Everybody and we do mean everybody, has heard of coffee. After all, it’s one of the most popular beverages around. Some people drink it hot, others drink it iced, but no matter how you look at it, people love their daily coffee for its caffeine boost. Whether you are looking for an extra kick in the morning or are trying to pull an all nightery to get that project done, coffee and its caffeine content are there to help you. Not to mention, most coffee lovers have rejoiced in the fact that several studies done by various experts around the world have discovered that this miraculous beverage might be able to help prevent some nasty diseases.
No matter how you drink coffee, whether hot or cold, with or without creamer, stainless steel mugs are a popular choice for carting your drinking around with you. Stainless steel mugs are the ideal choice because they provide an insulating factor that keeps your drinks at the desired temperature. The problem is coffee of all kinds ends up staining your stainless steel mugs. Most of these mugs get stained because of the low-quality detergent combined with the leftover drops of coffee.
Luckily for you, we have put together this article to provide you with several different approaches how to remove coffee stains from stainless steel mugs.
Method One: Homemade Stain Remover for Stainless Steel Mugs
For this amazing method to work, you will need to make a homemade cleaning mixture using ordinary household ingredients. How much of this mixture you make will vary based on the size of the mug you are cleaning, but for our purpose, we will give your direction for an average size mug.
To begin, dump two tablespoons of baking soda into the mug. You will have to take off the lid if the mug has one to ensure the baking soda coats the bottom. After the baking soda, you will slowly pour ¼ cup of white vinegar into the mug. If you don’t have any white vinegar on hand, it’s safe to use apple cider vinegar.
Don’t do anything for a moment but watch the inside of the mug. Within several seconds you should see the mixture starts to foam up. This process needs to happen because it is what helps wash away the stains, but it also helps in deodorizing your mug. Once the foaming has stopped, you can scrub inside with a sponge. Always use a non-scratch sponge. Sponges are highly recommended because their texture works better than a brush or washcloth to remove stains.
For stainless steel mugs with numerous stains inside, it’s suggested you replace the lid and give the mug a little shake. You can create a makeshift lid if your mug doesn’t have one. You want to shake things up for about seven seconds to help spread the mixture evenly across the mug.
For stubborn stains, you know, those ones that won’t wipe off no matter what, you can try using a Magic Eraser Sponge. You can also add more vinegar and baking soda and let things sit for a period. After removing the stains, wash the mug and rinse it well.
Method Two: Using Citric Acid to Remove Coffee Stains from Stainless Steel Mugs
Sometimes the combination of baking soda and vinegar just isn’t enough to remove tough stains, even when combined with the power of a Magic Eraser Sponge. In these cases, you have the option of using cleaning vinegar. This type of vinegar is of a higher concentration, so it might work better at reaching those stubborn stains.
Your other option is to use citric acid, which is amazing if you don’t feel like scrubbing your mugs. To use citric acid, you must fill the mug up with hot water. Then add one teaspoon to a tablespoon of citric acid. How much you add depends on the mug’s size. Citric acid is recommended for people with hard water because the minerals in the hard water make the staining worse!
Method Three: Cleaning Mugs In a Hurry
If you are in a rush and don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning your coffee mugs, you can purchase a coffee stain remover to do the work for you. When choosing a coffee stain remover, read through the reviews to see how well it works and if it is compatible with stainless steel mugs. The great news with these ready-to-use stain removers is there is no scrubbing involved. Simply follow the directions to the cleaner, and your work is done.
Method Four: Baking Soda Paste and Magic Eraser
If you are in a rush and don’t want to spend money on professional stain removers, you can try a homemade stain remover that works quite well in removing coffee stains from stainless steel mugs. To use this method, you want to create a semi-watery paste with baking soda and some hot water. To make the paste, you want to add hot water slowly to the baking soda until you achieve the desired consistency. The good news is this can be done directly inside the mug. Once you have created the paste, dip the magic sponge into it and lightly rub the coffee stains. You can also cover the mug and shake it to spread the mixture around. Rinse the mug and watch the stains disappear. If they are still present, just repeat the process.
