Coffee is a drink that is loved the world over, but it becomes less than popular when spilled on someone’s carpet, especially if that person is unsure which carpet cleaning method to use to remove the stain it has created.
Not only does the colour of coffee make it a particularly unsightly stain, especially on lighter-coloured carpets, but with many people having sugar in their coffee, it can create a sticky residue in the fibres of your carpets where the stain is located.
The first tip we can give you is not to panic, which unfortunately is what most people do whenever something has been spilt and is now making a stain in their carpet. Their immediate thought is to rush to the kitchen, grab a cloth, and then furiously rub that area of the carpet in the hope that they are removing the stain.
In most instances, they will not be removing the coffee stain, and in fact, are probably making the stain a more significant problem than it needs to be. The reason is that by rubbing, they might be soaking up some of the coffee, but at the same time, they are spreading the coffee over a wider area, and thus, the stain gets bigger.
It need not be that way as a simple process can be followed and invariably will remove a coffee stain from a carpet. The first thing to establish is whether the colour is new and thus still wet or if it has dried in. If it is moist, your first step should be to try and soak up as much of the spilt coffee as possible.
This is done by using an absorbent cloth or kitchen towel. We again emphasise that you should not rub the stain but merely dab it. To help with the process, add warm water to the area to dilute the paint further. Continue this process as much of the stain has been removed as possible.
Once you soaked up as much of the coffee as possible, apply this simple cleaning solution to the stain. Using a bowl, add two cups of warm water, one tablespoon each of vinegar and mild dish soap liquid. Mix them in the bowl, then apply the solution to the stain using a clean cloth.
Move around each part of the stain carefully, as the key is not to soak the area with the cleaning solution but to gently blot up a little bit of it at a time once you are satisfied that all of the coffee stains have gone, round it again with clean, warm water and dab it with a clean towel or cloth to dry it as much as possible.
While all of the above will work perfectly for black coffee there is an additional issue if there is cream or milk in the coffee. Even if it appears the stain has gone, small areas where cream or milk residue is left will soon begin to smell.
To address this, go over the area with an enzyme laundry liquid detergent in warm water. Simply dab across the entire area where the stain was. This should break down the fats of the milk or cream and prevent it from creating odours.