If you are a tea or coffee drinker, you may have spilled one of these beverages on your clothes at one time or the other.
These stains are surprisingly tough to remove from clothes, furniture, and carpeting. They leave clothes with a reddish-to-brownish stain that is unsightly.
Does that mean you have to throw the stained clothing item away? No.
There are ways to remove a tea or coffee stain from clothing. Some mild items you use daily around you, such as baking soda and vinegar, can easily remove that stain.
These are things you use every day when cooking or cleaning that are chemical-free and gentle on your hands.
Tough commercial stain removers should always be a last resort.
Here are some tips on removing tea and coffee stains from clothes with simple home remedies.
1. Check the Clothing Label
Start by checking the washing instructions on the garment’s care label before working on the stain.
If the clothing label says “dry clean only,” take the garment to the dry cleaners.
It’s essential if you’ve stained an expensive clothing item made of a material such as silk.
These professionals are experienced at removing tough stains from delicate fabrics without damaging them.
2. Work on the Tea or Coffee Stain When it’s Fresh
Tea and coffee are sometimes used as natural dyeing ingredients due to their tannin content. Other ingredients added to tea and coffee, such as milk and sugar, can make it harder to remove.
These substances bond with the fiber of a garment the longer you leave them on it. So blot the stain off immediately it gets on the garment.
Avoid rubbing the stain with a wet cloth because it will spread further. Instead, dab some baking soda on the stain while it is fresh, and it will absorb as much of it as possible.
You may leave the baking soda on that spot for a few hours to loosen the stain. Then, turn the clothing item inside out and rinse the baking soda from the other side of the garment.
Make sure you rinse as much of the stain out as possible in the process.
3. Use Natural Ingredients to Make a Stain Remover
Once you rinse off as much as you can of the baking soda and stain from the clothing item, pre-treat the stain by dubbing regular detergent on it and soak it in warm water for 10 minutes.
You may then wash the garment by hand in warm soapy water or put it in the washing machine.
If the stain doesn’t come off after using baking soda, use a mild homemade stain remover to get it off.
Mix a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with a tablespoon of vinegar and 2 cups of cold water, and you have a perfect homemade stain remover.
Pour this solution into a bowl and soak the stained part of the clothing item in it for 15 minutes.
You may then remove it from the soapy solution, wash it by hand/ in the washing machine, and set it out to dry.
4. Use Laundry Detergent
You may also soak a stained fabric in water and detergent to loosen a mild stain.
These clothing detergents are specially manufactured to work on stains. They can get rid of most clothing stains as long as you follow the instructions on the pack.
The commonest way to wash off stains using laundry detergent is to soak the garment in a mix of detergent and cold water for 10 – 20 minutes.
You may then wash the garment and hang it out to dry.
5. Try Oxidizing Stain Remover
Some tea and coffee stains are tough to remove with home remedies or regular clothing detergent.
Once you’ve tried them and failed, you may turn to commercial solutions such as an oxidizing stain remover.
These cleaning items break down and bleach off bright-colored stains from tea, coffee, wine, ketchup, and juice easily.
Apply the oxidizing stain remover on the discolored part of the garment and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse off the stain remover with cold water, and wash your garment with clothing detergent by hand or in the washing machine.
Conclusion
You now know how to remove tea & coffee stains from clothes. It’s always good to have items like baking soda and vinegar around the home because they make great stain removers.
Always start with mild solutions when working on a stain to preserve your fabric. You can always take your garment to the dry cleaners if all else fails.
Related Article:
