Pesky Stain Removal 101: Gum, Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate

Well, damn — you’ve stained your favorite shirt. Now what!? First things first: Don’t panic; we’ve got you covered. Check below to see how you can easily and efficiently remove some of the hardest stains around!

COFFEE + TEA

Coffee and tea stains are notoriously difficult to remove… But it’s not impossible! The first thing you need to do rinse a fresh stain in hot water. If you catch it quickly enough, you can remove it completely. However, if the stain is old and stubborn, you have two options: Soak it i dishwashing liquid, or use a mixture  of 2 tablespoons Borax and 1 cup water to scrub the stain out.

GUM

Gum stains are pretty gross, and despite being in a sticky situation, gum isn’t as hard to remove as you may think. Just follow these three rules: Freeze the affected spot (in the freezer or with ice), scrape the hard gum (a butter knife is best), and then soak the remaining stain with white distilled vinegar.

CHOCOLATE

What starts out great (um, chocolate, yum!) turns terrible when you spill or melt chocolate onto your shirt. That’s a hard stain to remove! To keep chocolate from saturating fabric, turn your garment inside out to scrub from the back (pushing the substance off and not deeper into your clothing). Use a combination of ammonia, dishwashing lidquid, and water to then blot the stain with a lint-free cloth onto a paper towel.