Whilst a cup of coffee is welcome in the morning, what is not as inviting is finding brown ringed stains left behind from the coffee pot. No matter how much you try to avoid this happening, somehow it does.
Not only that, the mugs used for coffee have evidence that the hot drink was used in them on many occasions. Oh, and then there is the coffee pot itself, full of brown stains that look unsightly and rather horrible.
Fear not though, because as much as it is very annoying, it is also really easy to clean up. Seeing as caffeine is mainly made up of water and soluble plant matter, it is not too difficult to remove with contents from the kitchen cupboard.
So, now that you are here, let us take a look at how to remove coffee pot stains easily with budget friendly items that are better for your health, as well as your family’s.
Removing Coffee Pot Stains With Vinegar
White vinegar is a great option if you want to use something that is naturally antibacterial and safe to use within a coffee pot, after all, you do use the appliance to create something you shall be consuming – the last thing you want is harsh chemicals inside your body.
You might find that vinegar is so useful, that you will join many others who use vinegar as a safe yet effective way to clean a number of items within the home, especially in the bathroom and kitchen.
To begin using this natural stain remover, fill the coffee pot halfway with white vinegar and fill the rest of it with hot water. Let it sit for around 20 minutes or so to do its job.
If you have a stove-safe stainless steel type of coffee pot, then do the same with the solution but use the coffee pot as if you were making coffee, allowing the mixture to turn to a strong boil. Turn the heat off and let it reach room temperature.
When the process is happening (post boil for the stove-safe versions), you may swish the coffee pot here and there to agitate the solution to promote the dissolving of the stains.
Once the time is up, remove the solution and rinse well with water, and then let it dry thoroughly either naturally or using a soft cloth. If you would prefer to remove even more of the vinegar scent, use a mild dish soap to remove as much of the smell as possible.
Add Baking Soda For An Extra Kick
If you think that your coffee pot needs more help, before you leave the vinegar and water mixture to do its work, add in one or two teaspoons of baking soda. The foaming action will create an even better clean.
Use Salt And Ice To Remove Coffee Pot Stains
If you do not like the idea of putting vinegar inside your coffee pot because you are worried about the scent or flavor (do not be), then there is another option to try: salt and ice.
This method is especially useful if your carafe is made of glass and you want to be a little more gentle, but it does work on other materials too, such as stainless steel. If you do have a glass coffee pot, make sure it is room temperature before adding anything cold as you will not want it to shatter.
In the coffee pot, add around 6 ice cubes (less if it is small) and two tablespoons of salt. Pick up the coffee pot and gently agitate the contents to help it remove the stains.
Both the ice cubes and salt act as a gentle scrub to remove them effectively.
Once the stains have been lifted, rinse it out with some cold water, and then add a small amount of dish soap to clean it to remove the salt flavor.
This method can also be used to remove coffee stains that have been left in a cup, as well as tea stains too.
Add Vinegar To Salt And Ice Cubes
Using the above method, you can also add half a cup of white vinegar for extra help. Once you have added the ice cubes and salt, just add the half a cup of vinegar and do the exact same method of swirling the mixture to remove the stains.
Again, rinse and clean well to avoid your next cup of coffee tasting like salt and vinegar.
Baking Soda To Scrub Stains
Baking soda is known to be a gentle abrasive that can remove stains around the home, and this includes a stainless steel coffee pot. To begin, add one cup of baking soda to a coffee pot and fill the rest of it up with warm water.
Using a dish brush, scrub the inside of the coffee pot to help remove the stains. Once you are satisfied, pour out the mixture.
If you feel that it has not done a great job, but has removed some stains, you can add hydrogen peroxide. Find out how below.
If The Above Methods Do Not Work
If you find that salt, white vinegar and ice cubes do not work alone, then there are some stronger methods to try that involve detergent pods and hydrogen peroxide.
Whilst not the most natural, they are worth mentioning just in case you are struggling to remove the coffee stains.
Hydrogen Peroxide And Baking Soda
Whilst the last thing you might want to use is hydrogen peroxide, it is really good at removing stains from a stainless steel coffee pot, and that includes coffee itself.
Once you have removed the baking soda mixture from earlier, add in half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the coffee pot, and two tablespoons of baking soda. Swirl the coffee pot around to agitate the stains, and then let it sit for around 30 minutes to do its job.
Once the time is over, pour the mixture out and fill the coffee pot with hot water, then thoroughly clean the inside and let it dry.
Dishwasher Pod
We all know that dishwasher pods clean our cooking and eating utensils well, and that it can remove stains, so it is very likely it can also remove stains from your coffee pot without you having to put the full thing into the dishwasher.
To try this method, boil a kettle on the stove and add a detergent pod into the coffee pot which should be placed in the sink for safety. Once the kettle has boiled, pour the hot water into the pot until it reaches the top.
Let it sit for around 30 minutes to do its work. So long as you do not hurt yourself, you can swirl the mixture to help agitate and remove stains.
Once the time is up, remove the water and rinse the pot well to make sure you are not drinking a soapy water coffee.
Final Words
Rather than giving up coffee altogether (who would?), cleaning the stains coffee makes is really easy and simple, especially when using contents from the kitchen cupboard.
Whether that is coffee rings left by a mug, or the unsightly stains on a coffee pot itself, you do not have to sit and stare at the nightmare for any longer.
White vinegar and baking soda make a powerful cleaning duo. Not only are they two useful items already found in the home, but they are natural cleaning products too which work to remove bacteria and stains.
So, instead of wanting to throw out old coffee stained items, take a chance at cleaning them first, you might just be surprised!
