Tea and coffee spills are a common occurrence among British households. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ cuppa to get the day going? Exactly. That is why our team of stain-removal technicians decided to help us put together this guide on how to clean tea and coffee stains from carpets. You can also apply the same logic to upholstery cleaning, but do keep in mind to always check the labels of your furniture before trying out a DIY cleaning attempt on them. No one wants to end up damaging their furnishings.
Check out also: How to Clean Bloodstains from Upholstery.
A Few Tips from the Pros before You Start:
Before you start, there are a few things you should definitely consider. Here is what the professionals have to say:
- Tea and coffee stains are what we call tannin stains (not decaf though, these types of beverages cause dye stains) – a stain that releases yellow to brown stains;
- Because of the tannin, the stain will need to be treated with an acidic stain removal product;
- If your hot beverage contained milk, however, you will need to use a protein stain spotter;
- Do NOT use bleach. You will just damage your furniture/carpet;
- If your carpet or upholstery fabric is made from natural fibres, such as wool, do NOT try a home attempt. It is better you contact the professionals for this one as they are easy to damage and hard to lift tannin stains from, even for the pros;
- If the stain has dried, do NOT try a home attempt as even the pros in this instance can’t guarantee a 100% positive result.
Now that we have gotten those important points out of the way, let us get to the main point – how to clean tea and coffee stains from carpets.
How to Clean Tea and Coffee Stains from Carpets
- First step, (if possible, as not all fabrics deal so well with moisture), rinse the area with cool water. This will help lift as much as possible before applying your stain removal products;
- If you were able to do the first step, it may be a good idea to soak up as much of the moisture as possible with absorbent cloths or towels;
- Now, if your tea or coffee had milk in them, consider applying a protein stain spotter before moving onto the next step;
- Time to break out your stain-removal product. We advise you to look for an acidic product. Alternatively, you could make a DIY stain remover using vinegar or citrus products;
- Apply your product and blot the area using a clean cloth or a sponge. You may need to repeat this step a few times until the stain lifts completely, or stops lifting;
- Finally, rinse out using cool water.
Need Professional Assistance?
Of course, this method might not always work. It is good to keep in mind that if it didn’t work when you try DIY methods, it may hinder the professionals when they get to it. That is why you should always consider whether or not you are willing to take the risk. At Happy House Cleaning, we would be more than happy to provide our stain-removal services. Check out our services and prices at our main site or contact us at 020 7101 4326.