Does Coffee Stain Clothes? (Steal Our 10 Easy Cleaning Methods)

Have you ever put on your favourite white work cotton shirt, but by lunchtime it is covered with coffee stains that your colleagues can spot from a mile off? I know it’s embarrassing – it’s happened to me a few times and every time I play cool, but we’ve all got that inner slob, right?

Let’s go over why coffee stains clothes and other surfaces so badly, here are some tips so you’ll be able to clean it up instantly next time and no one is going to laugh at you.

Does coffee permanently stain clothes?

Yes it does, unfortunately, but the good news is there’s a bunch of different ways you can get rid of it from your clothes without leaving any noticeable marks.

10 ways of removing coffee from your clothes

Luckily, I have you covered the next time you decide to wear your cappuccino rather than drinking it, here’s how to remove it instantly. All of these stain busting ingredients are simple and you probably have most of them about the house, but some are more unusual and you would have thought that they can remove coffee stains.

You can always use this guide as a reference next time you splatter yourself with a latte or any other type of coffee, but let’s hope it won’t happen to you too often.

Cold water 

Ideally, cold water can remove a fresh coffee stain; hold the stained clothing under running water for a couple of minutes and then pat dry with a cloth.

Or you can use a cloth soaked in water to dab the stain – carry on until the stain vanishes. Such a basic remedy is surprisingly overlooked since most of us wouldn’t believe that cold water could be so effective but it does the job brilliantly.

Washing powder

You can pop the stained garment into the washing machine, but to tackle the stain more effectively run cold water on the stain and then apply enough washing powder to cover the stain, grab a toothbrush and give it a good brush till the stain lifts or disappears.

In case the stain persists, go for a second round of washing powder, but leave it to rest this time – give it about 20-30 minutes before you brush it again.

Washing-up liquid 

This powerful method is pretty foolproof, wet the stained area, rub in the washing up liquid and then it’s time to brush it with a toothbrush. And the same thing applies if the stain is still there after brushing as above. Give it another go but let the liquid soak the stain for an extra 20-30 minutes and then go for it.

White Vinegar

Although red vinegar is an essential dressing for salads or other delicious dishes, it isn’t good for removing coffee stains.

Instead, white vinegar should be your go-to ingredient for getting rid of coffee  from your clothing as it contains acid that does wonders. Right before you pop your stained top or trousers in the washing machine, mix a tablespoon of white vinegar with a cup of hot water and some washing powder, apply it to the stain and give it a couple of minutes. (Learn how to clean an espresso maker with vinegar.)

Now, you can go ahead and put it in the washing machine.

Baking Soda

Besides being great for shining the kitchen sink and the bath, baking soda is going to be your secret weapon to remove coffee stains. After running water on the stain, cover it with baking soda and pop it in the washing machine, it does the job nicely.

In case the stain is stubborn, here’s another handy recipe with three simple ingredients:

• 2 tbsps. baking soda
• 2 tbsps. white vinegar
• 1 cup of hot water

Mix the baking soda with hot water and white vinegar and stir it for about 2-3 minutes, sprinkle it over the stain and give it 15-20 minutes until the fabric completely absorbs it, then and then go ahead and pop it in the washing machine.

Egg Yolk

We couldn’t ask for more from eggs, they’re a great source of protein, good for breakie and delicious poached, fried or boiled. But did you know that they can also remove  coffee stains?

You’ll need more ingredients for this recipe than the others listed, but it works  wonders for me every time.

Here’s the recipe:

1 egg’s yolk

1 cup of hot water 

1 paper towel 

4 tbsps. of rubbing alcohol

Mix the hot water with the rubbing alcohol and the yolk and give it a stir until it thickens. Dip the towel in the mixture and rub the stain hard and rinse it off instantly. It works!

Soda Water

Soda water is great to have handy and fantastic for making coffee stains vanish.. Sprinkle the stain with soda water; grab a cloth, dab and dry it and you’re done.

Pre Washing 

To get rid of  stains  by hand, give the stained garment a pre-wash by soaking it in hot water and a pre-washing enzyme formula for about half an hour – then put it in the washing machine for spotless stain removal.

Hand sanitiser

The good news with hand sanitiser is that you can find it everywhere since the pandemic kicked in; you’ll find bottles at the entrance of every shop.

Applying hand sanitiser is another foolproof hack to remove them from your clothes: just put plenty on the stain and dry it with a paper towel or a cloth.

It’s great to use when you’re away from home at a cafe or at work.

Shaving Foam

Perhaps an outsider ingredient, but interestingly, it’s rich in cleansing agents that are also found in washing-up liquid and washing powder, doing wonders for keeping your garment stain-free: after applying foam about the size of a golf-ball on the stain, rinse it off and you’re good to go.

Beer

This should be your last resort; I know it’s a real shame to use this sacred drink to wash out coffee stains, but look on the bright side, you’ll cut down on your beer intake.

I’m not saying use your favourite brand; go for a cheap alternative or something that has been lurking in the fridge for months now.

To get rid of the coffee stain, pour beer over, rub it with the cloth to remove the stains and now pop it in the washing machine; odds are it’ll remove the stain.

Liquid Soap

Apply plenty of liquid soap on the stain and rinse it off to remove the stain.

Toothpaste 

Tooth paste is not only great for removing coffee stains from your teeth, but it’s also great for getting stubborn coffee stains out of your garments. Squeeze toothpaste on the stain, brush it with a toothbrush and rinse it off – repeat a few times if the stain persists. 

Baby Powder 

You’ll probably have it handy if you’re a new parent and you can use it as an alternative to other products discussed; it works its magic when it comes to cleaning stains. Mix up baby powder with water to make a paste and dab the stain with a wet cloth.

Natural Soap

Natural soap is the WMD for stain removals; wet the bar first, rub your garment with it and give it around an hour before rinsing it. This is a well-kept secret used in the laundry industry that few people know about.

Does coffee stain jeans?

Yes it does.A pair of jeans is one of those pieces of clothing you wear day in, day out and we often get attached to them whether we bought them in a jumble sale or market for a fiver, or forked out a small fortune – we just want them to be in perfect condition.

You can always go through the different methods of removing coffee stains, all of them work pretty well on jeans.

Does coffee stain dark clothes? 

Sadly, yes, but the thing is that dark clothing stains aren’t so noticeable. Stains can be removed with one of the remedies mentioned above. But if you’re into milky coffee using a Keurig frother to prepare it and spilling it on you while frothing then white marks will be left on your piece of clothing. Use one of the methods discussed above to remove the stain.

Does cold or hot water set a stain?

No, water stains on your clothings is temporary and as soon as it dries out the stain is gone. 

Does coffee stain cotton?

The stained area shouldn’t be dried until the stain is completely gone, like with any stained cotton cloth. Whatever you spill coffee on, there is a method to attempt to remove the stain. These methods can be used to remove stains from some of the most popular clothing materials, including cotton and synthetic fabrics.

Let’s wrap it up

It’s no good having coffee stains on your favourite garments, it’s embarrassing – yes, and I’m talking from experience. Spill always happen just when you don’t need them; five minutes before an important meeting, on a first date or at that awkward meeting with your in-laws as they set up the dreaded family photo.

Let’s face it, dribbles are a fact of life, but I hope you learned a thing or two on how to get rid of coffee stains and keep life stain-free.