Remove Tea and Coffee Stains From a Tablecloth
A beautiful tablecloth and matching napkins dress up a table and make any meal special. But so often after the meal is finished and the table cleared, you discover dried coffee or tea stains spoiling the tablecloth, or a napkin used to mop up a spill. You can only hope to save the tablecloth, and that the stains will come out in the wash, but you might be surprised by a few little tips that might just save your table coverings.
Preparation
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Test the fabric for colorfastness. Dampen a napkin at the hem and blot with a white paper towel. Colorfast fabrics won’t release any color.
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Examine the tablecloth and napkins thoroughly. Treat all the stains before laundering.
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Drape the stained portion of the tablecloth over the sink or a large bowl. Place stained napkins over a small bowl and secure them with a rubber band if possible.
Treating Coffee Stains
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Mix a 50-50 solution of warm water and glycerin. Pour over the stains and work the solution into the fabric.
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Pour cool water through the fabric to rinse the solution out. Blot the fabric with a clean towel.
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Use a laundry pre-soak on the areas treated with the glycerin solution. Launder as usual.
Treating Tea Stains
- Pour water through the stained area. Cover the entire stain with a de-oxygenated non-chlorine laundry powder.
- Work the powder into the stain with a soft toothbrush. Let the laundry powder work for at least an hour.
- Pour a kettle of boiling water around the stain, working towards the center. Repeat the process if necessary. Immediately put the linens through the laundry as usual.
