How To Remove Tea & Coffee Stains From Cups Naturally

Don’t let brown tannin stains ruin a perfectly good cup of tea. Here’s how to remove tea and coffee stains from cups and mugs naturally, without any harsh synthetic chemicals.

I once had a colleague who was prone to black tea in a very particular white cup. However, he never washed the cup. Instead, he just rinsed it with water each time.

As a result, the cup was so badly stained with tannins from the tea that it was completely dark brown on the inside – almost like a coating of fur. It was SO disgusting.

Whilst my colleague claimed the tannins in the mug contributed to the perfect cup of tea, I’m of the mindset that to make the optimum cup of tea, you need to start with a clean cup or mug.

Whenever I made the tea, I’d sneakily scrub out his cup with hot, soapy water to make it a little more hygienic to handle. Yet even hot soapy water and a scouring pad were never enough to touch the sides. Those brown tannin stains seemed to be an integral part of that cup.

I am partial to a cup of tea. And I’ve found that no matter how well – and how often – you wash your cups and mugs, they do often develop these tannin stains.

Thankfully, over the years, I’ve found the best ways to remove brown coffee and tea stains from cups and mugs, cheaply, naturally and easily in just 30 minutes. Here’s how:

How To Remove Tea & Coffee Stains From Cups & Mugs The Non-Toxic Way

To remove stains from tea cups and coffee mugs, all you need is some soda crystals – also known in some places as washing soda. Here’s the full how-to:

• Add one teaspoon of soda crystals to the cup or mug, and then fill it with boiled water straight from the kettle.
• Stir to dissolve the soda crystals, and leave the solution to soak in the cup for at least half an hour. You might notice the water turning slightly brown as the stains begin to lift – that’s exactly what you want to see.
• After half an hour, pour out the solution, and wash the cup in your sink using warm water and a little washing-up liquid. Use a scouring pad or scrubbing brush to remove any residue. Most of the staining should wipe away easily with very little effort.

For particularly stubborn stains, try soaking your cups overnight. Then scrub and wash them as before to shift these stains. If faint marks remain, simply repeat the process once more rather than scrubbing aggressively, especially on delicate china.

It’s such a simple and non-toxic way to remove stains that I don’t recommend any other method. Nothing else I’ve found is as effective as soda crystals.

Check out my before and after shots!

A non-toxic cleaning miracle!

What If You Don’t Have Any Soda Crystals To Hand?

I really recommend buying a bag! But if you don’t have a bag of soda crystals and have a dirty mug emergency (it can happen!), then there are a couple of other tricks you can try.

Firstly, if you have any bicarbonate of soda in your food cupboard, then try making a thick paste with water. Simply add a little water to a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and water and then, using a cloth, sponge or scrubbing brush, try rubbing it in to your cup in circular motions.

And if you don’t have any bicarbonate of soda to hand, then try vinegar. A soak with white vinegar can help freshen mugs with mild discolouration. It’s not as effective as soda crystals, but it can help in a pinch.

What Are Soda Crystals Exactly?

If you are wondering what soda crystals are, they are a simple one-ingredient product – sodium carbonate. In plain English, this is a salt that contains no other additives.

Soda crystals are used in the soap, textile, and glass industries, and are made by combining salt water with limestone. The resulting chemical reaction causes soda crystals to form, producing a simple and non-toxic yet effective cleaning agent.

The reason soda crystals are so effective at eco-friendly cleaning is their alkalinity. This means they have a high pH, which helps to break down grease, grime, and stubborn tannin stains with ease.

Where To Buy Soda Crystals

You can buy soda crystals in hardware shops, in the cleaning aisle of the supermarket, or online. A single bag is inexpensive (generally less than £3) and lasts for ages, as you only need small amounts for most cleaning jobs.

In case you are struggling to find them, here’s my big guide on where to buy soda crystals.

If you don’t want to buy a bag of soda crystals just to clean your tea cups, then worry not. Soda crystals have heaps of uses around the home. From naturally unblocking drains to cleaning your washing machine and much more. In fact, here are 15 uses for soda crystals. I am never without a bag!

More Green Cleaning Inspiration

I’m a huge fan of natural cleaning methods like this simple method of cleaning tea cups. Swapping to simple, single-ingredient cleaners like soda crystals is super effective, plus it also helps you reduce plastic waste and avoids the need for harsher chemical cleaners.

I hope that by demonstrating just how effective natural and non-toxic products can be at cleaning, you might be convinced to give products such as soda crystals and bicarbonate of soda a go at cleaning the rest of your home.

If you’re inspired, do check out my complete guide to making your own natural cleaning products!