Fine Fabric Alert!
Four Problems You Must Avoid When Removing Coffee Stains

Whether your customers are enjoying a visit from friends or family, or working from home, it's not uncommon for them to drink (and possibly spill) hot beverages such as tea or coffee on their upholstered furniture.

Such spills can create four distinct challenges that fine fabric cleaning specialist could overlook:  

#1 - The Nature of the Drink:
The natural dyes in coffee and tea are known as "tannins". Tannin stains are challenging to remove, and could require anything from somewhat safe acidic tannin spotters to more aggressive peroxide based stain removal agents that might be damaging to dyes and some fibers. Decaffeinated or flavored coffees may also contain artificial dyes that are even more challenging to remove than are tannins.

#2 - Other Contents In the Drink:
The addition of dairy products and/or sugar may further complicate the spot/stain removal process, especially if there has been a long period of time between the spill and your attempt to treat it. The protein in dairy products becomes far more difficult to remove over time, and sugar hardens and becomes a difficult to remove substance similar to caramel.

#3 - Heat:
Hot liquids penetrate deeper and more rapidly than cool liquids. Dyes, whether natural or artificial, are also more likely to permanently stain the fabric if they are very hot when spilled.

#4 - Fiber Type and Fabric Style:
These three potential issues with the spill are further complicated by the variables in the fabric itself. Natural fibers are both more absorbent and at the same time more easily damaged by spot and satin removal processes than are synthetic fibers. Soft textures, such as chenille or velvet, are also very difficult to treat for spots without creating texture damage.

 Texture Damage Caused by Coffee Stain Removal on Velvet!  

To keep these issues from becoming a problem for you, follow these steps:

#1 - Test, Inspect, Communicate:
Find out all you can about the type of drink that was spilled, what might have been added to it, how hot it was, and how long ago the spill happened. Also, test to determine the fiber family and inspect to see if the fabric's texture will hold up to your spotting process. Above all, warn your customer of any risks involved before you begin!

#2 - Clean First:
If the fabric is made from synthetic fibers, most spots will come out, or at least lighten from cleaning alone. Acidic detergents used for delicate natural fiber fabrics are often effective in removing natural tannin stains as well.

#3 - Treat Remaining Stains with Care:
Know the contents of your tannin spotters and stain removers, and use them within the limitations imposed upon you by the fiber content and fabric style that you are treating.

The most important thing to remember is that you need as much information as possible about the spill, the circumstances of the incident, and what it was spilled on before you can proceed.  You also must be sure that your customer is aware of these variables and risks and clearly understands the limitations of what you can do within the parameters outlined here.

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