Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Sipping that first cup in the morning can be delightful. Spilling it, on the other hand, is not so pleasant. Mishaps are bound to happen. When they do, here’s the best way to clean coffee stains out of your carpet.
The first thing you’ll want to do is get it cleaned up right away. Taking care of the spill quickly will help prevent the coffee from soaking in and help prevent the stain from setting. Use a clean white or light-colored towel or cloth and blot the area until all of the excess liquid is absorbed. Using a white cloth will ensure that you won’t get any dyes from the cloth into the carpet. It’s important to blot and not rub the area. Rubbing may cause the stain to spread or set in deeper.
After all of the excess liquid is absorbed, you’ll need to flush the area with clean, cool water. Get a bucket of water and clean rag and continue blotting the area. Rinse your rag and reapply as needed. Be careful not to get the area too wet as this could cause too much water to soak into the pad. You should notice the coffee stain getting lighter.
The third step is to rinse out your bucket and mix 2 tsp. liquid dishwashing detergent to a cup of lukewarm water, being careful not to get the water too hot. Dip a sponge or clean cloth into the mixture and blot and lightly rub the area from the outside of the stain to the center. Continue until the whole stain has been cleaned. Rinse with clear, cool water and blot well, repeating the cleansing and rinsing process until the stain is gone. Press a dry towel onto the wet area to absorb as much moisture as possible and let the carpet continue to air dry. This process should be all that is needed to take care of most coffee stains.
For difficult stains or coffee stains that may have set in too long on you carpet, it may be necessary to apply one or more steps. If the stain is still there after using the mild detergent solution, you can try a vinegar solution. Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar to 2/3 cup of lukewarm water. Sponge or blot the area until the stain is gone. For really tough stains you can mix 2/3 cup of white vinegar to 1/3 cup of water. Blotting the area with club soda is also a good way to remove coffee stains from you carpet.
If all else fails there are many great commercial products available for treating coffee-stained carpeting. Hocus Pocus, ForceOut, and Masterblend’s Coffee Stain Remover are a few good ones to try. These products can be found at any commercial janitorial supply store.
Following these simple steps should be all that’s needed to remove your coffee stain and keep your carpet looking fresh and new. Now you can relax, slow-down, enjoy your coffee, and get back to enjoying your day.
