24 December 2023 , 12:50
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Whilst a tea-stained mug will show how much it is loved and the tea lover's passion for their daily fix, it can be unsightly - especially when tea stains can be removed.
Tea stains aren't harmful, but they don't improve the tea-drinking experience as they're ugly. But why do they occur? The brown stains happen due to tannins - a chemical compound found in hot drinks like tea and coffee. They are difficult to remove, but with the know-how, it becomes a whole lot easier.
An expert has shared her cost-effective tips to banish the stains within 30 minutes, meaning that you don't have to ditch your trusty mugs, and can save money on replacing them.
Wendy Graham, a sustainability expert and book book author of household cleaning shared her advice on how to expertly clean your mugs without scrubbing at them for hours the Express reports. On her website Moral Fibres, Wendy wrote: "I am partial to a cup of tea and I've found that no matter how well - and how often - you wash your cups and mugs, they do often develop these tannin stains.
"Thankfully, over the years I've found the best ways to remove tea stains from cups, cheaply, naturally, and easily in just 30 minutes."
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Removing the stains
The cure for removing the ugly brown stains on your cups and mugs is to use sofa crystals which can sometimes also be known as washing soda. Soda crystals are made when you combine salt water and limestone, which results in a chemical reaction that produces an easy and natural way to remove stains without using harsh chemicals on your cups.
Writing on her blog Wendy said "Simply add one teaspoon of soda crystals to the cup, and then fill the cup or mug with boiled water straight from the kettle. Stir to dissolve the soda crystals, and leave the solution to soak in the cup for at least half an hour."
The crystals can be found in most supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Asda for around £2 or you can buy in bulk from Amazon. After half an hour just remove the solution from the cups and wash them with dish soap and water like you would usually do. Using a scrubbing brush or scourer pad will usually help get rid of the stains left behind. If the stain persists you could soak the mugs longer, or leave them soaking overnight.
Wendy wrote: "It's such a simple and non-toxic way to remove stains, that I don't recommend any other method. Nothing else I've found is as effective as soda crystals."