If you’ve struggled to remove stubborn coffee stains from your mugs, you’re not alone. That ugly residue builds up quickly and even the toughest elbow grease can be no match.
However, you don’t need to be stuck drinking coffee from what appears to be a dirty cup. We’ve found four quick, easy, and chemical-free remedies that should do the trick. And the best part is you probably already have everything lying around at home, so you don’t need to spend a fortune on a bunch of newfangled cleaning products.
Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the bottom of your cup. Add just enough water to form a paste. Lightly scrub with a sponge or cloth, and voila! The gentle abrasion of baking soda scrubs away stains in a matter of minutes. If you have some brown residue on your coffee mugs try adding baking soda to your cleaning routine and see how it works — you’ll be surprised at how easily it comes off.
No baking soda handy? Why not try this easy vinegar and salt method? All you have to do is wet the inside of the mug with some white vinegar. Then add a small amount of regular table salt, before lightly scrubbing with a sponge or cloth. You may need to repeat the vinegar and salt process to help remove any hard-to-clean coffee stains. The trick is that the salt works as a mild abrasive, similar to baking soda, and is very effective in lifting stains without causing damage. While the vinegar also has some magical cleaning abilities.
Fill your cup halfway with hot water, then fill the remaining capacity with white vinegar. Let the solution sit for about 10 minutes, before pouring it out. Wipe the cup over with a sponge, rinse and then dry! Thanks to its acidic properties, white vinegar is the perfect cleaning tool. It’s also great for laundry and fantastic at eliminating weeds that pop up in the garden, among many other things.
If you didn’t already know, lemon is also a terrific cleaning agent. The acid in the citrus fruit acts as a natural bleach. All you have to do is squeeze the lemon juice onto the stained areas and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub with a sponge or cloth, then rinse clean. For really tough stains, sprinkle a little table salt into the mug before scrubbing.