That first cup of coffee in the morning is essential to wake you up. The trouble is that it's easy to spill some before you're properly awake. Why is it always on your favorite top or denims, or when you're wearing something pale or white?
Coffee is one of the harder stains to remove, but don't despair. This article covers everything you'll need to know about lifting a coffee spill, including first response treatment and what to do about old and stubborn stains.
Does Coffee Come Out of Clothes?
Removing a coffee stain from clothing is possible, but your chances of success depend on acting quickly; the longer you leave the stain, the harder it is to remove.
Step-By-Step Guide To Removing Coffee Stains From Clothing
Blot the Stain
Use a napkin or tissue to blot the stain and immediately mop up any excess liquid. Never rub, as this pushes the mark further into the fabric.
Flush with Cold Water
Remove the garment and flush the stain with cold water through the back of the fabric. Okay, so if you're in a bar or coffee shop, this may prove tricky. But the quicker you act, the better.
Cold water will lift some of the color and stop it from penetrating the material.
If the stain doesn't shift (this is when you regret that double espresso!), you'll need to take further action.
Try a Vinegar Home Remedy Before You Launder
If the stain has dried or prompt treatment with cold water hasn't helped, you'll need to soak the fabric in a stain-removing treatment before washing it. Try a mix of liquid detergent, distilled white vinegar, and water.
Freddie laundry detergent sheets are also a great choice for presoaking your stained garment in lukewarm or cold water before putting it through the washer.
If the item is a delicate fabric, then patch test a hidden area of the garment first.
Add ½ teaspoon of liquid detergent or a ¼ strip from a Freddie laundry detergent sheet and one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to one quart of lukewarm water.
Soak the garment for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and hang to dry in a well-ventilated room away from natural sunlight. If the stain has gone, you can wash the item in the usual way in the machine.
If a trace of the stain remains, soak the item in a fresh solution.
Treat with Rubbing Alcohol and an Enzyme Presoak
If your white vinegar and detergent presoak hasn't lifted the stain, try rubbing alcohol and an enzyme presoak treatment. Rubbing alcohol has proven effective on ink stains and may shift your coffee mark.
Gently dab the stain with a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a white cloth—work from the edge of the stain towards the center. If the stain starts to lift, carry on with the process, but use a clean cloth so you don't accidentally transfer the stain back to the garment.
Mix one tablespoon of enzyme presoak product into a quart of warm water—you can also use a whole or part laundry sheet—and soak the item for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. If the stain is still present, repeat the process.
Once the mark has lifted, you can launder the garment as usual in the washing machine.
Remove the Coffee Stain Using Bleach
Bleach is a powerful cleaning aid, so it's worth trying, but not as the first step in the process, as something gentler may lift the stain. However, if the stain has been there for some time, then bleach may be the only thing to remove it.
Before you use bleach, always check the care label. You shouldn't use bleach to treat stains on wool, spandex, silk, mohair, or leather, as it will destroy the garment.
There are two types of household bleach: chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach. Chlorine bleach is a powerful product containing sodium hypochlorite and can damage some fabrics.
Oxygen bleach is made from hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate and is gentler, color-safe, and more environmentally friendly.
Mix ¼ cup of bleach with a gallon of water and soak the garment for five minutes. Rinse well, check the stain, and wash as usual if the mark has gone.
Do You Use Hot or Cold Water To Remove Coffee Stains?
Heat sets stains, whether it's coffee, red wine, or the dreaded blueberries. Never use anything other than cold or lukewarm water to presoak and treat a garment with a coffee stain.
If you're left with a garment with a faint mark that will likely fade out in time, you should still avoid heat from the washer, dryer, or direct sunlight.
Once the heat has set the stain, you'll never be able to remove it. Continue using cool washes and air drying until the mark is gone.
Different Fabrics, Different Approach
Cotton
Cotton is more robust than other fabrics, but its dense weave can make removing coffee stains from tightly knit fibers tricky.
Blot the stain, rinse it in cold water, and then pretreat with a home remedy or stain remover. If the stain persists, soak the item in lukewarm water with a laundry sheet.
Silk
Silk is a delicate fabric, so avoid harsher stain removal options like salt and bleach. Instead, use vinegar or detergent products to lift the stain, and never rub the garment.
Synthetics
Synthetic fabrics are tough, but they do have one vulnerability: heat. So, avoid hot washers and dryers until the stain has completely gone.
Household Remedies for Coffee Stains
Household remedies provide great first aid for coffee stains, especially if you're in a location where you can't access proprietary stain removers.
A mix of baking soda and white vinegar in equal proportions, combined to make a paste, is an excellent option if the kitchen of your favorite bar will let you have the ingredients! Rub it in gently and let the paste sit on the stain for 15 minutes.
Another option is to combine water, vinegar, and dish soap in the restroom. Ideally, this is best applied with a spray bottle, so it's worth keeping a small one with you if you're a coffee addict.
Sprinkling salt on the coffee stain is better than doing nothing. Blot away excess liquid, then cover the stain in salt and leave it to sit for at least a minute. Brush the salt away and gently blot with a paper towel or clean cloth.
Our laundry sheets are excellent for stubborn coffee stains after stain-removing pretreatments.
You can soak the garment in lukewarm water with the powerful cleaning action of a Freddie laundry detergent sheet before you wash it in the machine.
Our sheets are formulated without parabens, dyes, phosphates, and 1,4-dioxane. The ingredients work to tackle tough stains, and the sheets are also designed and packaged to reduce plastic waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Coffee Stains Be Reversed?
Coffee stains are reversible, but your chances of successfully removing them decrease with every hour that passes. However, removing old stains in the fabric is still possible with perseverance and the right stain treatments. Always avoid heat until the stain has completely gone.
Does Vinegar Remove Coffee Stains?
Distilled white vinegar is a well-known home remedy for stain removal. It’s a weak acid with a pH level between 2 and 3. The acidity gives vinegar its ability to dissolve organic matter, including coffee stains. Vinegar works well in conjunction with other stain-removing techniques to shift coffee marks.
Final Thoughts
Coffee contains tannins, which give it that great flavor. However, if you spill coffee, it isn't very good for fabrics. Tannins bond with clothing fibers, and the longer they're there, the harder they are to shift.
Freddie laundry detergent sheets were created to offer a convenient alternative to traditional detergents, with low-waste packaging and thoughtful ingredients. Keep a pack in your home for coffee stain removal and all your household laundry needs.