Method Five: Hot Water and Plain Old Baking Soda
If you haven’t noticed by now, we recommend using baking soda for a lot of different cleaning methods (see here where we explain how to use it to remove oil stains from your carpet). Baking soda is not only a powerful stain remover, but it is also a great deodorizer. To clean coffee stains from stainless steel mugs, begin by boiling some water in a pot on the stove. For a normal-sized mug, add two tablespoons of baking soda. For larger ones, add a little extra.
After reaching a rolling boil, turn off the heat. Carefully dip the stainless steel mug into the boiling water. Take extra precautions so that you don’t accidentally burn yourself. Let the mug soak in the boiling water for about two minutes, and then remove it. Wash the mug as normal, and it’s ready to reuse.
If the baking soda doesn’t work to remove all of the stains, try this method again but replace the baking soda with ¼ cup of white or apple cider vinegar.
Method Six: Dishwashing Detergent
Dishwashing detergent is great for washing dishes, but it can also be used to remove unsightly coffee stains from your stainless steel mugs. The reason why the detergent makes such a great stain remover is that it is more concentrated and powerful than dishwashing liquid. By detergent, we are talking about the stuff that you put inside the dishwasher, not the liquid dishwashing soap.
To remove stains this way, simply fill the coffee mug with hot water. Next, add in about two tablespoons of dishwashing detergent or gel. Gently stir it around and then allow it to sit for several hours to loosen up the stains. For stubborn stains, you can let the mug soak overnight. For ordinary ones, about 30 minutes is long enough. Once the time is up, grab a bottle brush and scrub the inside of the mug. Rinse and dry, and it’s ready for your next mug!
If your stainless steel mug is dishwasher safe, you can simply toss the mug into the dishwasher to remove most of the stains. The secret to using the dishwasher is you must find dishwashing detergent that works on coffee stains. Most mugs are only safe for the top rack, so read carefully to prevent damage to your mugs.
Method Seven: Denture Cleaners
You probably know just how versatile denture cleaners are if you have kids. After all, orthodontists tell you to use them to clean retainers and other dental apparatuses. You might not realize that they are also effective at removing all kinds of stains, including those that people get on their teeth. These tablets are designed to dissolve in warm water. Once the tablet mixes with the water is when the magic takes place as the chemicals contained inside the tablet are released.
To use denture cleaners to clean coffee stains, simply place a tablet inside your mug and fill it with one cup of water. A good rule to follow is using one tablet per each cup of water. Allow the solution to soak inside the mug overnight. In the morning, grab a scrub brush and quickly scrub away the remaining stains. Wash the mug as normal, and it’s ready to go.
Method Eight: Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Similar to baking soda, hydrogen peroxide is something that almost everybody has in their house. Most people keep hydrogen peroxide on hand for first aid purposes, but many of us are starting to realize its numerous benefits for cleaning.
For hydrogen peroxide to remove coffee mug stains effectively, you must pair it up with some baking soda. Inside your mug, you want to add two tablespoons of baking soda with ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide. Then fill the rest of the mug up with warm water. Let the solution soak inside the mug for 30 minutes before scrubbing it with a sponge. Rinse the mug and then wash it well before using it.
If the above-mentioned mixture doesn’t work to tackle the stains, you can always try a more powerful cleaner using the same ingredients. To try this method, dump one mug of baking soda into the stainless-steel mug and fill it with hot water. Use a scrub brush to clean the sides well. Rinse, wash, and then dry it using paper towels. Next, add ½ mug of hydrogen peroxide along with two tablespoons of baking soda to the mug and swish things around to coat the bottom. Allow things to sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing. Repeat this process until all stains are gone.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have gone over how to remove coffee stains from stainless steel mugs at home using several different methods. Most of the methods we mentioned use ordinary items that you currently have at home, such as vinegar, baking soda, and water, but some might require you to make additional purchases. Stainless steel mugs are great at keeping your drink at the correct temperature, as they are insulated. The downfall of them is how easily they stain.
No matter what method you choose, we hope at least one of them works for you in removing those unsightly coffee stains. If they don’t, it could be due to scratches on the inside of the mug. If your stainless steel mug has scratches, these typical methods might not work that well, so you should try some kind of stain-removing pad before tossing it in the trash.
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