Combatting tough stains on clothes can be a nightmare, especially when they’re on white-coloured garments. However, one cleaning fan thinks she’s cracked the code in the art of stain removal.
TikToker Carolina McCauley shared her go-to method for banishing annoying coffee stains from white colours – and you’ll only need three ingredients from your kitchen. This can work on both fresh and old stains. However, you won’t need any baking soda.
How to remove coffee stains
Coffee stains can be tricky to tackle, but Carolina swears by a simple solution made from three kitchen staples to do the job. You’ll need to come armed with white vinegar, washing up liquid and water.
Caroline explained in the caption: “Spilled coffee on your favourite shirt? Here’s my go-to DIY coffee stain remover — and yes, it works for both fresh and old stains!”
You’ll only need three ingredients for the solution, including one cup of white vinegar, one cup of warm water, and one tablespoon of washing up liquid. Surprisingly, Carolina opts not to use baking soda to help remove these types of stains.
When tackling coffee stains, Carolina instructed to first blot the stain, making sure you soak up any excess liquid. Then apply the solution to the stain with a cloth, scrubbing it into the stain gently.
Carolina explained that this particular concoction of ingredients helps to “loosen deep-set stains” very quickly.
Once you’re happy with how much of the solution you’ve applied to the stain, leave the garments to soak in the remainder of the solution. Let it soak for between 30 minutes and an hour.
Follow by washing your whites as normal in the washing machine. White vinegar can be an effective natural stain remover for various types of stains due to its acetic acid contents.
Its mild acidity helps to lift stains from the clothes’ fibres without damaging fabrics, according to Laundryheap. Vinegar can be used on a wide variety of stains, including coffee, tea, fruit juice, wine, and grease.
Laundryheap reminded that you should always remove as much of the stain as possible and rinse with cold water before pre-treating. You can add other stain removers along with vinegar such as baking soda, detergent or washing up liquid.
If you are a baking soda zealot, there is a paste you can use on white clothes too. Former Great British Bake Off champion and author Nancy Birtwhistle uses a mix of water and baking soda to make the paste.
As long as the item of clothing is stored somewhere where the paste can’t harden or dry out, it can be left overnight. Clothes should then be washed on a long, cool cycle.
Nancy explained that the homemade remedy will help to dissolve any greasy residue left on clothes, helping to lift the stains.