Jun
12
2016
How to remove tea stains
Apart from coffee, tea is another beverage that leaves behind stains on our mugs. Read on for simple tips on how to get rid of such stains.
If you are a tea lover and enjoy a piping hot cup anytime, you might be experiencing annoying tea stains on your mugs that no amount of water ever seems to wash it away. These brown rings around your cups are not dirty or unhygienic, but they can ruin the clear white beauty that used to be your mug.
Before we go into the cleaning process, let’s find out what makes tea stain. The natural dark colour of tea stains everything from your mugs to your teeth and even your clothes. This is attributed to a process called polymerisation where two or more molecules react to form one big one. Tea contains an organic chemical which reacts with oxygen the longer it is left in the cup, resulting in larger and more persistent stains. Here are some ingredients you’ll need to remove the stains.
Baking soda
This ingredient is a recurring item as a hack to cleaning. It is mildly abrasive, making it perfect for tackling stains without damaging the more fragile materials. For cups, first wet the stained areas with cold water before sprinkling a layer of baking soda. Let it set for a few minutes before using a cloth to wipe all around. Gently scrub to remove all the brown stains thoroughly and wash it as per normal with your dishwashing liquid.
Salt and vinegar
This is a common combination for chips, but it also works wonders for cleaning our mugs. Use white vinegar to wet the stained cup and sprinkle regular table salt over it. Salt acts as the abrasive in this case. With some scrubbing, you can remove the stains and the vinegar smell, leaving you with a perfectly clean cup once again.
Prevention is the best solution
The above methods are simple to carry out, but constantly doing them can be a chore. Going a little further in your cleaning can help prevent such brown stains from forming. After you are done with your tea, use a sponge with dishwashing liquid to scrub the surface clean. Doing this can prevent the stains from ever forming, and save you time in the future.
