Tea stain removal from clothes (Simple home remedies)

Tea drinking is a habit. And a compelling one at that. I used to be very appreciative of tea till the day I forgot to drink it one day. I got a whopping headache, the kind which doubled me up and almost made me wish to do brain surgery on myself. And it has been the same, every time I forget.

Nevertheless, I drink it every day (It is a habit and I do not have the courage to stop) and every now and then, get tea stains on my clothes and household linen. 

Here are the best ways to remove tea stains

Try to blot clean the stain as soon as it is made. Instead of washing the whole garment, spot clean the stain, first.

Spot cleaning the tea stain

Use a clean cloth or sponge dipped in cold water to remove cream or fat in the tea from the fabric surface. Then blot with a clean cloth dipped in dishwashing liquid solution. Blot with another clean cloth to rinse away soap traces. Pat dry. 

Tea stains typically come out with cold water, as hot water can set the stain further into the fabric. Knowing it’s tea tells you to start with a cold rinse.

Other remedies to remove tea stains

Rub the stain with some Borax powder (1 tsp) and then wash with warm water. For more effectiveness, you can pre-soak the clothing in a solution of warm water and Borax powder (1/4 cup for 2 liters of water/ 1/2 gallon water). Soak for 1/2 an hour. This will very effectively break down the stain. This is a proven stain removing remedy for fresh tea stain on almost all fabrics.

Dab a bit of toothpaste on the tea stain before a wash; its mild abrasives can help lift the mark.

Wash fabric with detergent containing enzymes.

Here is the routine: Apply the laundry detergent directly onto the tea stain and let it sit for a few minutes to break it down. An old toothbrush can be used to scrub a tea stain gently after applying this. After pre-treating the tea stain, toss the garment into the laundry with your usual load.

Biological detergents are best to treat tea stains.

You can also buy and use Enzyme digestants available in the market – it is supposed to digest protein and organic stains and soils.  It is also used as a spot cleaner. You can buy Stain Removers with enzyme digestants – they work the same way. It can be used to remove tea stains from carpets, and upholstery. 

If the stain is old, rub some glycerin on the stain and then wash.

White clothes can be washed in boiling water, without any fear of color bleeding. You can even use some bleach like Clorox.

A diluted solution of sodium perborate is used as a stain remover for tea stains. It bleaches the stain, when used along with hot water wash. You can read about it here. (It is toxic, as far as I know, so use only when unavoidable)

Denture cleaner tablets are said to be very effective on tea stains. They do clean those tea stains on dentures. Likewise from cloth too.

Use lemon juice for a very natural stain remover. Another suggestion is to try vinegar along with detergent. 

Make a paste of sodium bicarbonate with water, apply to the stain, and gently rub in to absorb the tea.

Some things you should know about tea stains

Tea stain is a vegetable stain, and is acidic in nature. So use alkaline solutions as stain removers.

Tea has tannin which is an acid. Acids are corrosive so you should not be leaving tea stains unattended for a long time. The stain can corrode the fibers little by little. Try to remove the tea stain as soon as it is made.  

Do not use soap on tea stains. Soap and detergent are different in composition. Soap can make the stain harder to remove.

Ensure that the fabric is thoroughly rinsed. And avoid machine drying until the whole tea is rinsed and removed from the fabric. Sugar in the tea, if left on fabric can make your fabric turn brown.

If everything fails you can dye the whole garment with tea.
If you want a tea recommendation, I cannot recommend this tea more – Kashmiri Kahwa tea. It has rose petals, fennel seeds, cinnamon other than the tea leaves and the taste and aroma are just ‘mwaaaaa’. Just don’t spill on clothes.

If you have clothes that cannot be washed or you do not want to wash, they can be dry cleaned. Delicate textiles may require a gentle cleaning method like this for tea stain removal to avoid damage. Dry cleaning can remove the toughest and the oldest of tea stains.

For all the other clothes which you have no intention of giving for dry cleaning, try the above methods.

And always ensure that the stain is a tea stain and nothing else

If the stain is recent, you will likely remember exactly how it happened. You know exactly when those tea drops hit your favourite dress and the helplessness you felt and the curses you said. But sometimes you do not know whether a stain is from tea or some other more nasty things.

Even I am not sure how to identify an old stain. But I know that tea stains can be brown or even a sickly grey color. Small consolation. Over time, tea stains might fade to a less noticeable brown or even an unassuming grey hue, offering little clue to their true identity. When in doubt, treat it with a gentle stain remover first and remember that tea stains, containing tannins, often require a different approach than protein-based stains like blood, or oil-based stains like grease.