Blogs
Laundry
How To Remove Tea Stains From Clothes

How To Remove Tea Stains From Clothes

Can’t say “No” to a cup of tea? You’re not alone, for many of us, tea is an inseparable part of our routine.

While drinking tea can make your day anytime, if it gets spilt on your clothes, then the whole situation gets reversed. Your relaxing tea time turns into a hassle of stain removal.

To save you from that hassle, we have brought this article. It will help you if your nice fresh brew gets spilt. Here, you can read how to remove tea stains from clothes completely.

Now, let’s see:

Things To Consider Before Removing Tea Stains From Clothes

We have discussed 4 ways for tea stain removal in the next section, but before moving to them, you should consider the following 2 things:

Reading garment care label: Some garments are not washable and if they get stained, you should take them to a dry cleaner. Make sure you read the garment care label, if it says “dry clean only” then it is best to visit dry cleaners. Other than this, if the garment is structured, and the stained area contains lining, interfacing, embellishment, fine embroidery etc. then you should be extra careful and trust experts for stain removal.
Carrying out a patch test: Even after being assured that your garment can tolerate a stain remover, you should still carry out a patch test. It is an extra protective measure that you shouldn’t avoid. Take any stain remover that you are planning to use, and apply it on a hidden area of the garment such as inside of the garment or in the inseam hem. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. If there is no discolouration or any adverse effect on the fabric, then go ahead.

3 Ways To Remove Tea Stains From Clothes

Rinse or blot the tea stain with cool water

Tea is soluble in water, and in many cases, a fresh stain can get washed away by rinsing only. Here’s what you should do to remove tea stains from clothes immediately after tea gets spilt:

Turn the garment inside out.
Put the stained area under running tap water.
Keep it there for 2-3 minutes, the liquid (tea) will get washed away with water.

You can also blot the stain with cool water if the stain is still wet or just occurred.

Take clean white cotton or microfiber cloth. Blot the tea stain with the cloth. Make sure you are moving the cloth to blot with a clean section. Continue until the stain stops lifting up on the garment.

Use laundry detergent to remove tea stains from clothes

If your stain doesn’t go away after rinsing with plain water, don’t worry. Your regular laundry detergent (avoid detergents having bleach) can help you to remove tea stains from your clothes. Here’s what you can do:

In case, the stain is old or dried, you should soak the garment in cold water for 30 minutes before applying detergent otherwise you can go ahead.
Just sprinkle (if powder) or pour (if liquid) detergent on the stained area. The quantity should be should enough to cover the stain evenly.
Rub the detergent gently in a circular motion into the tea stain, it will start vanishing.
Keep rubbing gently until the stain is gone.
Rinse the garment with plain water.

Don’t have enough time to remove long-settled tea stains?

Use baking soda to remove tea stains from clothes

If laundry detergent doesn’t help, you can use baking soda to remove tea stains from your clothes. There are two ways of using baking soda.

Method 1

Sprinkle baking soda all over the wet stain.
Leave it overnight. Baking soda powder will absorb the stain.
Take a blunt knife or similar object and scrape off the baking soda.

There is a high chance that the stain will go away. In case there is some residue, you can wash the stained area with as usual with laundry detergent.

Method 2

In case the stain has dried or is old, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with an equal amount of water to create a thick paste. Here is what you need to do next:

Soak the garment in water for around 30 minutes.
Take it out and apply baking soda paste evenly on the stain using a small brush or an old toothbrush.
Rub the stain by applying slight pressure with your hands or you can also use a brush in a circular motion.
Keep rubbing until the stain goes away. It may take 3-5 minutes.
Then, rinse the garment with cool water to get rid of the residue.

These were 4 major ways to remove tea stains from clothes. You can try any of them on all fabrics if there are no special instructions on the garment care label. Because mild detergent, baking soda, and vinegar, any of these ingredients are not harmful to clothes.

In case the stain still persists, you should consider sending the garment to a dry cleaner. They have specialized chemicals to treat the toughest stains. Hence, they can remove tea stains from clothes without causing any harm to the fabric, shine or colour of the garment.

Don’t have to time to remove stains at home?

