the stain for a few minutes. Then, wipe off with a paper towel.
Jeans: A staple in most of our closets, many pairs of jeans have had coffee spilled on them! Sprinkle baking soda on a wet cloth while gently rubbing over the affected area.
Treating Mug Stains
When you’ve finally finished your coffee and take a glance at your empty cup, chances are you notice some staining. Because we use them so habitually, they get dingy. There are a multitude of ways to revitalize your mugs and get them sparkling clean again!
Some of the most common processes are baking soda and lemon.
Grab a box of baking soda and water for the first method. Place two tablespoons of baking soda on stained fabrics. Add enough water to make a paste before rubbing with a cloth. You may have to repeat this a few times for optimal results!
For the mug-staining lemon method, rub a slice of lemon on the stains and let sit. After the desired amount of time, wipe off with a cloth and check out the results.
Teeth Staining Struggles
We all love our coffee but most of us have noticed a gradual darkening and staining of our teeth over time. Hydrogen peroxide is a wonderful remedy for this that most people have readily available in their households.
Squirt a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on a toothbrush, dip into baking soda, and get started scrubbing your teeth back to their pearly white beginnings. If your teeth have significant staining, you might need to apply this method multiple times before generating noticeable results.
For a more intensive treatment, let the paste sit in your teeth if you can stand the flavor!
For coffee lovers, avoiding coffee stains entirely won’t be possible. Mistakes happen in our fast-paced world, but having these DIY coffee stain removers on hand will minimize their disruption on your life so you can get back to doing what you do best.