How to Remove Tea Stains From Carpet – 5 methods you didn’t know about

Tea is loaded with a high level of tannins, which can easily discolour the fibres of your carpet. Without proper knowledge on how to address the spills, your luxurious carpet might be forced into early retirement.

If you’re an avid tea drinker who has accidentally spilt tea over the carpet, don’t let that moment get you down. Fortunately, there are several different stain removers that you can take advantage of to lift the unsightly tea stains from your carpets, with a little effort.

Let’s show you how to turn around your bad luck.

Tea Stain Removal Rules

Before we even dive into the ways to remove stains from carpets, there are some golden rules you must know when it comes to tea stain removal. It doesn’t matter the type of carpet you have in your home or commercial setting.

Act quickly: When you deal with stains as soon as they occur, you stand a better chance of completely getting rid of them.
Avoid scrubbing harshly to remove stains: This makes your carpet more susceptible to damage because stains get pushed deeper into the fibres. Instead, you should pat and blot.
Blot from outside the stain towards the centre: It reduces the risk of spreading the stains further. Blot up as much tea as possible. And, stop when no more tea stain gets to your cloth or towel.
Always test stain removing agents: Whenever you want to try out a new cleaning solution or agent, it is a good idea to test it out on an inconspicuous area to avoid potential carpet discolouration.
Avoid using hot water: Unfortunately, heat can set the tea stain. Removing the stain will become a little harder.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the best ways to get tea stains out of the carpet.

Method n#1 – Distilled white vinegar

Vinegar is the ultimate multipurpose DIY cleaning solution, which is also cheaply available. Typically, the stain removal process is relatively straightforward that you may complete it within 30 minutes. Well, here’s how you go about it:

Mix distilled white vinegar with water in a spraying bottle. Follow a 1:2 dilution ratio.
Give the bottle a good shake to ensure the ingredients combine uniformly.
Spray the solution onto the stained spot, but do not oversaturate it.
Use a cloth and gently rub the solution into the fibres.
Sponge the area with cold water to remove the smell of vinegar, and then blot with a dry towel.
Keep repeating the previous steps if necessary.

Method N#2 – Baking soda and white vinegar

Baking soda is a great dirt and stain remover that can be used on its own. However, for excellent results, you’ll want to use it with distilled white vinegar.

Step 1: Dilute vinegar
Pour an equal amount of distilled white vinegar and cold water into a mixing jar and stir. If you’re dealing with small or medium tea stains, half a cup of vinegar is enough. For stains spread over a large area, you might need to double or even triple the amount of vinegar.
Step 2: Mix baking soda and vinegar to make a paste.
To make a good paste that’s not too thick or too runny, you should try mixing baking soda and distilled white vinegar in a ratio of 3:1. That means for every 3 tablespoons of baking soda, you will need to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Pour baking soda into a clean, dry bowl. Then, add a small amount of distilled white vinegar into the container while stirring until you have a creamy paste, which can essentially spread to the stained areas of your carpet.
Step 3: Apply your paste
Simply scoop up your paste with a spoon, and spread it onto the affected areas. Just apply the paste in a similar way as spreading butter without ripping your bread. Leave the paste to settle on your carpet for about 3 minutes. Next, take a damp cloth and gently press the paste into your carpet. Be sure not to scrub or grind it though, as the idea is to saturate the stained area. And after saturating the area, use a paper towel to scrape off what’s remaining of the paste.
Step 4: Apply the diluted vinegar and blot the stained spot
Soak up the stained area with the vinegar solution prepared in step 1. Precisely, make sure you add the solution gradually until there’s a fizzing reaction. Blot the vinegar and stains using a clean, dry towel. Depending on the nature of your tea stains, you may need to repeat this process a few times until the stain is gone.
Step 5: Rinse
Rinse off the area with small amounts of cold water, and then press a dry towel to soak up the excess moisture. It will help get rid of the remaining vinegar solution and baking soda residue.
Step 6: Vacuum
You should allow your carpet to air-dry before vacuuming it.

Method N# 3 – Borax remedy

Borax is another popular multipurpose cleaner found in many London homes. It has an array of chemical properties that contribute to its cleaning power. Homeowners with dark carpet are advised to test this cleaning solution on the hidden part of their carpet to avoid unwanted discolouration.

If you choose to use borax, here are the guidelines to follow.

Wet the stained area with cold water: Spray a little bit of cold water on the carpet area with stains. The water should be enough to make it damp, but not saturated.
Sprinkle borax: Coat the stained surface with borax powder.
Cover the area coated area with a wet cloth: Take a clean wet, towel or cloth and place it on your spot of concern. However, the towel should not be dripping wet.
Apply pressure with a spoon: Use the curved side to press the damp cloth or towel deep into the stained spot. Simply start from the middle and move outwards, covering all the directions of the stain.
Blot the area: Remove the damp cloth and get a clean cloth for blotting borax and tea stains.
Rinse and vacuum: Spray the carpet with cold water until you achieve light saturation. Dab it using a dry towel. Let the rug air-dry before vacuuming it thoroughly.

Alternative way on how to get tea stains out of carpet using borax

With this second option, you use a paste of borax and water in a 3:1 dilution ratio. Dip a soft toothbrush in the paste and gently apply it on the carpet stain. Let the coating dry completely and then vacuum to lift residue out of your carpet. Flush the clean area with cold water and follow up with blotting up the excess liquid.

Method N#4 -The salt method

Yes, salt! It is one of the ingenious and inexpensive ways to clean tea stains from carpets. Better yet, it’s simple to follow to get the job done.

Soak up the tea: Use an absorbent pad or cloth to suck out as much spill as possible.
Cover the stained area with salt: Once you have dealt with a large part of the stain, pour a substantial amount of salt onto the stain. Salt will soon begin to absorb the remaining liquid stain.
Top it off with club soda: Partnering salt with carbonated water makes this method quite effective at lifting the stains. However, don’t oversaturate your carpet with club soda.
Wash the carpet area. Spray cold water on the affected region. Blot the entire area with a clean towel then let it air-dry.
Repeat the process as necessary: If the stains persist, be sure to repeat the above steps until the stains vanish.

Method N#5 – Vinegar and dish detergent

Distilled white vinegar can also be used together with dish soap to form a perfect cleaning solution for the unsightly tea stains.

Mix the ingredients: First off, mix equal amounts of dish soap and distilled white vinegar in a container. Add water and mix. For every one tablespoon of vinegar and soap solution, you may need about two cups of cold water.
Wet a cloth with the cleaning solution: Dip a small part of the towel into the mixture you’ve prepared above. Take the damp towel and cover the stained area, and then start pressing it into the carpet using your hand. Don’t apply too much force.
Blot the stain: Using a dry cloth, soak up the excess moisture from both the cleaning solution and tea spill. Be sure to repeat the steps until you see no more stains on your cloth.
Rinse with cold water: Pour a little bit of cold water onto your now stainless spot and blot it to remove traces and smells of vinegar and soap.
Vacuum: Once the carpet is dry, vacuum it.

Seek professional carpet cleaning

Sometimes you can do a great job to make the stained carpet area spotless with the DIY approaches, but notice the stains returning the next day. Perhaps, the liquid penetrated the long carpet fibres. When every trick seems not to fix your tea carpet stains, hiring professional carpet cleaning services would be the best course of action.

Experienced professional cleaners like Carpet Cleaning London Pro use highly effective cleaning solutions and methods to not only remove stains but also leave your carpets smelling clean and fresh. Call 07915 486 314 today or request a free, no-obligation quote online.