How to Get Coffee Stains Out of Carpet

Coffee is one of the most common carpet stains we see. It's very fixable if you treat it right — and very stubborn if it gets heat or scrubbing.

Fresh coffee spills

1. Blot up as much as you can with a dry white cloth.
2. Dilute it by blotting with a little cool water.
3. Apply a detergent solution — ¼ teaspoon clear, non-bleach dish liquid in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Wait a few minutes, then blot.
4. Follow with a vinegar solution (1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water) to lift the leftover tannin, then blot.
5. Rinse with plain water and blot dry.

Dried coffee stains

Dampen the stain with cool water and let it sit for a few minutes, then work through the same steps. Older stains may need two or three rounds — patience beats pressure.

Cream and sugar change things

Coffee with cream or sugar leaves a residue behind. Even when the brown color is gone, that residue attracts dirt, and a shadow can reappear a week later. Rinse well, and if a shadow does come back, a professional hot water extraction will rinse it out.

Don't

• Use hot water — it can set the stain.
• Scrub back and forth.
• Over-wet the carpet — what soaks into the pad can wick back up.

Tea works the same way. Both are in our stain removal guide, and if stains keep reappearing, read why carpet stains come back after cleaning.