How To Remove Stains From Carpet Caused By Tea & Coffee

Tea and coffee are part of working life, and sooner or later one of them ends up on the carpet. The good news is that most fresh spills come out if you act quickly and use the right approach. These are the methods we recommend for homes and workplaces, along with when it makes sense to call a professional.

How to remove coffee stains from carpet

Act straight away. Grab a clean cloth or paper towel and blot the area to soak up as much liquid as you can. Do not rub, because rubbing pushes the coffee deeper into the carpet fibre and spreads the stain.

Next, make a cleaning solution. Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar and one tablespoon of dish soap with two cups of warm water in a bowl or spray bottle. Dab the solution over the stain with a clean cloth, working from the outside in.

Once the mark starts to lift:

• Rinse the area with cold water and blot it dry with a clean cloth.
• If the stain remains, mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste, apply it to the stain and leave it to dry.
• When the paste is completely dry, vacuum it up.

How to remove tea stains from carpet

Tea stains behave much like coffee stains, and the first step is the same: blot gently with a clean cloth or paper towel, without rubbing.

Mix one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of liquid soap with two cups of warm water. Apply it to the stain with a clean cloth and keep blotting until the stain fades. When you are done, rinse with cold water and blot away the excess with a dry cloth.

For a stubborn tea stain, a little hydrogen peroxide mixed with dish soap can help. Take care with this one, because hydrogen peroxide can lighten some carpets. Always test it on a hidden section first.

Another option is a mixture of lemon juice and salt:

• Apply the mixture over the tea stain.
• Let it sit for a few minutes.
• Rinse the area with cold water and blot dry.

The lemon helps break down the stain and the salt helps absorb the liquid. Test this on a hidden section first too.

When to call a professional

If a stain has been there for a while, has been treated several times already, or sits on an expensive or delicate carpet, DIY methods can do more harm than good. In a workplace, repeated spot treatment can also leave a patchy look across high-traffic areas.

Hot water extraction lifts staining and residue that surface treatments leave behind. If you are in Perth, our carpet steam cleaning team can assess the carpet and treat it properly. Businesses can also add carpet care to a regular office cleaning Perth plan so that spills are dealt with before they set.