What goes hand-in-hand with a love for coffee stains is the risk of spilling the coffee. A rocky drive with a takeaway cup with no lid, tripping on something, or even just having an overflowing mug. All possible every day, but we take the chance for the love of the bean!
Removing those inevitable coffee stains with ease is only possible if you know what you spilled it on. Time to check the tags and labels on your clothes. Knowing which fabrics are easier to get stains out of may even influence what clothes you buy, that is if you are prone to spills and want to be more dedicated. You will want to remove the stains in a timely matter, as the following solutions may need to be repeated multiple times if the stain is older. An old stain on a jacket you find in your closet may call for an instant trip to the dry cleaner.
Here’s our definitive guide to removing coffee stains with ease, because you’re bound to need to reference it at some point in life. Keep reading and bookmark this for when you really need it!
Your Favorite Cotton T-Shirt
If you are enjoying your coffee in the morning, still rocking your PJs, then cotton is the fabric of concern. First things first, you’ll want to blot up the excess coffee. You do not want it moving around and potentially make a bigger stain. From there, we have a few options:
- Grab those classic Tide To Go sticks or wipes and quickly treat the cotton fabric. Toss the shirt in the washing machine right afterward.
- Combine warm water, white vinegar, and dishwashing detergent. You do not necessarily need a perfect ratio—but it is best to fill a bowl with 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the impending stain in this solution prior to throwing it in the washing machine.
- If the shirt is white, consider bleaching it.
Did you know the coffee bean starts off as a fruit?! Learn about it with our article How Come Coffee is a Fruit?
The Number of Synthetic Fabrics in Your Closet
Synthetic fabrics include nylon, polyester, and spandex—really anything not naturally found. It is very likely that you have a lot of this in your closet, so you’ll want to pay attention to this one. It is now that we once again emphasize that you need to blot up the excess coffee before proceeding to remove the stain. After that, start with the same process as you would do for a cotton T-shirt. Here’s that process again:
- Combine warm water, white vinegar, and dishwashing detergent. You do not necessarily need a perfect ratio—but it is best to fill a bowl with 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the impending stain in this solution.
After using that solution and then rinsing the area, use rubbing alcohol to get out the rest of the stain. Finish it off by rinsing it with warm water. Easy!
Everybody’s coffee preference varies. Find out the best shade of coffee for you with this article.
A Beautiful Silk Scarf
A bit more of a niche issue, but important all the same! Silk is a delicate fabric that is quite popular. This could be applicable to those of you who use silk pillowcases as well! There are a number of options to consider for this type of fabric.
- Dab hydrogen peroxide on to the fabric.
- If the stain is still evident, mix the hydrogen peroxide with a little bit of detergent or soap. Dab that solution on the silk. This can be repeated until the stain is gone
- Consider dry cleaning it if you are too concerned.
Your Dream Carpet
We have said it before and we’ll say it again: blot up the excess coffee after spilling it on your carpet. This is bound to happen on an early morning when you don’t notice the end of the carpet and you trip a little bit. The best part about this is that if you happen to spill on your shirt when you spill it on your carpet, you can clean it the same way. Use that same warm water, vinegar, and dishwasher detergent solution. You will just want to blot the carpet with water after you are done soaking up the stain with the solution.
Believe it or not… Decaf coffee does contain caffeine! Find out why in our article What is Decaf Coffee today!
Some Extra Tips
If you find yourself with a coffee spill on an unknown fabric, all hope is not lost. We have a few other options to try to get it out.
- White vinegar on its own is something you should have in your house for a number of reasons, it’s kind of the holy grail of cleaning products. It has a strong smell, but it is a good solution to a number of stains. Just be sure to brush it off gently after applying it.
- Baby powder can be a great way to draw the stain out of the fabric, much like people sometimes even use it as a dry conditioner to soak up grease.
- Bar soap is an underrated way to clean a lot of things, so consider that when you are in a pinch.
Do you ever feel like caffeine just doesn’t seem to have the effect you’re yearning for? Check out 5 Reasons Why Caffeine Doesn’t Work for You and find out why.
We can only hope that we curbed all of your coffee spill anxieties with our guide to removing coffee stains with ease. Now you can sit, walk, talk, and maybe even run with a cup in hand without worrying!
Thanks for reading up on our definitive guide to removing coffee stains with ease! Be sure to share and join our ever-growing Instagram Coffee Community by following @coffeesesh. Also if you want to learn more about making coffee from people just like you, be sure to join our private Facebook group here at Daily Coffee Talk.
Keep the coffee- learning going! Check out some additional Coffee Sesh articles like Top 4 Most Expensive Coffees in the World, Coffee Insight: Arabica vs Colombian Coffee, or Every Espresso Drink Explained.
Brew ya later! ☕️
