The Best and Easiest Ways to Remove Any Coffee Stain

7 min read NOV 02, 2022

If you love coffee, you must have gotten a stain not less than once. Coffee might stain your clothes, furniture, carpet, and other unwanted places. When you spill coffee, you wonder how to effectively get rid of the stained area while preserving the quality of your material.

A coffee stain might prove easy or challenging to remove. The ease or difficulty will depend on the method you choose to remove the stain. Different fabrics and materials require different cleaning techniques. Synthetic and cotton fabric also requires some effort to clean coffee stains.

Also, fresh coffee stains come off faster than old coffee stains. In this article, we explore all possibilities to help you remove coffee stains from the majority of possible staining places.

So, What Types of Coffee Stains do We Have?


Removing coffee stains requires knowing when the staining happened. In this regard, we have fresh coffee stains and old coffee stains. 

The fresh coffee stain means that you just spilled your coffee a few seconds or minutes ago. This type of coffee stain comes off with much ease.

Old coffee stains mean that the coffee got spilled hours to days ago. These stains require much more effort to clean than freshly made ones.

What do You Need to Remove Coffee Stains from Fabrics, Carpets, Chairs, Shoes, etc.?


As brewing coffee has evolved, so has the art of cleaning coffee stains. We learn new hacks daily; even the toughest and oldest stains somehow come off. We have realized that the following materials and products come in handy when cleaning coffee and other beverage stains.

  • Laundry detergents (liquid and powdered)
  • White vinegar
  • Stain remover for your laundry
  • Liquid dish soap
  • Oxygen bleach
  • Other household soaps
  • Club soda
  • Lemon juice
  • Paper towels
  • Old toothbrush
  • Cold water
  • Baby powder
  • Shaving cream

How do You Remove Coffee Stains from Synthetic and Cotton Fabrics?


Most of our clothes come in cotton and other linen fabrics. It is very easy for coffee to spill when drinking, giving us the nastiest stains. However, removing the stain might not be as challenging as you think. Follow through with this technique if you have your clothes stained with coffee. If your clothing has some care instructions, stick by them to avoid damaging it.

1 - You should run cold water through


Cold water has saved many people from the struggle of eliminating a fresh stain. Run cold water through the stain if you have spilled coffee on the fabric. While the water runs through the material, gently rub it and see if the stain comes off. In most cases, less concentrated coffee stains come off after this procedure.

2 - Use a liquid detergent


Consider adding some liquid laundry detergent if the stain fails to come off entirely by running cold water. Since the spilled spot might be small, pour your liquid detergent directly on the coffee stain. Let it sit for a few seconds, and gently rub the fabric. Most liquid dish soaps come in handy and often remove the stain entirely.

If the coffee stain is old, soak the cloth in water after rubbing it in the liquid laundry detergent. You should rub the stain between your fingers every five minutes for thirty minutes. If the coffee stain remains, soak the fabric in warm water and let it sit for about twenty minutes. After the stain comes off, air dry for better results.

3 - Use powdered laundry detergent


For a dried coffee stain, liquid detergents may not eradicate the stain. For this step, you will need to mix powdered laundry detergent, an equal amount of white vinegar, and some water. Mix them into a paste. You should check to see if the fabric doesn't discolor and apply the paste to the stained area. An old toothbrush proves ideal for applying the paste in the correct stain places.

Since powdered detergent forms a paste quickly, it easily removes stains faster than liquid detergents. Rub the fabric gently and rinse with clean cold water.

4 - You might choose to treat coffee stains


Stubborn coffee stains may come off quickly when treated. Some stain remover products like oxygen bleach laundry detergent come in handy. Apply the stain remover and leave it for about five minutes. The lingering stain gets soaked in the remover and comes off easily after rinsing. The removers come in both gel and spray forms.

