How to Get Coffee Stains Out Of Clothes: A Guide
As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs, Easy Homemade Life may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
It’s important to learn how to get coffee stains out of clothes whether you drink coffee or not. As the main person who’s responsible for the laundry in our household, I have had to remove different types of stains from my husband’s and kids’ clothing plenty of times.
Dealing with coffee stains on clothes can be frustrating, but don’t worry – removing them is easier than you think. You’ll only need a few minutes and some cleaning supplies that you most likely already have at home.
I’m excited to share with you some easy and effective strategies for removing both old and fresh coffee stains from clothing, no matter what type of fabric it is. Let’s get started!
Are Coffee Stains Permanent?
Coffee is a blessing in life. The only times it is not ideal is after a tooth extraction or when it lands on our clothes.
However, spills are inevitable if you’re a coffee drinker or live with one. Some years ago, I accidentally spilled my coffee all over our white carpet in the living room. There were splashes on my sneakers, too! I freaked out when I saw the mess, but it turns out that cleaning coffee stains on a carpet is easy and I figured out how to clean sneakers the right way.
The good news is that coffee stains are not necessarily permanent if treated promptly and correctly. When it comes to clothes, time is of the essence and it’s important to use the right cleaning method and supplies tailored to the type of fabric you’re removing the stain from.
When it comes to coffee stain removal, the goal is to dissolve the brown-colored tannins from the coffee and flush them out of the clothing. Fortunately, these tannins do not heavily bind to the fibers of fabrics, so removing them is not difficult, even if the stain is old and dried-in.
How to Get Coffee Stains Out of Clothing
Now, let’s get to removing fresh coffee stains from clothes. Keep in mind that different fabrics require different treatments. While the processes are similar, some fabrics are more delicate and may require gentler handling to prevent any damage while getting the coffee stains out. It’s best to check the care label of your clothing for specific instructions before proceeding with coffee stain removal.
Cotton and Linen
Cotton and linen fabrics are both easy to wash and care for. The type of material they have is washable and dryable, so getting fresh stains out of them isn’t difficult, especially fresh coffee spills. If you need to remove coffee stains from cotton or linen clothing, here are the supplies you’ll need:
- Clean, dry cloths or paper towels
- Small basin or bucket
- Warm water
- Dishwashing detergent
- White vinegar
- Sponge
- Rubbing alcohol
- Using a dry cloth or a paper towel, apply firm pressure to blot up as much excess liquid from the coffee as you can. The goal is to make the stain as dry as possible. Change cloths or paper towels as needed.
- Mix four cups of warm water, one-half teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and one tablespoon of white vinegar in a small basin or bucket. Soak the garment in the mixture for 15 minutes.
- After soaking, rinse the stain with warm water.
- Spray a sponge with rubbing alcohol, then carefully blot up the remaining stain. Use a gentle blotting circular motion to prevent damaging the fabric.
- Run through the washing machine as you normally would.
- If stubborn stains remain, repeat steps one to five until the stain is completely gone. Let the stained fabric air-dry.
Silk and Wool
Silk and wool are some of the most delicate (not to mention expensive) fabrics out there, so they require immediate action and gentle handling when stained. I also like to use eco-friendly cleaning products to avoid harsh chemicals that can damage the fabric. If you’re dealing with a fresh coffee stain from silk or wool clothing, you’ll need:
- Clean, dry cloths
- White vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
- Small basin or bucket
- Warm water
- Biological laundry detergent
- Washing machine with wool cycle (if applicable)
- Cool water for rinsing
- Dip a cloth in white vinegar, then gently dab it onto the stain to remove excess coffee.
- Once you see that some of the stain has lifted off, spray a different cloth with rubbing alcohol and continue dabbing on the stained area.
- Combine 1 liter of warm water and one-half teaspoon of biological laundry detergent in a small basin or bucket. Soak the garment for 15 minutes.
- After soaking, wash on a wool cycle if the care instructions on the clothing item allow.
