Coffee Stains On Clothes

By Matt Oden | Comments | Food and Drink Stains → Coffee | Fabric Stains → Clothing

Coffee stains on clothes can upset your entire day, especially if you spill your favorite cup of Joe on your white silk shirt during your morning commute. If allowed to set, coffee can sometimes prove to be a challenge to remove from garments, but there are several methods of removing both fresh stains and set in stains.

Don’t despair if you have spilled your morning latte all over your shirt or pants. With a few basic household cleaning supplies, you’ll be able to effectively remove unsightly coffee stains on clothes. As with the majority of stains, remember that it is typically a lot easier to get the stain completely out if you are able to move swiftly.

What You Will Need Before You Start

Clean absorbent white towels
White vinegar
Clean sponge
Rubbing alcohol
Dishwashing detergent
Stain pretreat solution, stick, or a gel

Removing Coffee Stains On Clothes, From Silk

Silk shirts, skirts, and scarves can be a great elegant addition to your wardrobe. Your silk garments often require specialized care when laundering so it is important that you follow the guidelines on the tags attached to the garment.

If you have spilled coffee on your silk shirt, don’t panic and break out the chemical stain removers. While these are very effective at removing stains from other fabrics, your silk will require a bit more of a gentle touch.

Lay a clean absorbent white towel on a flat surface.
Place the silk garment on the absorbent towel.
If the stain is fresh then carefully soak up the excess liquid with another towel on top of the stain. Do not rub at the coffee stain; you should only blot at it until the excess liquid has been soaked up.
Dip a clean sponge in white vinegar and carefully dab directly onto the stain, working from the outside in.

If the stain proves to be stubborn, then repeat the steps until it has been completely removed. Be sure to rinse the garment thoroughly in cold water and launder as per the instructions on the garment tags.

Removing Coffee Stains On Clothes, From Wool

When you are removing coffee stains on clothes like wool, it is important that you avoid using any cleaning methods that could damage or shrink the fibers of the garment, like hot water.

If the stain is still fresh then carefully blot at the stain with a clean towel until the excess liquid has been removed.
Place the wool garment onto a clean absorbent white towel; if you use darker colored towels then you run the risk of the colors of the towels bleeding into the wool garment.
Test an inconspicuous spot on the wool garment for colorfastness with a sponge dipped in rubbing alcohol.
If the color doesn’t bleed onto the sponge then start to carefully dab at the stain with the rubbing alcohol, starting at the outer edges, until it has been lifted.
Once the stain has been removed, you can launder the wool item as per the instructions on the tag.

If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand, then household vinegar can also often be just as effective on coffee stains on clothes that are made from wool.

Removing Coffee Stains On Clothes, From Cotton

Cotton and linen are sometimes a little bit more durable than silk and wool, which means that you can likely use stain removing agents on them, like gels and sticks. These pretreat solutions are readily available in the laundry section of your grocery store.

If you do not have any stain pretreat solutions to help you get rid of coffee stains on clothes that are cotton or linen, there are a few other steps that you can take.

Fill a basin or sink with warm water and half a teaspoon of a mild liquid dishwashing detergent.
Soak the garment in the solution for fifteen minutes.
Rinse well with cold water.
If the stain is still visible then carefully dab at it with rubbing alcohol on a clean sponge.
Rinse the rubbing alcohol out of the garment thoroughly.
Launder the garment as usual.

If, for some reason, you do not have dishwashing detergent on hand, you may also have success with running boiling water over the stain until it lifts out.

Removing Coffee Stains On Clothes Of Unknown Fibers

Many of us own a shirt or pair of pants that may be a blend of several types of fibers, or we may not even know what the fibers are. This can make things a bit tricky when considering the best methods to remove coffee stains.

White household vinegar is a very mild solution that can help to remove stains without much worry about damaging the materials. However, it is still advisable to do a colorfast test before trying any stain removal treatment on your clothing.

Dab the vinegar directly onto the stain with a clean sponge and allow the vinegar to work through the material.
Rinse thoroughly and launder per the instructions on the tag.

There are many laundry stain pretreating sticks and pens that offer great portability and quick stain cleanup. As a coffee devotee, you have likely experienced the upset of spilled coffee. Worry not. With the above tips, your coffee stains on clothes will be the least of your worries. The only worry you have now is whether or not you should grab another cup of coffee to replace the one just spilled.