Comments on: How to Clean Coffee & Tea Stains In Cup

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:51:16 +0000

I tried soda, vinegar and lemon juice, but have not found them ideal.
I find that soaking with a small amount of biological washing detergent works well.

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:12:31 +0000

Hot Cocoa does the trick! When my tea mug needs cleaning, I make a cup of hot cocoa with 2 packets of cocoa powder, enjoy it, and when I wipe it out the tea stains are already gone or significantly softened and easy to remove!

I would guess it is either the acidity of the cocoa, the grittiness, or both that facilitate cleaning. The best part of this method is that you get hot cocoa AND a clean mug.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:33:19 +0000

I believe the reason toothpaste works is because it contains diatomaceous earth, a very mild abrasive. This stuff is actually tiny fossilized remains of hard-shelled algae. The shells are comprised mainly of silica or glass. So it’s similar to using Turtle Wax rubbing or polishing compound, but much safer of course.

By: Roma

Roma — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:06:19 +0000

I have used bleach, dental tabs, vinegar and baking soda, various scrubbers and always followed with soap and water. All have worked to clean my tea cups. My problem is that the following stains are darker and more difficult to clean. It appears that the inner finish of the cups has been damaged. I have several cups that are fine bone china and nothing I’ve tried works to remove all staining. Please help!

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:51:53 +0000

I have always used bleach to clean my stained tea cups. It doesn’t take much and the cup looks like new. Make sure you always rinse well afterward. It also works on tea pots, finish with hot soapy water and rinse well. I use a strainer in my tea pot for loose tea, a little bleach and hot water makes it look like new as well. I am going to try toothpaste on some of my older tea cups. Thanks for all the tips.

By: Ann

Ann — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:16:21 +0000

I would like to add my support to the toothpaste solution. I had previously tried vinegar and baking soda but did not get the results I wanted. After searching I came upon this thread. I just used what I had handy, which was Aquafresh whitening, but it didn’t seem to matter. Toothpaste really works!

By: Jorge

Jorge — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:50:06 +0000

Crest pro-health worked like a charm for me. I had a white china cup that has been stained for quite a while and whenever cleaned it would take lots of scrubbing. I used the toothpaste mentioned before and it was so easy!

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:18:48 +0000

I don’t think it’s a good idea to use bleach on the dishes that you may eat or drink from.

By: Lon

Lon — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:32:41 +0000

I use an SOS pad to clean a coffee cup. When I see a little stain in the cup, I take a wet SOS pad and clean the inside of the cup. It works great and is fast too.

By: Shiela

Shiela — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:55:51 +0000

I didn’t have white Colgate so I tried Crest pro-health. Worked so great I was amazed!!! Try it, you’ll love it!

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:32:26 +0000

I had once read that using plain white Colgate toothpaste would clean my white porcelain crock pot. Worked like charm. Tried it today on coffee stained coffee cups. Worked great. Non-abrasive like salt. Non-toxic like bleach. And does not leave the taste of salt or vinegar in the cup.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:01:07 +0000

Drop-in a denture cleaner and leave over night. Rinse clean or wipe with a sponge. Done.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:08:55 +0000

Pour bleach (Javex, Old Dutch, etc) into the stained cup. Swirl it around til the stain disappears. Pour bleach into a clean jar and cap tightly. It can be used quite a few times, kept handy beside dish-washing soap. Wash the bleached cup well with hot soapy water, then rinse well. A little effort is required.

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:15:51 +0000

TIP FOR TEA OR COFFEE STAINED CUPS: MAGIC ERASER!

You can use it on the finest of china! I use it on my china tea cups when they get stained.

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:59:22 +0000

A Greenie scratch pad cleans your cups and glass ware with hardly no scrubbing. I use them on everything – and they don’t scratch your dishes.

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:08:06 +0000

When those pesky little coffee and/or tea stains start to show up in your favorite cups, try using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.