Tips on Effective Coffee Stain Removal


You should never machine dry the fabric after stain removal. Therefore, if you air-dry the item, the stain won't set. Repeat the procedure and allow it to dry if you notice that the coffee stain hasn't completely gone. The stain gets removed once the whole process gets completed one more time.

Unlike cotton fabrics, synthetic ones don't find removing the stain difficult. For these fabrics, permanently remove the stain when fresh. Dry coffee stains prove more tedious to do away with than new and not set-in stains.

For synthetic fabrics that prove less stain-resistant, these steps should help:


    1. You should soak up the excess coffee. You will do away with the excess coffee by blotting it with a paper towel. When you press the paper towel on the stained cloth to dry it, it removes the coffee stain.

    1. Soak the stained fabric in a solution of warm water, liquid dishwashing detergent, and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Leave the cloth soaked in the mixture for fifteen minutes.

    1. Rinse the cloth with warm water. Often, by this third step, the stain has gone completely.

    1. Remove any remaining stain by rubbing alcohol into the stain and blot drying using a sponge or a dry paper towel. If you find rubbing destructive on the fabric, blot it with a few drops of alcohol and dry cloth. A few drops of alcohol might be all you need. Also, applying beer lightly using a damp cloth removes as much excess coffee as possible.

    1. Wash the fabric after blotting. Washing guarantees complete stain removal.

  1. After the wash cycle gets complete, inspect any remaining stains. If you find any, repeat the procedure, and the stain gets wholly removed. If there is no stain, go ahead, and air-dry the fabric. In addition, you may consult a dry cleaner specialist if the stain proves resistant.

How do You Remove Coffee Stains on Couches, Carpets, and Shoes?


Like leather clothing, most carpets, sofas, and shoes come in tough fabrics. Removing coffee stains on these porous surfaces is similar to other natural fabrics. Mixing a cleaning agent with water, baking soda, and white vinegar might prove ideal for eliminating the coffee stain.

So, follow this simple procedure if you get coffee spills on your favorite couch or carpet.

    1. Mix a tablespoon of white vinegar and liquid soap to clean carpets. Add two cups of water to the mixture and make a cleaning solution. Pour this solution on the stain's spot and dry it using a wet vacuum cleaner, blow dryer, or fan.

    1. For wooden surfaces, pour one teaspoon of vinegar on the stain and blot it dry with a paper towel. After the vinegar sits for about two minutes, removing the stain is easy.

    1. If you need to remove a coffee stain from a jean material, use baking soda on the fabric. After sprinkling it on the stain, use a wet clean cloth or sponge to wipe it out. Baking soda proves ideal since it's available at home.

    1. Have you spilled coffee on your upholstery? Don't worry. Mix a quarter cup of lemon juice with two cups of water. You may mix a quarter cup of vinegar with two cups of water. Blot these mixtures to your stained spots and rinse with clean cold water.

Frequently Asked Questions about Coffee Stains


Are coffee stains permanent?


In most cases, coffee stains don't form permanent stains. Dried coffee stains might prove challenging, but they finally get removed with the step-by-step procedures above.

How do I get coffee stains out of a white shirt?

You may use the step-by-step fabric procedure. Soaking the white shirt in bleach solution might eliminate the dry stain after it proves resistant.

Are old coffee stains difficult to remove?


Yes, old coffee stains might be resistant. But, repeating the removal procedures to remove the stain finally proves helpful.

Does baby powder help remove coffee stains?


Some people have found using baby powder on freshly stained coffee fabric effective. After applying the powder, use paper towels to blot the spot dry. Baking soda proves ideal for this technique too.

Final Thought


No matter how tough a coffee stain might be, using the proper removal procedure will make your fabric stain-free. If you are enjoying a cup of well-ground roast coffee and you spill it by mistake. Remove, and repeat the coffee stains removal process.

If you apply any cleaning agent, let it for some time before rinsing and drying it off. Household soaps and all the products we found helpful in removing these stains will guarantee a fantastic coffee-drinking experience with no fear.

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