If You Have A Coffee Stain On Your Rug, You'll Be Glad To Have Baby Wipes At Home
If you need a caffeinated pick-me-up to function properly during the morning, then coffee stains are an inevitable part of life. Coffee spills are usually no big deal when the spill occurs on the countertop or wooden flooring. But it's a whole different story if coffee spills on your carpet or upholstery. Luckily, if you have baby wipes nearby, you can quickly remedy the problem.
Coffee stains on carpeting can set relatively quickly and are difficult to reverse. That's because of two reasons: coffee's heat and its tannins. If hot coffee spills on fabric, the heat loosens the material's fibers, allowing the stain to set in deeper. This makes it trickier to remove. Plus, coffee has tannins, which not only give it its signature bitter taste, but also its dark color. It's a natural vegetable dye, which means it creates a binding stain. But a baby wipe can help remove the stain before it permanently sets in. Here's how.
How to use baby wipes to remove coffee stains
If you accidentally spilled your cup of joe, you need to act fast. Grab your baby wipe ASAP and use the wipe like you would a cloth saturated with a pre-treated stain remover — dab the stain rather than rub it. That way, the wipe soaks up the stain rather than rubbing it deeper into the fibers. If it's a big spill, you might need to get an extra wipe so as not to clean with a dirty one.
Once the stain lifts, finish the job by taking a wet paper towel and wiping away any residual oils left behind from the wipe. Since baby wipes are formulated to soothe skin, they have conditioners in them. If they're not rinsed out from the fabric, the leftover conditioners can attract dust as they become sticky once they dry. Just gently blot away any residue, and you're done!
Why this works
This cleaning hack works because baby wipes act as a fully-loaded cleaning cloth. The wipes are moist, which helps to loosen and dissolve the coffee particles in the stain. But even more importantly, baby wipes are designed to clean skin, which means that they contain soap and oils that help wash away dirt. So when it's used, you're not just blotting the carpet or cushion with a dry paper towel — instead, you're blotting it with a cleaning agent. Plus, baby wipes are formulated to be safe to use on sensitive baby skin, so they won't discolor your fabric with harsh chemicals.
The absorbent wipes can soak up all kinds of liquids, including coffee, and using these wipes means there's less of a chance of a stain setting. However, it's important to note this hack works best on fresh spills, and you might need a more aggressive cleaning agent for set-in coffee stains.