How to Remove Coffee Stains on Dress Shirts, Upholstery, and Carpet

 For as long as life goes on, stains will as well.  It's inevitable that you will find yourself with a stain.
Coffee stains are some of the most common stains we encounter at Comet Cleaners of Denton, Texas .
A coffee stain can be a real pain to deal with.  Stain removal techniques have to address tannin,protein, possibly sugar, animal fat in cream, or non-dairy creamer. Coffee alone is a natural dye.  When combined with other ingredients like sugar and cream, it is much more complex.
 If the stain is fresh and is coffee only, it's fairly easy to remove.  If the stain has dried, has sugar, or has been ironed, it makes removal much more difficult.  On some light fabrics such as wool or cotton, or if the coffee includes sugar or cream, usually multiple attempts are needed.

Here's our advice on How to Remove Coffee Stains.

Oh No, I spilled coffee on my shirt!

Customers most frequently inquire about stain removal on their clothing.  From Dress Shirts, to Silk Blouses, coffee loves to find it's way onto your clothes, especially right before you head to work.  If you're running short on time, you may opt to just change into a new shirt.  It's always best to treat a stain immediately for the best possible chance at removal, but we understand that life happens.

So here's what you do:

1. Determine if the garment is Dry Clean Only or machine wash.  If Dry Cleaning is recommended based on the care label, do not put anything on the stain and take it immediately to your Dry Cleaners. Try to absorb as much of the excess liquid as possible.  Do not rub vigorously...just soak up as much of teh spill as possible.  Skip the rest of the following steps and head to your dry cleaner right away.
2. If you can wash the garment (i.e., not a "Dry Clean Only" garment), grab a sponge and carefully dap the stain with cool water. You can also soak the entire item in cool water for about 30 minutes
3. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover. 
4. If you added any sort of dairy in your coffee like milk or cream you will need to use a laundry detergent that contains enzymes.
5. Launder the item, and if safe for the fabric, use a chlorine bleach.

Oops, I spilled Coffee on the couch!

Coffee stains on Upholstery is an even bigger pain that a simple spot on your shirt.  Since we can't throw the living room sofa or Grandpa's old recliner in a washing machine we have to take a slightly different approach.

1. Make a solution of one tablespoon liquid dish detergent and two cups of clean, cool water.
2. Obtain a clean white cloth and sponge a hidden area for colorfastness.
3. If no color appears on the cloth, move to the coffee stain and sponge.
4. Blot the area until the coffee stain disappears
5. With a new white cloth, sponge cold water onto the area to help "rinse" the stain.
6. Blot with a dry cloth to dry the area.

What if it's in the carpet?

Besides hauling out the heavy machinery, (big ol' carpet shampooers which may do more harm than good) there is a way to treat Java on the floor.

1. Blot up as much as you can with a dry cloth, try using a pinching motion like you would to add a pinch of salt to your cooking, as simply applying pressure can push the coffee further down the fibers and possibly into the padding.  You definitely want to avoid getting the padding wet as the stain will wick back up into the fibers, over time making the stain reappear.
2. Use plain water and a white cloth first and sparingly sponge the stain.  When the fibers start getting more than damp, blot up the moisture with a dry white cloth.  This is to avoid too much liquid on the carpet, again to protect the padding.
3. If the stain isn't budging, use a solution of one tablespoon liquid dish detergent and one tablespoon of white vinegar to two cups of water. 
4. Just like in step 2, dab a little solution on the stain, then blot dry.  Continue until the stain disappears.
5. Use plain cold water and dab the area, then blot dry to "rinse" the dish detergent/vinegar solution out of the carpet.

Always remember, If the garment is Dry Clean Only, take it to your local Dry Cleaners like Comet Cleaners in Denton, Texas where Professionals will get the job done right.

Get Help With All Your Spots From Comet Cleaners in Denton, Texas Don't Know What That Spot is or How to Get It Out? Call 940-381-1182 for assistance or visit any of our three locations.

Guide: Care and Cleaning of Common Clothing Fabrics

You wouldn't clean your whites the same way as you would a black silk blouse, would you? Different fabrics will have different cleaning and care instructions.  At Comet Cleaners in Denton Texas, we check every care label to ensure that each garment is cleaned according to the manufactures instructions.  Here are some of the most common fibers and fabrics to help you with your laundry.







Acetate  Dry Clean Only synthetic fiber.

Acrylic  A synthetic fiber;  Woven fabrics can be Dry Cleaned, knits are to be machine washed in warm water on the gentle cycle.  To reduce the occurrence of pilling, wash inside out and lay flat to dry.

 Blends  Combined fibers, can be natural or synthetic.  As the care depends on the fibers in the blend, always follow care label instructions.

Canvas  Can be natural or synthetic; a firm, heavy, tightly woven fabric.  Machine wash cold and tumble dry.  Always test for colorfastness.  Dry clean if not colorfast.

Cashmere  Natural fiber; made from the undercoat hair of a cashmere goat.  Similar to wool.  Dry Clean only.

Chiffon  Usually silk or synthetic fibers; thin transparent fabric.  Hand wash only.

Chintz  Cotton with a glaze and usually has a bold print.  Unless label states otherwise, Dry Clean Only.

Corduroy Cotton, cotton/polyester blend, or rayon.  Ridge pile fabric.  Turn inside out and wash, and dry.  Remove from dryer while still damp and hang dry.  Smooth out pockets and seams with hands.