Conclusion

It is best to treat tea stains immediately after it occurs. In many cases, it will go away by rinsing with plain cool water. However, if it still persists, you can use vinegar, baking soda or your regular laundry detergent to remove tea stains from clothes as explained above.

This was all about how you can remove tea stains from clothes. If you want to know more about stain removal, keep visiting Tumbledry, because, we post a lot about such topics.

FAQs on removing tea stains from clothes

Can lemon remove tea stains from clothes?

Lemon has acidic elements but they are not strong enough to remove tea stains from clothes. You can try rubbing lemon on the stain. However, it is better to use your time on tried-and-tested stain removal methods explained in the article.

What’s best to remove tea stains?

Even though vinegar, baking soda and laundry detergent, all are highly effective on tea stains. You can try using vinegar if the stains are too old.

Does salt remove tea stains?

Salt is used to remove tea stains from cups and mugs. It will not work on clothes.

How do you get dried tea stains out of clothes?

It’s all about bringing that stain back to life. First, if there’s any sticky residue from sugar or milk, gently scrape it off. Then, let the spot soak in a bowl of warm water with a squirt of liquid detergent for about 30 minutes. Give it a gentle rub with your fingers, rinse, and if the mark is still there, just repeat the soak before you toss it in the wash.

Does Vanish remove old tea stains?

It definitely can, but don’t just throw it in the machine and hope for the best. To really get results on an old stain, you’ll want to do a pre-soak. Mix a bit of Vanish with warm water, let the garment hang out in there for an hour or so, and then wash it. It’s much more effective when it has time to sit and work its magic.

Can toothpaste remove tea stains?

Believe it or not, it works! But there’s a catch: it has to be the plain white, non-gel kind. Just dab a little on the stain and give it a light scrub. The ingredients in basic toothpaste are great at lifting pigments, especially if you catch the stain while it’s still relatively fresh.

How does lemon remove tea stains from clothes?

Think of lemon juice as nature’s version of bleach. It’s packed with citric acid, which is amazing at breaking down “tannins”, the organic compounds that give tea its dark color. It’s a great, eco-friendly way to lift the pigment without using harsh industrial chemicals.

How to remove tea stains from clothes home remedies?

Most of us have a “stain kit” in our pantry without realizing it. You can use baking soda to absorb the liquid, vinegar to cut through the stain, or even plain table salt as a mild abrasive. Just apply your choice, let it sit for about 15–30 minutes to do its thing, and then rinse and wash.

How to remove dried tea stain from clothes fast?

If you’re in a rush, skip the long soak. Rub some liquid detergent or a stain remover directly into the spot with a little warm water. Give it a quick, vigorous scrub, let it sit for just a few minutes while you finish your task, and then throw it in the wash immediately.

How to remove tea stains from coloured clothes?

You have to be a little more careful here so you don’t ruin the dye. Stay away from heavy bleaches. A mix of white vinegar diluted with water is usually your safest bet—it’s tough enough to lift the tea but gentle enough that it won’t leave a faded “bleached out” spot on your favorite shirt.

How to remove tea stains from clothes using lemon?

Just squeeze some fresh juice right onto the tea spot. If it’s a sunny day, leave the garment out in the sun for about 20 minutes, the UV rays actually act as a catalyst and help the lemon juice work better. Just make sure to rinse it thoroughly afterward so the sugars don’t stay in the fabric.

How to remove tea stains from clothes after drying?

This is the “final boss” of stains because the heat from the dryer usually sets them. You’ll need to be patient: re-soak the item in warm, soapy water for a much longer time—maybe an hour or more. Whatever you do, don’t put it back in the dryer until you are 100% sure the stain is gone, or it might become permanent.

How to remove old tea stains from cotton clothes?

Cotton is pretty hardy, so you can be a bit more aggressive. A paste made of baking soda and a little water works wonders here. Rub it in, let it sit for 30–60 minutes, and then wash it normally. Since cotton is a natural fiber, it responds really well to these types of deep-cleaning pastes.

Can dry cleaning remove tea stains?

If the garment is something delicate like silk or a structured blazer, then yes, let the pros handle it. They have specialized “tannin-remover” chemicals that are much safer for fancy fabrics. Just be sure to point the spot out to them so they don’t accidentally set it with their industrial presses.