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Remove Coffee Stains From Mugs

If you’re like most coffee aficionados, you have a favorite mug emblazoned with a witty saying or your college crest. But do you rush to fill that mug each morning so that no one sees the disgusting coffee stains on the inside? Here again, you’re not alone.

Learn how to remove coffee stains from mugs using ingredients that you probably already have at home or in the breakroom at work.
 

Remove Coffee Stains from Mugs with Lemon

You’ve probably heard a little about the cleaning powers of nature’s finest fruit. Well, here’s yet another use for lemon juice.

You’ll need:
 
  • A lemon, quartered
  • A microfiber cloth
  • Water
  • Salt (possibly)
  1. Squeeze the lemon juice onto stained areas. Make sure all affected spots are coated with the juice.
  2. Let this sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Dampen a microfiber cloth and rub the lemon juice into the stains.
  4. Rinse clean.
  5. Repeat as needed. For really tough stains, sprinkle a little salt into the mug with the lemon juice before scrubbing.
 

Getting Coffee Stains Out of Mugs with Baking Soda

Baking soda is a known whitening agent, which is why it’s often added to toothpaste or used to clean grout. It can lift coffee mug stains, too!

You’ll need:
 
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • Water
  • A microfiber cloth
  1. Place the baking soda in the bottom of your mug.
  2. Add enough water to make a paste. Don’t worry if your paste gets too runny; you can just toss in a little more baking soda to thicken it back up.
  3. Spread the paste around the inside of the mug, making sure to coat stained areas.
  4. Use a dry microfiber cloth to scrub the paste into the spots that need to be cleaned.
  5. Rinse the mug to remove all baking soda residue.
  6. Repeat until all stains have been removed.
 

Clean Coffee Stains from Mugs with Salt

When you reach for a salt shaker, you probably never think of the cleaning properties this seasoning has. Believe it or not, salt makes a great scouring agent and has many purposes, including cleaning cutting boards and removing stains from coffee mugs.

You’ll need:
 
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • Water
  • A microfiber cloth
  1. Wet the inside of the mug.
  2. Add the salt.
  3. Use the microfiber cloth to scrub stains out of the mug.
  4. Rinse the mug clean with water.
  5. Repeat until your mug is free of stains.
  6. Removing Coffee Mug Stains with Vinegar

Vinegar is another household product that has some magical cleaning abilities. And one of its many ways it can be used is to remove coffee stains from mugs.

You’ll need:
 
  • 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
  • A microwave-safe bowl
  • Oven mitts
  1. Pour the vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat it for around 90 seconds to two minutes. You want it to be hot.
  2. Use the oven mitts to remove the bowl without burning yourself.
  3. Pour the vinegar into your mug. Let this sit for at least three to four hours. You can also leave it overnight.
  4. Rinse the vinegar from the cup with clean water. The stains should wash out as you do this. If not, repeat the above steps until your mug is bright and shiny.

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to remove coffee stains from your favorite mug. Now that you know how to do that, you might be looking to find ways of sprucing up other items in your home. Check out these tips on cleaning an area rug, then learn how to salvage a burnt pot.