How To Get Coffee Stains Out Of Carpet

We have all had awkward moments in the morning, and coffee drinkers, in particular, know that sinking panic that comes when their coffee cup spills.

Coffee tends to stain everything it touches, so spilling your coffee on your carpet can seem like a recipe for disaster.

Luckily, we’ve done the research, and coffee stains on your carpet do not have to be permanent.

With the proper techniques and a couple of household cleaning items, you can learn how to get coffee stains out of carpet and get on with making another cup of coffee. 

What You’ll Need

You will need a few essential household items to remove coffee stains from your carpet.

Now that you have everything you need, read on to learn how to get coffee stains out of your carpet.

1. Blot the affected area as soon as you can 

Moving quickly is the best way to ensure you remove the coffee stain from your carpet, so as soon as you realize that coffee has spilled on your carpet, grab a cleaning cloth and blot the area to remove as much of the liquid as possible.

Be careful not to scrub the stain; this will work the stain deeper in the carpet, making it more challenging to work out later.

Instead, blot gently, starting from the outside of the stain and working towards the middle.

Doing this will prevent the stain from spreading. 

Pro tip: Once you have blotted away as much of the coffee as possible, pour a little cold water on the affected area and blot the stain again. Doing this will dilute the coffee that remains on the carpet, making it easier to remove.

2. Mix warm water, dish soap, and white vinegar

In a mixing bowl that is large enough to hold the solution, mix two cups of warm water, one tablespoon of dish soap, and one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar.

I recommend using Lucy’s Family Owned – Natural Distilled White Vinegar.

It is a family-owned business and gets excellent cleaning reviews on Amazon.

Soap and vinegar are natural stain fighters, and warm water helps ensure that everything integrates appropriately in the solution.

3. Apply the solution to the affected area

Once you have made your solution, apply it to the affected area with a clean cleaning cloth.

Using the cloth will prevent the carpet from becoming too saturated.

To avoid any chance of the stain spreading, work from the outside of the stain towards the middle.

Once you have applied the solution to the entire stain, blot the area dry with a paper towel or a fresh cleaning cloth until the stain is gone.

You may need to apply the solution a few times before the stain is gone completely.

4. Rinse the affected area with cold water

To ensure the stain is completely gone:

  • Rinse the affected area with cool water.
  • Blot the area as dry as possible, and then allow the affected area of the carpet to dry completely.
  • You can enable the carpet to air dry, but you can also turn on a fan to help the area dry more quickly.
  • Avoid walking on the affected area until the carpet is completely dry.

Pro tip: If you discover that the coffee stain is not completely gone when you rinse the affected area, you can use a wet vacuum to remove the rest of the stain. Apply the cleaning solution to it, sit for 10 minutes, and then use a wet vacuum to remove the rest of the stain.

The following video demonstrates how to get coffee stains out of your carpet.

0:33—Blot up as much of the coffee as possible from the affected area with a cleaning cloth. 

0:46—Combine 2 cups of warm water, one tablespoon of dish soap, and one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar in a bowl.

0:50—Test the solution on an inconspicuous carpet area to make sure the solution will not 

discolor your carpet.

0:59—Wipe the stain a little at a time with a damp cleaning cloth.

1:05—Blot the area dry.

1:08—Continue wiping the affected area with the solution and blotting it dry until the coffee stain is gone.

1:16—If the coffee stain persists, use a dry-cleaning solvent according to the instructions on the bottle.

1:22—Dampen a cleaning cloth with cold water and wipe the affected area.

1:29—Blot the affected area dry one last time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get rid of old coffee stains on your carpet?

It is possible to remove old coffee stains from your carpet, but it can be a little more complicated than eliminating fresh stains.

Wet the stain with warm water to loosen the dried coffee to make it easier to remove.

Then, follow the same four steps to remove fresh coffee stains—you can even use the same cleaning solution.

You may have to repeat the steps a few times before the coffee stain is completely gone.

What should I do if my coffee contained a good amount of sugar and creamer?

Sugar and creamer help make coffee even more delicious, but they can also make coffee stains more difficult to remove.

Sugar and creamer enhance the staining properties of coffee, making the stains darker and more challenging.

Luckily, even coffee stains that contain sugar and creamer can be removed. 

Start by dabbing as much of the liquid away as possible to limit the severity of the stain.

Once all the excess liquid is removed, mix a cup of warm water and a capful of enzyme laundry detergent.

The enzyme laundry detergent helps to break down the stickiness of the sugar and creamer, making the stain easier to remover.

Apply this solution to the stain with a cleaning cloth and continue to follow the steps you would use to remove other coffee stains from your carpet.