- If not, rinse the garment with cool water then air-dry.
Synthetic Fabrics
Removing coffee stains from synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, spandex, and viscose is probably the easiest because they are generally more stain-resistant and less absorbent than fabrics with natural fibers. This means that the stain will likely be only on the surface. Here are the supplies you’ll need when getting coffee stains out of synthetic fabrics:
- Clean white cloth
- Small basin or bucket
- Biological detergent
- White vinegar
- Warm water
- No matter what type of fabric, it’s important to blot up excess coffee from the fresh stain immediately. Use a clean cloth to blot up the stain and make it as dry as possible.
- Mix one-half teaspoon of biological detergent and one tablespoon of white vinegar per four cups of water in a small basin or bucket. Soak the garment in the solution and leave for at least 15 minutes.
- After soaking, run through a normal wash cycle in the washing machine and air-dry.
Old Coffee Stain Removal in Five Easy Steps
Dried or old coffee stains are a little harder to remove compared to fresh ones because the coffee particles have had time to set into the fabric fibers. But with the right method, you’ll be able to tackle tough stains and set-in stains from clothes effectively. Here are the supplies that you will need:
- Cold water
- Dish soap
- Enzyme-based stain remover or oxygen bleach
- Soft-bristled old toothbrush
- Soft, clean cloth or paper towels
- Mix a drop or two of dish soap and cold water directly onto the dried coffee stain. Rub the mixture gently into the fabric.
- Soak the clothing item in cold water for thirty minutes, rubbing the stain gently with your thumb to help loosen the dried coffee residue every five minutes. Optionally, you can mix in a little bit of enzyme-based liquid stain remover or oxygen bleach into the cold water for more effective stain removal.
- After soaking, rinse the clothing item thoroughly with cold water to get rid of any loosened coffee particles. To further remove any residue, gently scrub the stained area using a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Wash the garment in the washing machine as you normally would.
- After washing, check if the coffee stain is completely removed. If any hint remains, repeat steps one to four before air drying the garment. Do not machine dry the clothing item, as heat will set the stain further.
Wrapping Up
As a homemaker, dealing with stains is inevitable, whether it’s oil stains on your driveway or pee stains on your carpet. Now that you know how to get coffee stains out of clothes, the important thing to remember is to identify the type of fabric so that you can treat it appropriately.
The best way to clean coffee stains is to use gentle cleaners to avoid damaging the fabric. You don’t need to hire a professional cleaner or bring your garment to a dry cleaner – you’ll be confident removing fresh or dried coffee stains on your own because you have everything you need right at home for the task.
If you found this post helpful, save it for later and come back to it the next time you need to do a coffee stain removal. Better yet, show your love for friends and family by sharing this post with them!
How to Get Old Coffee Stains Out of Clothes
Equipment
- 1 Soft-bristled old toothbrush
- 1 Soft, clean cloth or paper towels
Materials
- 2 drops cold water
- 2 drops dish soap
- ½ tablespoon enzyme-based stain remover or oxygen bleach
Instructions
- Mix 1-2 drops of dish soap and cold water directly onto the dried coffee stain. Rub the mixture gently into the fabric.
- Soak the garment in cold water for thirty minutes, rubbing the stain with your thumb every five minutes. Optionally, you can add a small amount of enzyme-based liquid stain remover or oxygen bleach into the cold water for better results.
- Rinse the garment thoroughly with cold water to get rid of loosened coffee particles. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to further remove any residue.
- Wash the garment in the washing machine as you normally would.
- If any hint remains, repeat steps one to four before air drying the garment.
You saved my favorite cardigan! I love to wear white and light colored clothing, but I’m also kind of a klutz and spilled an entire mug of coffee all over myself. I just pulled my cardigan out of the washer this morning and the stain is barely noticeable and only if you’re looking for it. I will do another pass today and an additional wash.
That’s good to hear! I hope your cardigan will be as good as new. Thank you for the comment, Marianne.