Coffee Stains
There are a few things that are certain in my day; my husband will forget something, my 4 year old will break something and at some point during the morning I will spill coffee on my shirt. All these things are an inevitable part of my day but I’ve learned little tricks to handle each one. Since this site is dedicated to laundry care, I will share with you my strategy for removing the dreaded coffee stain.
1.) Tend to the stain when it happens. Waiting can cause the stain to set in thus making it harder to remove. When the spill happens, take a paper towel and blot the liquid out. Do not rub it in!
2.) Remove your garment and run cold water through it from the reverse side of the stain.
Running water directly on the stain will cause it to spread.
3.) Make a mixture of 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 detergent, 1/3 cold water. Gently rub this mixture onto both sides of the stain and let it sit for 5 minutes. You can use a wash cloth
or a tooth brush to clean the stained area.
4.) After 5 minutes has passed, rinse the area with cold water.
5.) Put your garment in the wash on the warmest setting the fabric will allow. You can find this information by checking the care label.
6.) Remove your garment from your washer and inspect the stain. Make sure it has been removed BEFORE putting it in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will set in the stain and there’s no turning back once this has happened. If the stain is still there, repeat steps 1-4 only let the vinegar/detergent/water paste sit longer.
If it is not possible for you to treat the stain immediately at least blot it and
run cold water through it. Doing this will prevent the stain from setting until
you have time/materials available to treat it.
