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How To Remove Coffee Stains From Clothes
How To Remove Coffee Stains From Clothes

That first cup of coffee is the perfect way to start your morning, but spill that cup on your clean shirt and you can throw your whole day off. If you’ve made a slip with your morning sip, these tips will help get you back on track.

Difficulty

  • Easy

Time Needed

  • This process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Materials

The Quick and Dirty Tips

Here are the most important things to remember when treating coffee stains in your clothes.

Do:

  • Read the tag to understand the material.
  • Dab the stain immediately with a napkin or paper towel.
  • Flush with cold water.
  • Pretreat by soaking with warm water and liquid detergent.
  • Wash with a stain-fighting laundry detergent, such as Persil® Stain Fighter liquid detergent.

Don’t:

  • Start treatment before reading the tag.
  • Dry clothes in the dryer before the stain is removed.

Step 1: Act Fast Before The Stain Sets

  • The sooner you act the better. Wet stains are easier to get out than dry stains so take action as soon as it happens (for dealing with dry stains skip to step 2).
  • Read the tag first to understand the type of material you’re working with. 
  • Cotton - Highly durable, can take more stress.
  • Silk & Polyester - More delicate so be less abrasive and don’t expose to any heat.
  • Wool - Delicate, needs a lower amount of detergent.
  • Leather & Suede - Generally needs professional dry-clean attention.
  • Blot the stain from the outside with a paper towel or napkin to get rid of any extra liquid as soon as possible. Blotting helps you gently lift the coffee stain out of your shirt or clothes without rubbing it in deeper.
  • Rinse with cold water if possible, and turn the garment inside out. You’ll know you’re ready to move on once the water looks clear through the other side of the garment. This process shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes depending on the severity of the stain.
  • Pro-Tip: If you’re not at home or don’t have access to a sink when the stain happens, you can always try blotting then rinsing with bottled water, club soda, or soaking with an ice cube to get some of that liquid out and keep the coffee stain moist.

Step 2: Pre-Treat The Stain With Detergent

  • Once you’re back at home, it’s time to use the powerful stuff. Use your favorite stain-fighting detergent (hopefully Persil® ProClean®) to break up the stain on your shirt and get that coffee out of your garment. If your stain has already dried, this is where you’ll want to start.
  • Pour detergent on the stain to pre-treat the garment. A tablespoon should be enough to completely cover the stain.
  • Gently rub in the detergent and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will allow you to break up the stain particles without breaking down the fibers of your garment. You can use a very soft toothbrush or rub the fabric together where the stain is.

Step 3: Wash and Dry

  • You’ve done the hard work, Now, it’s time to let the detergent do the rest.
  • Wash the clothing in your laundry machine like a normal load of laundry on warm.
  • Hang your garment to dry. High heat will actually set the stain, so avoid putting it in the dryer.
  • Check the garment and repeat if necessary until the stain has been completely removed.
  • If you followed all of these steps and the stain still remains, we recommend getting professional help to remove the coffee stain from your shirt or clothes.