There are a million different ways that coffee can find its way onto your carpet. Whether you’ve knocked a cup off your couch or table, splashed some on the floor as you walk around your home with your morning brew, or you’ve spilled your triple-shot espresso in the car on the way to work. We’re going to share our best tips to get coffee stains out of the carpet easily.
Remove unsightly coffee stains with confidence. Learn how with our best 8 methods for getting coffee stains out of carpet, including fresh and old coffee stains.
Are coffee stains permanent?
For most types of carpet, coffee stains won’t be permanent, especially if you clean them up quickly. If you’re staring at a coffee spill on your floor, rug, or car carpet, it’s best to get to work as soon as possible with the cleaning tips we’ve outlined below.
Is coffee hard to get off the carpet?
If you can clean up a coffee spill immediately after it happens, the chances are it will be pretty easy to remove the stain from your carpet by just using a wet sponge or cloth to soak up the liquid. For older coffee stains, you might need a solution with a little more potency, so keep reading.
What you’ll need
If you or your family are regular coffee drinkers, it’s helpful to keep some of these items on hand in case of spills.
- Sponges and microfiber cloths
- Paper towels
- Liquid dish soap
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Old toothbrush
- Hydrogen peroxide
Whichever method of stain removal you choose, it’s important to gently rub and blot the coffee stain. Rubbing vigorously at stained carpet can cause the spill to spread further across your carpet. As always, test any coffee stain removal methods on a small piece of inconspicuous carpet to ensure it’s safe for your specific type of flooring.
How to get coffee stains out of carpet in 4 simple steps
1. Gently sponge the stained area
If your spill has just happened, grab a sponge and soak up as much of the coffee as possible to prevent it from spreading into a larger puddle on your carpet.
With a clean white cloth, blot from the outside into the middle of the stain, and don’t be tempted to vigorously rub at the stain as this can work the coffee deeper into your carpet pile.
Continue to blot the stain gently until the coffee marks have gone completely, and you can’t see any more coffee transferring from the carpet to your cleaning cloth. Dry the cleaned area with a towel or a hair dryer in a gentle setting. Depending on your carpet and the freshness of your coffee stain, this might be the only step you need to take. But if there’s still discoloration on your flooring, it’s time to take Step 2.
2. Apply liquid dish soap
If you don’t have any commercial carpet stain remover on hand, you can use liquid dish soap and white vinegar instead.
Our favorite DIY coffee stain removal method uses:
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
- 2 cups of warm water
Mix these ingredients in a bowl, and with a clean cloth, apply the soapy solution to the stained area of your carpet. Work on the stain gently from the edges into the middle to avoid spreading the problem around. Keep working on the stain until the stain has been lifted completely.
3. Remove any sticky residue
If the coffee you’ve spilled contains cream, milk, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, there’s a chance of some sticky residue being left behind in your carpet. You can use enzymatic laundry detergent to break down this residue and prevent your carpet from becoming tacky and attracting more dirt and dust to this area.
In a small bowl, mix a cup of warm water with half a cap full of laundry detergent. With a clean cloth, pat the detergent solution onto the area of the coffee spill. Leave it for a minute or so, then rinse the area carefully with fresh water.
4. Rinse and dry the carpet
Once you’ve finished removing the coffee stain from your carpet, it’s important to rinse the area with fresh, cold water. Soak up as much water as possible after rinsing using a clean towel, and then either let the area air dry naturally or use a hair dryer on a gentle setting.
How to get old coffee stains out of carpet
In situations where you’re dealing with an old coffee stain, you’ll need to begin by moistening a clean cloth or sponge with warm water and gently pressing it into the area where you’ve spilled your coffee. This is an important step for old stains to help lift the dried-on coffee out of the carpet fibers.
After you’ve done this, follow the same steps as above to remove the stain from your carpet. Alternative methods to get coffee stains out of carpet You can also try one of these other methods to help you tackle your coffee-stained carpet.
5. Hydrogen peroxide
If you’re dealing with a tough coffee stain, hydrogen peroxide can give you an extra boost of cleaning power. It’s safe to use on most carpet types but check on a small piece of inconspicuous carpet first if you’re unsure. Mix a cup of hydrogen peroxide and half a teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a bowl. Using a clean towel, dab the solution onto the coffee stain, and leave it to sit for around 10 minutes. Mop the carpet clean with a paper towel or cloth, and then rinse and dry as outlined in our basic steps above.
6. Toothpaste
If you’ve noticed a coffee spill and don’t have any of the above ingredients on hand, chances are you’ll probably have some toothpaste in the bathroom. Use an old toothbrush and work a small amount of white toothpaste gently into the stained patch of your carpet. Rinse and blot clean with fresh water, and repeat this process until the stain has gone completely.
7. Baking soda
An all-around household hero, baking soda is great for getting ash and gum out of your carpet. It can also make short work of coffee stains.
Mix up one tablespoon of baking soda with enough warm water to make a thick, spreadable paste. Apply the paste to a clean cloth and work it gently into the stained patch of carpet and leave it on for around 30 minutes (or until the paste is dry).
Vacuum the stained area with a nozzle attachment to suck up the baking powder. Repeat if needed until the stain has gone completely.
8. Beer
Believe it or not, you can also fight coffee-stained carpet with beer. If you’ve got some brews chilling in the fridge, we won’t judge if you need to crack one open to tend to a coffee spill. It’s best to use pale or light beer for this, as tipping some of your finest stout onto a coffee stain might make matters worse for your carpet.
For this method, simply soak a clean cloth in a small amount of beer, and apply it gently to the coffee stain, blotting the area until the stain begins to disappear. Repeat as necessary, and then celebrate your successful carpet cleaning efforts with any remaining beer.
There’s no need to panic if your coffee cup runneth over
The most important thing to remember is that as long as you clean up coffee spills as soon as they happen, they are relatively easy stains to remove from most types of plush flooring.
Hire a Professional House Cleaning Service
Coffee spills are an inevitable part of life for most of us. If you need a hand keeping your carpet or home spotless, you can always make a schedule a professional, reliable cleaner.
A professional cleaning service can help you make sure every surface of your home is dust and cobweb free, no matter how hard to reach. Enjoy clean, breathable air and a healthy home, all while saving yourself time and effort. Hire a professional house cleaning today.
Check out our follow up blog entry on How to Get Ash Out Of Your Carpet.
