How to clean coffee stains off any surface

Accidents happen, and we’re all guilty of a clumsy spill every now and then. Coffee is right up there with the most-spilled substances in many households, whether you’re too tired or too wired to keep it safe and steady. Unfortunately, it also creates some of the hardest stains to clean.

But whatever surface gets an unexpected caffeine bath, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our best tips for cleaning coffee spills and stains off just about anything.

Accidents happen, and we’re all guilty of a clumsy spill every now and then. Coffee is right up there with the most-spilled substances in many households, whether you’re too tired or too wired to keep it safe and steady. Unfortunately, it also creates some of the hardest stains to clean.

But whatever surface gets an unexpected caffeine bath, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our best tips for cleaning coffee spills and stains off just about anything.

The number one thing to remember when facing any kind of spill is that fresh messes are much easier to clean than those that are left to dry and turn into stains. Whatever surface you’re cleaning and whatever method you choose to get the job done, success starts with whipping out the tools ASAP.

To clean coffee off benches or any other hard, raised surface in your home, your best bet is a classic: paper towel or a wet cloth. Clean it up as soon as it happens to avoid spreading the mess and arm yourself with a quality surface spray to combat any stickiness.

To clean coffee off hard floors, break out either a traditional mop and bucket or a hard floor cleaner. The Tineco FLOOR ONE S3 Hard Floor Cleaner is a fantastic option for tiles, marble and sealed timber floors because it makes light work off wet and dry messes. Just run it over your kitchen or living room floors to mop up the coffee and take care of your daily vacuuming at the same time.

For another quick and easy way to clean coffee that’s had a chance to dry, try a steam mop like the Bissell Select™ Steam Mop to break down stubborn mess without the use of any chemicals.

To clean coffee off carpet, use a carpet washer to shampoo mess and stains out of the fibres. Models like the Hoover SMARTWASH+ Automatic Carpet Washer or Bissell PowerBrush CleanView® Carpet Shampooer feature rotating brush bars designed to get deep into carpet fibres and lift dirt to leave carpets looking fresh and clean.

If buying a full-sized carpet shampooer to deal with the occasional spill is too big of a commitment, a designated spot cleaner will also do the trick. The Bissell Little Green® Portable Spot & Stain Carpet Cleaner is a smaller carpet washing model that’s easy to pull out for quick spot cleaning jobs.

To clean coffee off upholstery, take a similar approach to cleaning your carpets. Carpet cleaners like the Hoover SMARTWASH+ and Bissell’s range of CleanView® shampooers are equipped with handheld attachments designed to target stains on upholstery, stairs and other hard-to-reach areas. The Bissell Little Green® is another great option for spills on the couch or other furniture due to its convenient portability.

To clean coffee without a machine, check out our range of stain removers. A spray formula like the Enzyme Wizard Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is an easy, tech-free way to deal with spills, stains and all kinds of small messes. Just spray it over the affected area, leave it for about 20-30 seconds (let it marinate for a little while longer for older, more stubborn stains) then wipe it away.

To clean coffee off clothes, there are plenty of tips and tricks floating around the internet or being passed along in the form of old wives’ tales. Spilling coffee down the front of your shirt while out and about is a common and incredibly inconvenient occurrence, so knowing an effective way of dealing with it on-the-go is pretty valuable.