Five Easy Ways to Remove Coffee Stains From Your Favorite Mug
A running joke in my family revolves around my sister’s absolute refusal to use a cup or mug with ingrained coffee stains. Although the cup had obviously been thoroughly cleaned, she refused to drink any liquid from it, even coffee.
This provides fodder for funny jabs and inside jokes, but it does make me wonder: Why do coffee and tea stain all my mugs, and why are these stains so hard to remove?
With these questions in mind, I delved into the vast world of coffee stains. I started looking for a solution to prevent stains from accumulating on my mugs, cups, thermos and coffee pot and I can confidently say that I can now let my sister drink from any cup. Below, you’ll learn why coffee (and tea) stains are so stubborn and five effective ways to get rid of them.
Read more: study How to remove stains from clothes, How to wash sportswear and How to clean your running shoes.
Why Does Coffee Stain Your Cups and Mugs?
It’s frustrating to put your cups and mugs in the dishwater only to find that they’re still stained at the end of the cycle. Before you throw away your old cup, consider it an opportunity to learn why coffee has such great staining power.
Coffee stains cups and mugs due to the presence of tannins, a polyphenol found naturally in coffee beans. When coffee is brewed, tannins stick to the surface of your cup or mug, causing brown staining over time.
How to avoid coffee stains on cups
The best offense is a good defense. To stop stains before they start, it’s a good idea to rinse your cup or mug immediately after use to prevent stains from setting in.
Additionally, other factors can exacerbate coffee stains, such as the temperature of the coffee, as heat speeds up chemical reactions. The tannin compounds in hot coffee stick more firmly to the cup material. Leaving coffee in a cup or mug for an extended period of time can also make stains harder to remove because tannins can set on the surface of the cup as the coffee cools.
The porosity of the cup material also affects the likelihood of staining. The more porous a material is, the easier it is to absorb liquids and stain. Plastic, earthenware, and stone cups or mugs are generally considered to be more porous. I recommend purchasing a high-quality stainless steel cup or mug as they are non-porous and less likely to develop stubborn stains.
Cleaning your cup or mug regularly will help prevent coffee stains from soaking into the material. Let’s review some of the best ways to remove coffee stains.
Five ways to permanently remove coffee stains
Here are five ways to get rid of coffee stains on your mug once and for all. (Or at least until the next time you drink coffee with it, in which case you’ll need to repeat these steps.)
Method one
What you need: Baking soda and water.
what to do: Mix equal parts baking soda and tap water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the stained area of ​​the cup, scrub gently with a sponge or brush, and rinse thoroughly.
Method two
What you need: white vinegar.
what to do: Soak the coffee-stained mug in a mixture of white vinegar and water for a few hours. After that, scrub the stain with a sponge or brush, and then wash the cup with dish soap to eliminate the sour vinegar smell and pungent odor.
Method three
What you need: lemon juice and salt.
what to do: Mix lemon juice and table salt. Gently rub this mixture onto the stained area, then rinse thoroughly. You will then need to wash the cup or mug with dish soap and water to remove any remaining lemon smell or smell.
Method four
What you need: Baking soda and white vinegar.
what to do: Sprinkle a few teaspoons of baking soda inside a cup or mug, lightly pour in the white vinegar, and let the mixture fizz. Once it’s gone, scrub the stained area with a sponge or brush and rinse thoroughly.
Method five
What you need: Denture cleaning tablets.
what to do: Denture tablets clean your cup just like your teeth. Pour warm water into the stained cup and add one denture cleaning tablet, making sure to add enough water to completely cover the coffee stain. Let it sit for a few hours, then scrub and rinse like you would otherwise.
As with anything, a little effort and time can make your cups and mugs sparkle. These tips work with any beverageware material and even work with tea stains. Feel free to repeat any of the above processes as needed to remove the stain.
For more cleaning tips, you can also check out How often should you clean your makeup brushes?,as well as The best way to machine wash sheets and bedding.
FAQ
What causes coffee stains on cups?
There are compounds called tannins present in coffee beans, and when these coffee beans are brewed, the tannins begin to stick to the surfaces of cups, mugs, and other containers they come in contact with.
Why are stainless steel cups not easy to stain?
One of the factors that determines how much tannin adheres to a cup is how porous the container is. Plastic, earthenware, and stone cups will quickly absorb these tannins and cause stains. High-quality stainless steel is easier to clean because tannins are less likely to stick to the surface.
