How to Remove Coffee Stains on Clothes, Furniture, and Teeth

If you’ve browsed any of our coffee coverage, you know that we take our brew pretty seriously. From pour-overs to espresso machines, and from bean roast to brew strength, we have strong opinions about it all. This week, it’s all things coffee at Wirecutter.

Coffee stains are inevitable. Maybe you spilled coffee on your crisp button-up, or your pearly whites aren’t so white anymore. But to eliminate stains, you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice your morning brew. Stains from tannins (naturally occurring compounds present in coffee, tea, and wine) are easy to get out if you follow the right steps.

How to clean clothes

The best remedy for coffee stains is to get to them early, which is perhaps easiest when you’re dealing with coffee on clothing. As soon as you can, blot the stain with a wet cloth or paper towel. Mary Begovic Johnson, Procter and Gamble’s Fabric Care principal scientist, recommends warm water, not cold. “Warmer water can help loosen up the stain vs. cold water—especially if you are holding the item under running water.” Combining the water with dish soap can also be a simple remedy for your morning catastrophe.

If water and dish soap don’t work, try pre-treating the stain with a laundry spray before throwing the clothing item into the wash. We haven’t formally tested stain removers, but Wirecutter staffers have found Zout Spray Stain Remover to be very effective. It contains protease (an enzyme that breaks down protein stains from cream and milk) and amylase (an enzyme that breaks down the starch molecules from sugar).

According to the American Cleaning Institute, “liquid laundry detergent, or a paste made from a powdered laundry detergent and a little water” can substitute for a dedicated laundry pre-treater. “If there is milk and sugar in your coffee, you’ll want to be especially sure to use a detergent that contains protein and carbohydrate stain-busting enzymes—namely protease and amylase,” Johnson says. See our favorites.

How to clean upholstery

As with coffee on clothing, a spill on upholstery requires quick thinking. If blotting with warm water doesn’t work, use dish detergent. Just be careful with suede and velvet, since they often require professional cleaning.

If you’re constantly battling stains on your couch, a portable carpet and upholstery cleaner, such as the Bissell SpotClean Pro, can be a game changer. Try using it on a hidden spot before attacking upholstery directly to make sure that the machine and its formula won’t further stain the furniture.

How to clean teeth

The best way to keep coffee from staining your teeth is to brush and floss, especially before your morning brew. “It starts with overall hygiene. It’s a lot harder for substances to attach to teeth if they are really clean to begin with,” says Dr. Leigh Sekimoto, DDS of Magnolia Dental Group in Burbank, California. An electric toothbrush can also help you fight coffee stains. “Keep in mind that you can do just as good a job with a manual toothbrush if you really try. A lot of people don’t, though, so an electric toothbrush will help them,” says Sekimoto. We like the Oral-B Pro 1000.

If you need more immediate stain removal, Sekimoto recommends professional cleaning. “Even after one good cleaning, they look a lot better. Professional whitening can help, too,” he says. Between professional visits, “Crest whitening strips can whiten and also be very effective at removing coffee stains, but do it in moderation and follow the directions.”