How To Get Coffee Out Of Clothes: A Step-by-Step Guide

One of the worst things about coffee stains is that they almost always happen first thing in the morning. After all, that’s when most people have their first dose of caffeine for the day. But then one small spill happens and you may be stuck wearing an embarrassing token of it all day long. The day may be a bust, but at least your clothes don’t have to be unsalvageable. The key, according to laundry expert Rick Rome, is to move fast before the stain dries and sets into the fabric.

Nespresso Coffee Ambassador James Pergola agrees. "Just think, the quicker you attend to the stain, the quicker you can save your favorite T-shirt or jeans and get back to (carefully!) enjoying the delicious cup of coffee," he says.

Pergola admits that he, too, can be prone to coffee spills. Because it’s so important to take action before the stain sets in, he makes sure to keep a few game-changing products on hand, like white vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda.

You likely already have these things in your house, but if the office is the usual setting for your coffee faux pas, bringing a to-go kit of these materials with you may save the day, he says. But if you're out for espresso martinis and can't fit an on-the-go stain removal pen into your bag, he recommends pretreating the soiled garment with a stain remover as soon as you get home before washing.

However, depending on the material you spilled on, different courses of action should be pursued when treating stains. Pergola and Rome walk through some of their favorite methods for defeating coffee stains, both at home and at the office.

How To Remove Coffee Stains From Cotton And Linen Fabrics

There’s no use crying over spilled coffee, but when the victim of said fallout is your cotton or linen blouse, it's understandable. But before resorting to tears, try these steps from Rome that are best suited for cotton and linen fabrics.

What You'll Need

• Liquid detergent or dish soap
• Water
• Powder laundry detergent
• White vinegar
• Toothbrush
• Stain remover

What To Do

1. Rinse the garment with cold water for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the water runs clear to prevent the stain from setting in and dying the fabric.
2. Apply a liquid detergent or liquid dish soap to the stain and let it sit for five minutes.
3. Soak the garment in water and gently rub out the stain with your fingers. 
4. If there’s still a coffee mark, mix powder laundry detergent with equal parts water and white vinegar to make a paste. Use a toothbrush to gently scrub the stain with this mixture.
5. Rinse thoroughly. 
6. Treat the fabric with stain remover and let it sit for five minutes.
7. Wash the garment as usual according to laundry instructions then air dry.

Another Option

Another trick to get coffee out of non-synthetics like cotton, linen, and wool is having “very, very, very” hot water, Pergola says. If hot enough, your coffee stains don’t stand a chance. You can also repurpose this method, he says, for solving other tricky stains like red wine on white dress shirts. If the stain isn’t completely dissolved by the end, at the very least, this method will dilute the mark significantly.

1. After rinsing your item in cold water, place a bucket in your tub, and set a large amount of water (enough to submerge the garment) to boil. Otherwise, run the bathwater until too hot to touch. 
2. Fill the bucket with water and carefully (with rubber dish gloves) submerge the stained garment in the water, agitating slightly.

How To Remove Coffee Stains From Synthetic Fabrics

Synthetic fabrics are a whole other ballgame from materials like linen. With these garments, rather than immediately rinsing them in water, Rome recommends a different approach to stop the stain from taking route. Here’s how to treat a coffee mishap on synthetic fabrics like spandex and polyester. (Note: You can also try this soaking method on dried coffee stains.)

What You'll Need

• Tissues or a towel
• Water
• Dishwashing detergent
• White vinegar
• Sponge
• Rubbing alcohol

What To Do

1. Blot the stain with a tissue or towel to remove the excess coffee.
2. Combine 1 quart of warm water, ½ teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak your garment in the mixture for 15 minutes. 
3. Rinse the fabric with warm water—take care that it’s not too hot because hot water could actually set the stain.
4. If the stain is still there, use a sponge and rubbing alcohol and dab at the garment.
5. Wash the garment as usual according to laundry instructions then air dry.
6. Repeat these steps if necessary.

How To Get Rid Of Coffee Stains At The Office

While an involved, multi-step plan will likely be more effective for stain removal, if you're at work, you might not have that luxury. Instead, try one of these easy processes that have helped Pergola and that only require one or two materials—many of which are easy to keep on hand or track down in a hurry.

Option 1: Baking Soda

“Baking soda works because it draws out the pigment and scent, essentially trapping the stain within the mixture paste and out of the fabric,” says Pergola. Here's what to do:

1. Mix baking soda with water to form a paste, then scrub the paste into the stain and continue rubbing until the stain is gone. 
2. Rinse the area with cold water and dab dry with a tissue or towel.  

Option 2: White Vinegar

This option, Pergola says, is particularly helpful with white outfits—the most unfortunate of coffee stain victims. The method owes its success, he says, because of the hard-working acidity of the vinegar. While a cycle in the washing machine isn’t part of this method, Pergola recommends a good wash when you get home to remove any lingering vinegar odors.

1. Mix white vinegar with water.
2. Use a towel dipped in the solution to scrub the stain until it is gone. 

Option 3: Egg Yolk

We’re not kidding—an egg really can remove your stain. It’s almost poetic justice that one food causes the problem and another one solves it. However, this method may leave a smell, Pergola says, so a good wash later will certainly be due.

1. Whisk an egg yolk, then rub it into the stain with a cloth for one to two minutes.
2. Rinse thoroughly.