Remove Coffee & Tea Stains From Carafes, Pitchers, & Thermos Bottles

Removing coffee and tea stains off of your coffee pots, pitchers, cups, carafes, and even thermos bottles, can be a challenge.

I learned of an easy way to clean my pots, carafes, cups, pitchers, and thermos bottles, years ago. Since I hand wash my coffee pot, ice tea pitcher, and thermos bottles, I still use this method today.

Fill the carafe, pot, pitcher, cup, or thermos, with hot water. Add, 2 tablespoons of dry dishwasher detergent. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The coffee and/or tea stain, will lift right off.

If you have a stubborn stain, repeat this process.

Rinse the carafe, pot, pitcher, cup, or thermos thoroughly, and it’s ready for use.

I haven’t tried this with liquid dishwasher detergent, however, it seems like it may work. Nor have I tried putting the carafe or pitcher in the dishwasher.

I make daily batches of tea in my Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker (see my product review). Just today, I used this cleaning method to remove the tea stains from the ice tea pitcher, and it worked like a dream.

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Posted in: Archives, At Home, Cleaning Tips

9 Responses to “Remove Coffee & Tea Stains From Carafes, Pitchers, & Thermos Bottles”

Kirt February 4th, 2008 at 11:16 pm

This spell checked version looks better!

This technique worked marvelously!!! I could see a few tea lines on my clear acrylic pitcher from where it had stood with tea in it for a couple days. I thought to myself there was no way it could be this easy because usually I have to scrub the heck out of it and when I’m drying the pitcher I’m still rubbing off remnants of tea. Figuring that this wasn’t going to work I started looking for vinegar and baking soda which was mentioned on a few other websites. I searched my pantry for less than a minute before finding the vinegar hidden way in the back. When I turned around and looked at the pitcher all the tea stains were gone that fast! Amazed I placed the white plastic top into the picture to see if the tea stains would lift from the ice blocking area that was heavily stained. I waited about one minute then removed it from the solution and all the stains were gone … even in between the narrow ice blocking slits. I rinsed and dried everything and it was like I had a brand new set up in less than 5 minutes max. Many thanks for the tip!

Barbara February 4th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

Kirt,

Isn’t that amazing how well that works. I’m glad I made life a little easier for you. Enjoy your “new” tea pitcher.

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removing coffee stain June 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 pm

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Mary May 24th, 2009 at 9:56 am

Barbara,

I had to write. I used your remedy this morning to clean an old crusty red wine vinegar from a glass carafe so stained that I thought I’d have to throw it out! Immediately, I could see the stains lifting off. I let it sit for a few minutes more and all that dried vinegar and crusted on the bottom was gone!! I was stunned. I’m thinking of what else I can clean using this method….lots of possibilities!!

My thanks to you for posting this great home remedy!!

Mia February 7th, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Hello Barbara,

Thank you SO much for posting this! I had tried everything with my stainless coffee carafe (scrubbing with a bottle brush, soaking in vinegar, etc.) and there still remained lots of coffee stain that stubbornly refused to come off. This worked like MAGIC! It literally dissolved the coffee grunge off the inside off our carafe in less than half an hour (could have been less than that, but I didn’t check it for about 30 minutes).

Many thanks!

Janye March 9th, 2010 at 9:06 am

Worked like a charm!! My travel mug (originally white inside) became as black as the exterior. I filled it with boiling water & added approx. 2-3 Tbsp liquid dish detergent, stirred it & let it sit for 15 min. The stains melted away. Repeat for stubborn ones. Thanks so much!

Barbara Swafford March 10th, 2010 at 2:09 am

Hi Janye,

Thank you for sharing liquid dish detergent works too. I wondered if the liquid would work as well as the granular. It’s good to know it does.