Spilled coffee on your carpet? Don’t despair! Here’s a simple method for removing coffee stains from carpet using a DIY cleaning solution.
Coffee stains can be hard to remove from carpet – especially if the drink has had time to seep into the fibres. This is because coffee contains tannins which stain the fibres.
The good news is that most coffee stains can be removed. You just need to know the right method! Here’s a five step process for removing coffee stains from your carpet.
Note: It’s much easier to clean coffee when it’s still wet. It’s possible to remove old coffee stains after the liquid has dried – and we’ve given some tips below for this – but try to act quickly when possible.
How Can You Remove Coffee Stains From Carpets?
- Blot up the coffee as soon as possible after the spill. Start from the outside and blot inwards to avoid spreading the coffee stain. Make sure you’re using a white cloth to prevent colour transfer.
- Dilute the stain with a small amount of cold water and blot it up again. Use the same method as in step one, but with a clean cloth.
- Treat the stain with a carpet-safe cleaning solution. You can combine 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 500ml of cold water to create your own.
- After applying the solution to the coffee stain, blot it up with a clean white cloth.
- Rinse the area with cold water and blot up again.
- Allow the area to fully air dry.
How to Remove Coffee Stain From Carpet
Step 1: Blot Up the Coffee (As Much as Possible)
The faster you start treating a coffee stain, the better chance there is completely removing it.
As soon as you notice the spill, use a white cloth to blot up as much of the coffee as possible. Make sure you blot from the outside of the stain inwards, otherwise you might spread the coffee further.
It’s also important to blot rather than rub the carpet. Rubbing could discolour your carpet’s fibres and force the liquid deeper.
Tip: You should only ever use white cloths when blotting carpet stains. Coloured cloths could transfer to your carpet.
Step 2: Dilute the Stain and Re-blot
After blotting the stain, pour a small amount of cold water over the affected area to dilute the coffee.
You should then blot up as much liquid as possible again. Make sure to use a clean cloth to avoid transferring the coffee back to the carpet.
Step 3: Apply a Homemade Cleaning Solution
Start by mixing a tablespoon of washing up liquid with around 500ml of cold water. You can also add a tablespoon of white vinegar.
Using another clean cloth, apply the DIY cleaning solution to the stain. Again, make sure you start from the outer edge of the stain and move inwards.
Once you’ve finished covering the area with the cleaning solution, use a towel to blot up the mixture. The stain should now be gone, as long as it didn’t have too much time to set.
Tip: Don’t want to use a DIY solution? You can also use a shop-bought carpet stain remover for this step. You can also use a similar solution for cleaning coke stains.
Step 4: Rinse The Area With Cold Water
After blotting up the cleaning fluid, it’s important to give the carpet another good rinse. You can do this by pouring some cold water over the area and blotting up as much of it as possible.
Remember to blot, not rub! Rubbing could damage your carpet and cause a permanent patch of discolouration.
Step 5: Allow the Carpet to Air Dry
Finally, allow the carpet time to fully air dry before covering with it with furniture or a rug.
It’s important that the carpet is completely dry before it’s covered, as damp carpet can allow mould to grow and may also create a musty smell.
To speed up the drying process, you can open the windows and boost airflow with a fan. If you have a dehumidifier you could also use this to dry the area faster.
Frequently Asked Question
What About Removing Old Coffee Stains?
It’s always better to clean a coffee stain as soon as it happens. But what if this wasn’t possible? Or if you didn’t notice the spill at the time?
Once coffee has had time to sit in the carpet, it’s more difficult to remove. You can use the same process as above, but start by wetting the stained area with warm water (not hot.) This helps to loosen and dilute the coffee before you start blotting it up.
For stubborn stains, you may need to hire a professional carpet cleaner. Carpet cleaning machines are able to clean much more deeply and effectively.
Should You Use Baking Soda for Coffee Stains on Carpet?
We don’t recommend using baking soda for coffee stains on carpets. The small, abrasive particles of baking soda can become trapped in carpet fibres and act as sandpaper when people walk over them. Baking soda can also be bad for your vacuum cleaner.
What About Carpet Odours?
There are many methods you can use to try and remove carpet odours. Washing up liquid mixed with plain water, for example, can remove many odours. Many people also have success when spot treating patches of odorous carpet using a mixture of white vinegar and clean water.
If you’d like to learn more about how to stop your carpet smelling bad, click here to read our full guide.
Summary
Coffee stains on carpets can be tricky to remove – but there’s always hope. The above method only requires DIY cleaning products that you probably already have in the home, but is effective at removing most coffee stains.
With that said, some coffee stains are too deeply set to remove using simple cleaning hacks. In this situation, a professional carpet cleaner is probably the best option.
Do you have any questions about removing a coffee stain from a carpet? Please let us know in the comments section below. You may also want to rad our guide to keeping your home’s carpets clean.