Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Using known household products
• Method 2 of 2: Use commercially available cleaners
• Tips
• Warnings

Are your white mugs discolored from coffee and tea stains? These stains can be particularly stubborn and difficult to remove, especially if they form over a long period of time and really penetrate the material. However, there are several commercially available cleaners and homemade remedies you can use to remove the stains. It may take some strength and effort, but you can make your white mugs radiantly white again.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Using known household products

1. Scrub with baking soda. Make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water. Apply the paste to the stains and scrub them with a scrub brush or sponge.
   • Rinse the paste from the mug and repeat if necessary. Another layer of paste should sink deeper into the stains.
   • Baking soda provides the right amount of friction to remove light stains.
2. Use vinegar. This is a more environmentally friendly method that does not require bleach or detergent. Heat 250 ml vinegar over medium heat until the vinegar is hot. Soak the mug in the hot vinegar for four hours or overnight.
3. Scrub the mug with salt. Wet the inside of the mug with some water. Add about a tablespoon of salt and scrub the mug until it is clean. The salt simply acts as a light abrasive that soaks into the stains and removes them.
   • You can also use lemon zest to rub the salt into the mug. Salt is an abrasive, but lemon peel has bleaching properties and helps remove the stains.
4. Use a denture cleaning tablet. Add hot water and a denture cleaning tablet to the mug. The tablet should fizz and dissolve, while removing all stains from the mug.
   • Rinse the mug when the fizzing stops.

Method 2 of 2: Use commercially available cleaners

1. Soak the mug in a bleach mixture. Pour four quarts of warm water and a tablespoon of bleach into a large bowl. Let the mug soak until the stains are gone. This should take anywhere from an hour to overnight.
   • You can also scrub the mug with a scouring pad until it is clean.
   • A bleach mix of this strength is also used to sanitize dishes. If the stains don't disappear, make the mixture stronger, but make sure you rinse your mug very well afterwards.
2. Use a miracle sponge. Slightly wet a miracle sponge and rub it over the dry mug. Make circular movements and apply moderate pressure.
   • Rinse the mug thoroughly after cleaning. Of course you don't want to ingest any remnants of a miracle sponge.
3. Use scouring powder. Products such as Vim and Cif can work very well for cleaning earthenware crockery. You usually mix these products with a small amount of water and rub the surface with a cloth or sponge.
   • However, be careful with these products as they can be too abrasive and cause scratches. To avoid this, test the product on the bottom of the mug before treating the rest of the mug with it.
   • You can also use a high-quality stain remover such as Vanish Oxi Action. Put the cleaner in a mug of hot water and let the mug soak until the stains disappear. Rinse the mug thoroughly afterwards.
4. Use a professional espresso machine cleaner. This may cost more money than you want to spend, but if you really want to get your white mug clean, buy this cleaner at the store. An espresso machine cleaner is specially formulated to remove coffee stains.
   • As with all commercially available cleaners, it is important to rinse this solution completely out of the mug before drinking it again.

Tips

• These methods also work well for removing stains from coffee makers, counter tops, and other surfaces.

Warnings

• Make sure you rinse the mug afterwards, whatever cleaning agent you used. This is especially important if you have used a commercially available cleaner such as bleach. This prevents you from accidentally poisoning yourself.