Coffee Stains on Carpet

Many a party or sleepy morning has resulted in coffee stains on carpet. The following instructions explain how to remove coffee stains, but the truth is you might only lighten them. Sometimes they simply won't come out, so after the cleaning part we'll cover other options.

Perhaps it is too obvious to mention, but the sooner you get to the coffee stains the more likely you are to get them out or lighten them. Spilled coffee should be carefully mopped up as quickly as possible. Try not to spread the coffee. A wet-dry vacuum cleaner can work better than a cloth because it will suck it up without pushing the liquid around. But grab whatever you have and act fast.

To start the cleaning process, mix a teaspoon of dish detergent in a quart of warm water. Avoid the overly fragrant ones - classic Dawn or Joy work well. Apply this mixture a little at a time, wetting the whole of the stained area with a spray bottle. If none is available, drip it on carefully. Work it in a bit with your fingers, and then blot it up with plain white (undyed) paper towels or clean white cotton rags. Repeat this process until you have used up the mixture.

Now mix three ounces of plain white vinegar in six ounces of water and apply this to the stained area several times. Blot up the excess moisture each time as described above. If you are still seeing transfer of the stain to a clean part of the cloth when you have used up the mixture, start over and use the detergent solution and vinegar mixture one more time.

Rinse with tap water numerous times, blotting it up each time. Sniff the carpet to see if all the detergent and vinegar has been removed. Blot up as much moisture as you can with white paper towels and let a fan blow over the spot for a few hours to complete the drying. Sometimes there is still coffee staining the fibers deeper down, and fast drying will prevent it from migrating to the top where it is visible.

If coffee stains on carpet cannot be removed in this way, a professional carpet cleaner might at least lighten them. Otherwise you can hide the area by moving furniture. Other options are covered on the page: What to do About a Permanent Stain.