Cotton  Natural vegetable fiber that is very versatile.  Light weight fabrics such as batiste, organdy, and voile should be hand washed and hung to dry.  As cottons vary, always follow care label instructions.

Damask  A fabric woven jacquard style and may be comprised of almost any kind of fibers. Dry Clean Heavy weight fabrics, Hand wash light weight ones.

Denim  Usually cotton or cotton/synthetic blend, it is a strong, twill weave fabric that is prone to shrinkage.  As dyes often bleed, wash Denim pieces together on warm or cold, dry at low setting.  Can be ironed while damp.

Down  Natural under plumage of birds.  Can be machine washed or dry cleaned so be sure to check care label.  Always tumble dry, fluff and turn every few minutes.

Flannel  Plain or twill weave napped fabric.  If cotton or synthetic, machine wash.  Wool must be dry cleaned.

Gabardine  Worsted wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers.  Closely woven and firm plain or twill weave.  Follow care label, should be able to be dry cleaned.

Lace  Cotton, linen, or synthetic fiber.  Hand wash with mild detergent.  Do not rub.  Hand shape, air dry or dry flat.  If very delicate, pin lace to a cloth before washing.

Linen  Natural flax fiber.  Hand wash or Dry Clean.

Microfiber  Polyester yarns that are woven tightly.  Machine wash cold and air dry.

Mohair  Natural fiber from the angora goat.  Treat the same as wool.

Organdy  Plain weave cotton.  Hand wash and starch.  May be dry cleaned.

Polyester   Synthetic fiber used alone or blended.  Does not shrink or stretch. Machine wash warm and tumble dry.

Ramie From the ramie plant, a natural fiber similar to linen.  Used alone or blended with cotton.  Machine wash warm, tumble dry, remove while damp and hang to dry.

Rayon  Synthetic fiber, term is used interchangeably with viscose.  Dry Clean Only.

Satin  Fabric made of silk, acetate, or polyester.  Dry Clean silk and acetate.  Follow care instructions for polyester.

Seersucker   Cotton, nylon, polyester, or silk fabric with puckered stripes woven in during manufacturer.  See care label for specific fiber care instructions.  Drip dry.

Silk  Dry Clean Only.  Some silks state they can be washed but usually do not turn out properly.

Spandex  Stretch fibers often blended with other fibers to give material stretch.  Machine wash on warm water and dry flat.

Terry Cloth  Cotton or cotton/polyester blend.  Machine wash and tumble dry.

Velour   Can be multiple fabrics.  Napped and usually Dry Clean Only.

Velvet  Cotton, rayon, or silk soft pile fabric.  Dry Clean Only.

Wool  Natural fiber made from sheep's fleece.  Hand wash or Dry Clean.


Note:  If you choose to clean any of the above items at home, always check for colorfastness.
Or you can leave it to us at Comet Cleaners in Denton Texas.  We know how to keep your clothes looking great.

Professional Leather Cleaning

Leather is a fashionable and versatile material.  In ancient times leather was used for everything from roof, viking ships, clothes, and body armor.  Today it's more common to see leather in Jackets, purses, and shoes. Though it's derived from the same source, cleaning leather is a very delicate process.  Since Leather's uses are primarily superficial, the focus of leather care is in maintaining its appearance as opposed to its functionality.

By this time of year, your leather pieces have been out of winter storage for a while and may have been worn a few times.  Are you noticing stains?  How about dark areas around the cuffs and collars?  Do you use hair spray, perfumes, or spray on deodorant?  If so, you should probably think about having your leather cleaned even if you are not yet seeing stains.  These items can cause damage to leather if left on for an extended period of time.  The danger is, often, you don't notice these clear stains until problems have begun.

The process for cleaning leather at home is risky and definitely not recommended. It is easy to accidentally change the color of the garment by using the wrong procedures or chemicals. Most people prefer to have their leather clothing cleaned at a dry cleaner because professional leather cleaning is in the hands of those familiar with the particular needs and idiosyncrasies of leather. The bottom line is that professional leather cleaning will prevent or minimize color change and other visual qualities.
For those who insist on attempting to clean leather at home, it is important to test your cleaning materials on a small part of the leather, preferably somewhere that isn't really visible. We recommend that you avoid products such as mink oil, shoe polish, and traditional leather cleaners for furniture or car interiors. Other products can be tested on the garment to determine their quality.
The gentlest cleaning product will be a moisturizing body wash, such as Dove. Put the product on a lightly dampened cloth, and see how the leather responds. Diluted white vinegar can also be effective in cleaning certain types and styles of leather.

Some stains like ink or permanent marker may not come off leather with home cleaning.  At this point only a Professional Leather Cleaner is equipped to handle such a stain.  Cleaning may involve removing the finish of the leather and only a Professional Leather Cleaner can restore the finish once the stain has been removed.

Though we've provided some tips for at home care, there are no guarantees that you'll be able to remove a stain without completely destroying your garment.  Remember that some damage is not reversible, so any at home cleaning will be at your own risk.

Cleaning Leather Is An Annual Affair...Don't Leave It To Next Year Trust Your Leather Cleaning To The Pros At Comet Cleaners in Denton, Texas at 507 W. University Dr.  940-381-1182