Banish ‘hard to remove’ tea cup stains with ‘no scrubbing’
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Tea stains in cups frustrate anyone on washing-up duty as they can seem impossible to remove. The reason for these stains is tannins in tea. These are a class of astringent polyphenols also known as tannoids or tannic acid. They exist in a variety of naturally occurring substances, including wood and, of course, tea and leave these unsightly brown stains. Fans of cleaning expert Mrs Hinch have taken to social media to share their tips on cleaning tea cups.
Posting in Mrs Hinch Cleaning tips, one woman asked for advice on how to remove tea and coffee cup stains after achieving no results with endless scrubbing.
Jean Miller wrote: “Any tips on removing stains, tea and coffee, from the bottom of cups? I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed, soaked in boiling water. Just can’t get rid of them!”
The post was inundated with over 580 comments from fellow cleaning enthusiasts – many suggested that using a dishwasher tablet will ensure effective results.
Grace Paul said: “Dishwasher tablet in the sink will take all the stains out and there’s no scrubbing involved.”
Janet Cooper wrote: “Put a dishwasher tablet in a cup/mug and rub it around and hey presto the stains will disappear effortlessly.”
Sylvia Betham commented: “Leave overnight in a dish with a dishwasher tablet and water, amazing. Just rinse.”
Sally Shaw said: “The easiest way is to put a dishwasher tablet in the cup and fill with boiling water. Leave while you do a couple of other jobs.
“Rinse well, then job done. This is brilliant for stainless steel or pot tea pots too! Old trick I was taught many years ago. My friends were really impressed when they tried it.”
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Alison Chivers advised: “Put the cups in a container or sink and add a dishwasher tablet and hot water to cover and leave to soak.
“Leave for about a couple of hours and then rinse and dry. Any hard-to-remove stains will come off.”
Catherine Foster said: “I leave mine soaking in boiling water and a dishwasher tablet and then wash thoroughly. I also leave my teaspoons in there, both come up sparkling.”
Dishwasher tablets can be picked easily from a variety of retailers including supermarkets. Budget supermarket Lidl currently sells a bag of 40 tablets for £3.19.
According to cleaning experts at Cleanipedia, baking soda can also be used to banish tea cup stains without bleach or scrubbing.
They said: “Baking soda is considered to be one of the very best multi-function cleaning products. As a mild abrasive, it works away at stains, while not damaging fragile materials.”
To remove tea stains from cups, wet the inside of the mug with cold water, and sprinkle in a thin layer of baking soda, so that it covers all brown marks (it should stick easily to the damp sides of the cup).
Leave for a few minutes, and then use a cloth or sponge to wipe all around the brown ring. Then follow up by washing the cup as usual with your dishwashing detergent.
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The experts also suggested salt and vinegar as another method for removing these unsightly brown stains.
They said: “This method sounds more suitable to seasoning fish and chips than cleaning mugs and cups, but it really can work.
“The technique is very similar to that above, except that you wet the inside of the mug with white vinegar and use regular table salt in place of baking soda.
“Salt is another mild abrasive that is very effective at lifting stains without causing damage. Always make sure to wash your mug thoroughly afterwards with dishwashing detergent, unless you fancy a vinegar-infused tea in the morning.”
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