How to remove coffee stains from clothes?

Blot the stained surface with a paper towel to absorb the excess coffee spill. Next, use a fabric stain remover or distilled white vinegar, liquid detergent, and water to treat the stain. Finally, rinse it with clean water and put the garment in the washer for a regular wash.

How does coffee stain your garments?

Coffee is made up of a variety of compounds, including natural dyes called tannins.

When the tannins in the coffee come in contact with the fabric, they get into the fibers and make a stain.

Moreover, the tannins in coffee can also interact with other stains on your clothes (like sweat or makeup), making them even more difficult to remove.

As a result, it is imperative to treat the coffee stains as soon as possible before they become difficult to remove.

How to remove coffee stains from clothes?

There’s nothing worse than reaching for your favorite clothing only to find it covered in stains, especially if it’s a stain caused by a coffee spill.

The longer a coffee stain sits on the fabric, the harder it will be to remove, so you will need to act quickly.

Here are a few simple tricks you can use to remove coffee stains from your clothes.

Blotting

To remove a coffee stain from clothing, start by blotting the stain with a clean cloth or paper towel to absorb as much of the coffee as possible.

Alternatively, use a soft, clean cloth to blot the coffee stain.

While doing so, do not rub or scrub the stain, as this will only spread the coffee and make the stain worse.

If the coffee isn’t coming off with the cloth, wet it with cool water and keep blotting until it gets lighter.

Pretreatment

Next, pre-treat the stain with a liquid laundry detergent or stain remover.

To start, pretreat the stain with a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent.

Once you are done with the pre-treatment, apply some more liquid detergent over the stained areas and let it sit for approximately 5 minutes.

Rinse the clothes in cold water, and then put them in the washer for a regular wash.

If the care label suggests using the hottest water temperature, use the hot water settings to get the best results.

Note: You can also use dish soap and a white vinegar solution as an alternative to liquid laundry detergent. Just mix equal parts of the dish soap and white vinegar, and then apply it to the coffee-stained areas of your clothing.

If the stain is still visible after laundering, you can try one of these other DIY methods:

Method 1:

Use a paste made from baking soda and water to remove the stain.

Allow it to sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it with clean water and washing it as usual.

Method 2:

Mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray it onto the stain. Then, gently rub the stain using a toothbrush.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before laundering as usual in hot water.

Method 3:

Sprinkle the stain with salt and pour boiling water over it.

Be sure to do this quickly so the fabric doesn’t scorch.

As soon as the stain is removed, wash in hot water as usual.

If the coffee stain is still visible after laundering, you may need to treat it with a stronger cleaner or take it to a professional for help.

Method 4:

Another cool method of getting rid of coffee stains is by using rubbing alcohol.

Simply take a clean cloth and soak it in rubbing alcohol.

Next, blot the coffee stain with the alcohol-soaked cloth.

Keep blotting until the stain fades away.

Once the stain is gone, rinse the area with cool water and let it air dry.

Note: There are several coffee stain removal methods, but the most important thing is to check the clothing care label for recommended laundering instructions.

Washing

After pretreating the coffee stain, it’s time to wash your clothes as you normally would.

Just read the care label carefully before deciding on the washing method, i.e., handwash, machine wash, or dry clean.

Handwash

In order to hand wash after post-treating the stains, you will need a bucket or a sink, cold or warm water, and mild detergent.

Start by submerging the clothing in cold water, and then add a small amount of mild detergent.

Gently massage the fabric together to create suds, and then let it soak for about 30 minutes.

After that, work on the clothes, especially the stained areas, using your hands.

Next, rinse the clothing in clean water and hang it to air-dry naturally.

Machine Wash

If you want to machine wash your clothes, put them in the washer, pour some mild, suitable detergent into the washer’s detergent tray, and set the washing machine on a delicate cycle.

While doing so, ensure that the washer is set to the cold water setting.

Once you have selected the right wash settings, hit the start button and let the washing machine do its job.

Dry Cleaning

If you are not comfortable with any of the above methods, dry cleaning is the best way to remove coffee stains from your clothes.

However, before taking your clothes to the dry cleaners, check the care label for any special instructions.

This is because some fabrics may require special attention while dry cleaning.

How to clean coffee stains from leather?

To remove a coffee stain from leather, start by blotting the stain with a clean, dry cloth to absorb as much of the coffee liquid as possible.

Next, you can use a small amount of mild soap and apply it over the stained area using a damp sponge.

Be sure to test the soap on an inconspicuous area of the garment first to make sure it does not damage the leather.

Alternatively, you can also apply a mild leather cleaner to a clean cloth and rub it into the stain in a circular motion.

Wipe away any excess cleaner with a damp cloth and allow the leather to air dry.

If nothing works, you can use a commercial leather cleaner, but be sure to follow the instructions on the cleaner carefully.

Finally, condition the area with a leather conditioner to restore the leather.

Final Thoughts

Coffee lovers are prone to having coffee spilled on their clothes from time to time.

Natural dyes in these coffee stains can be harder to get out of your clothes, especially if you leave them untreated for a while.

Furthermore, you should also know that hot coffee is more likely to leave stains on your garments as compared to cold coffee spills.

Therefore, the best approach is to treat the stains instantly, i.e., as soon as you notice them.

The methods mentioned above should work on fresh, old, and dried coffee stains, but the sooner you treat the stain, the better the results will be.

In order to avoid coffee stains altogether, you can opt for a coffee mug with a lid or a spill-proof travel mug.

Lastly, do not overwork the stains on your garments, as you can easily damage the fabric. Instead, walk into the nearest laundry service and let the professionals take care of it for you.

Frequently Asked Questions