8 Ways to Get Coffee Stains Out of Clothes

If you enjoy drinking coffee, there’s a big chance that you have spilled it on your clothes at some point. Stains can be frustrating, especially if they’re on your light-colored outfits. You have probably asked yourself, “how to get coffee stains out of clothes?”. You may get the answers you need in this article.

Can Vinegar Remove Coffee Stains from Clothes?

Vinegar is an everyday kitchen staple used for many recipes- salad dressings, barbecue marinades, poached eggs, and pickles. Aside from giving food a sour note, it can also help remove coffee stains from your clothes. Vinegar contains acetic acid that provides a mild bleaching action.

Before you use this ingredient for removing stains, you need to consider two things. First, your clothes will smell of vinegar the whole day, so you may want to skip this tip if you’re not comfortable with it. Secondly, you need to use white vinegar only since other variants will discolor your clothes.

If you still want to go ahead with this stain remedy, follow these steps:

How To Use Vinegar to Remove Fresh Coffee Stains

1. Apply three to four drops of white vinegar to the stain.
2. Dab the area with a clean, dry dishtowel or paper towel.

How to Use Vinegar to Remove Dried Coffee Stains

1. Make a paste from a few drops of white vinegar and powdered laundry detergent.
2. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub the stain off the cloth gently.
3. Leave the mixture on the stained part for five minutes before rinsing.

How to Use Vinegar to Remove Old Cofee Stains

Do you have a shirt that has been hanging in your closet for a long time that has coffee stains? There is a chance that you can wear it again without a trace of the spill that happened before by following these simple steps.

1. Add one-half cup of vinegar instead of laundry detergent to your washing machine’s soap compartment.
2. Place your coffee-stained clothing in the washer and set it to run on a normal wash cycle.
3. If the stain still doesn’t go away, soak your shirt or dress in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water for 15-30 minutes.
4. Lightly scrub the affected area with a rubbing alcohol-soaked towel.
5. Hand wash or machine wash your clothing without adding laundry soap.

Here is a video to guide you through the whole process:

What Other Natural Coffee Stain Removers Can I Use?

Salt

Salt is a mainstay in any recipe, and almost all households have them in their kitchens. Aside from being an essential cooking ingredient, it can also help manage coffee stains. However, you can only use it for fresh stains and not the old ones.

1. Sprinkle the stained part with a handful of salt. The trick is to use a generous amount as possible, Leave it for five to ten minutes.
2. You may use a paper towel to rub the salt on your clothes.
3. There is a chance that the stain may not go away. The good thing is that it will not spread any further.

Baking Soda

If you’re a baker, there’s a big chance that you have baking soda in your cupboard. This versatile ingredient for cakes and pastries is also an excellent cleaning agent.

If you want to use baking soda to remove coffee stains, you may follow these simple steps:

1. Run the stained spot of your clothing under cold running water. If running water is not accessible, you may use a clean, damp cloth to wet the affected part.
2. Sprinkle the wet area with baking soda.
3. Allow the cloth to absorb the baking soda by leaving it for a few minutes.
4. If the stain is still noticeable, throw your shirt or dress in the washer or repeat steps 1-3.

Check out this video for other ideas:

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a versatile ingredient that you can use for drinks, desserts, and salad dressings. You can also use it to manage coffee stains If you have lemons in your fruit bowl, then you can use them with these simple steps.

1. If you don’t have lemon juice available, you may squeeze one or two lemons into a bowl.
2. Wet a clean sponge with the juice and gently rub it on the stained area in circular motions.
3. You may use a paper towel or a clean dishcloth to rub the stained area stain. Repeat these steps until the stain disappears.
4. Wash your clothing in the washing machine as you would typically do.

What Other Household Products Can I Use to Remove Coffee Stains?

There are other household cleaning products that you can use to remove stubborn coffee stains, such as detergents and chlorine bleach.

Liquid Detergent

Liquid detergents are commonly used for automatic washing machines. They work best for colored clothes since they are gentler than powdered laundry soap.

If you have liquid detergent at home, you may also use them to remove coffee stains. Here are the instructions:

1. Mix two to three drops of liquid soap or liquid laundry detergent with some cold water. Rub the mixture onto the coffee stain. Avoid using hot water since it will make the stain adhere and spread onto the fabric.
2. It would help if you let fresh stains sit for five minutes. You can allow it to set longer, but make sure not to let it dry.
3. It would be best to soak the cloth in water for older stains after applying the liquid detergent.
4. Lightly scrub the fabric with your fingers every five minutes to loosen the stain.
5. After 30 minutes, check the fabric. If you can still see traces of the stain, soak for five to 15 minutes in warm water, then rinse thoroughly.

Chlorine Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide

Chlorine bleach is a solution made from water and sodium hypochlorite, a chlorine-based compound. It is commonly used as an all-purpose disinfectant and a whitening agent in the laundry.

On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent that has anti-bacterial and disinfectant properties.

If you happen to have these chemicals at home, you may use them to manage coffee stains on your clothes. The following directions can help you safely use these two cleaning agents:

1. Wear gloves before handling chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Make sure to read the label removing the stain.
2. Dilute one part chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide to 10 parts water. Never mix these two.
3. For white garments, chlorine bleach would be your best option. You may use hydrogen peroxide for colored clothes.
4. Dab the stained area with the diluted solution.
5. Rinse in cold water.
6. Toss the garment in the washer and let it run on a regular cycle.

How to Remove Coffee Stains When You’re Not at Home

If you often have coffee at work or in a coffee shop, keeping a stain stick, a toothbrush, and toothpaste in your purse or drawer would be a great idea. These will come in handy when you accidentally spill coffee on your suit, and you’re not in the comforts of your home.

Stain Stick

A stain stick is an innovative product that allows you to manage stains when you can’t get to a washer right away. It’s the size of a regular marker and can easily fit inside your bag or drawer. There are many types of stain sticks with varying degrees of effectiveness. Some even have built-in brushes.

If you already have a stain stick or planning to buy one, here are the steps on how to use it effectively:

1. Test the stain stick by dabbing it on a small and hidden area of your garment. Let it stay on the fabric for a few minutes or until it dries out. This step ensures that the stick will not discolor the fabric. Most sticks are safe for colorfast, dry-cleanable, or machine-washable, but it would be best to test it out first.
2. While waiting for the test solution to dry out, remove the excess liquid from your shirt or dress with a paper towel.
3. If the test does not produce any discoloration, carefully rub the stick in a circular motion on the stained area. Make sure that the solution oozes onto the stain.
4. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
5. Use a damp cloth or napkin to blot out any residue of the solution.
6. Wash the fabric as soon as you get hold of a washing machine.

Toothpaste

Aside from being an essential product for oral hygiene, toothpaste is also something you can use to remove stains. You may follow these simple steps:

1. An important reminder before you start -you can only use white toothpaste to avoid discoloration on your garment.
2. Apply the toothpaste to the stained part of the fabric and brush it gently for five to 10 minutes.
3. If possible, run the garment under cold, running water. If not, you may use a wet napkin to rinse.
4. Toss in the washing machine as soon as you get home.

Summary

Spilling coffee on your clothes can be frustrating. It is unsightly and can cause permanent damage to your prized blouses, dresses, or shirts. The good news is, there are great ways to manage it, whether you’re at home, in the office, or at a coffee shop. You can use several products to remove the nasty stain and make your clothes look like the spill didn’t happen.