How to Remove Coffee Stains From Carpet (Even if a Pro Couldn't)

[@TheStainGuide]

Thank you for engaging with our content and being a valued member of our community. At The Stain Guide, our mission is to assist everyday individuals in tackling tough spots, stains, and odours, and we rely on viewers like you to make it possible. If you appreciate our efforts and would like to support our ongoing mission to create more helpful content, please consider using the following Amazon affiliate link for your next purchase on Amazon: amzn.to/3Uterz8. Your support means the world to us! 😊 -Jimmy

[@user-sw2sr3jg5e]

I had such an old, bad coffee stain in my carpet that I was considering removing my entire downstairs carpet. I tried steam cleaning it about a half a dozen times to no avail. Following your instructions, the stain came out, very quickly. Thank you so much!

[@MrPncarbo]

This worked on a coffee stain on a white wool rug. The stain was weeks old. I'm so psyched !! It was a $1200 rug and it looks perfect again. It took three applications of peroxide and amonia, each with about 8-10 hours in between. I could tell after one application that it was going to work.

[@TheStainGuide]

That's great to hear!

[@beerkul3es]

Here I am hoping it works on my carpet too… I will comment back in a few days! Black coffee….. argh

[@rihamaelsh.5260]

Thank you so much for your video, it helped save my carpet, I had a big cup of hot coffee get spilled on my cream color carpet and had a big ugly stain. I only used the third step after trying to cleanup all the coffee I could, and it worked, there was a difficult spot that needed a second application but it is now as clean as could be. Thanks again!

[@shanenichols9092]

I did this on a coffee carpet stain that had been there at least a few days and it worked! I recommend trying this!

[@susanweaver9563]

I just tried this on a year old coffee stain in the bedroom! It worked with just blotting it with hydrogen peroxide!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@TheStainGuide]

Fantastic!

[@Ammmkumar5]

Glad that u cleared up the stain. Did u also use household ammonia?? Or only hydrogen peroxide %6 ?

[@samfalsamukha]

Thank you for this! You just saved me from being murdered by my wife.

[@e-boyspacetime1499]

Thanks for the clear info and demo! Really appreciate the Amazon links!

[@TheStainGuide]

My pleasure!

[@pamzanon6599]

this worked on a large unknown stain that was resistant to my usual methods...thankyou!!!

[@sheilamcnulty2151]

Thanks so much! Totally worked. 😊

[@sparktheflame102]

Thanks so much for the vid! Great and helpful content!

[@ThereseAnderson-xp7hy]

Excellent video! Can't wait to use it!

[@avih7311]

what is the ratio of HP and Amonia? Thanks for the video!

[@matute15]

You deserve more clout.

[@PRAISEYESHUA1111]

Any vinegar works just fine I don't use synthetic vinegar I also add steaming hot water to the stein before I put anything else just to loosen the fabric before the scrubbing begins with oxyclean white A tad of baking soda And a nice soft bristle tooth brush Works 100% of the time Good luck 🤗

[@Whimsy3692]

White vinegar also works wonders with red wine stains.

[@StephenDeTomasi]

Vinegar isn't really enough for this sort of coffee stain

[@butchjohnson3018]

This worked fantastic on our light colored carpet where I spilt a whole cup of hot coffee. I also have dark brown carpet that hot coffee has left red spots. Would this work with the darker carpet??

[@TheStainGuide]

I have never had a problem using this method on darker colored carpets. If you like, you can do a test in an inconspicuous area on the carpet before using it.

[@stephanekhaida7951]

Thanks for the tips, Would this discolour a dark grey carpet?

[@fishstock2007]

This was a great video and I was very hopeful. I spent countless time on my cars carpet. It has years of coffee stains since it’s an old car never had cup holders. The stain just keeps coming after shampooing and after several peroxide applications the stain is still there. Almost unaffected perhaps even worse! Any hope here? Any further suggestions besides replacing it?

[@MisterF_1984]

This looks to be exactly what I need to do for a green tea stain on my carpet. Is the ammonia essential? Would "cloudy ammonia" be ok? That's what's available near me.

[@TheStainGuide]

Ammonia is needed for this to work properly. The ammonia activates the hydrogen peroxide. If you use cloudy ammonia, I would recommend rinsing it out of the carpet after using it. This method can break down coffee dyes (melanoidin pigments). I have not tested in on green tea, so I cannot confirm that it will break down the pigments in green tea. I would say it is worth a shot though. if this method does not break down the green tea pigments, the high pH from the cloudy ammonia (ammonia and soap) could possibly cause the green tea stain to darken, at least until the cloudy ammonia is rinsed out of the carpet.

[@MisterF_1984]

@@TheStainGuide thanks for the reply!

[@MisterF_1984]

@@TheStainGuide just letting you know it worked! Took 4x 8hr soaks, but the stain is pretty much invisible now! I'd tried everything under the sun prior to this method, so thanks very much for your help.

[@davidmartin5810]

Hi great video , but I had a question on the combination of peroxide and the ammonia why do they work together ? I very in the chemistry thanks

[@TheStainGuide]

The main ingredient here is hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent, which means that it steals electrons from molecules like dyes/pigments that cause stains in our carpet. Without ammonia (or a high pH environment), the hydrogen peroxide slowly breaks down into oxygen and water, and as it breaks down, it needs to steal an electron from another molecule. What we want is for the hydrogen peroxide to steal electrons from the molecules that are causing the stain (in the case of coffee it is called a melanoidin pigment). That doesn't always happen though because as the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, it will take an electron from whatever molecule is easiest to steal an electron from. We add ammonia because it has a high pH. The high pH causes the hydrogen peroxide to break down at a faster rate. Meaning that the probability that the hydrogen peroxide (oxidizing agent) steals an electron from the dyes/pigments is higher. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@olafenbrau]

Great video… thank you.

[@djangounchained9653]

Can the 6% hp method also be applied to really old brown water plant stains or just coffee?

[@TheStainGuide]

This stain removal method will work on a variety of organic stains. If you have tried cleaning the area with a spotter or carpet cleaner, and the stain appears set-in, the next thing to do would be to try the hydrogen peroxide/ammonia method.

[@tombanes]

Ammonia stinks, I could never. 12% food grade HO diluted with water by itself and blotted with a paper towel work well for me. But thanks for all details in this post.

[@matthewbell1968]

Hi Jimmy I'm just doing this now so thanks for your excellent video. When the Peroxide and Ammonia is sprayed on would you use a nail brush to agitate or just leave it to do it's work? Many thanks Matthew

[@TheStainGuide]

Agitation isn't necessary. Just make sure that all the stained fibers are coated in hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. Sometimes after spraying the H2O2 and ammonia, I'll quickly and lightly agitate with a toothbrush, but this is just to mix the two solutions and to ensure that all the stained fibers are coated in solution.

[@matthewbell1968]

@@TheStainGuide Thank you Jimmy. My stain is a couple of months old but it's beginning to go. Might need two or three hits but I'm hopeful 👍👍

[@TheStainGuide]

It usually takes two to three repetitions. Great to hear that it’s working! Thanks for the update 😃

[@evewu8336]

Where is your other video that applies a UV light? I need that. Thank you!

[@TheStainGuide]

Here is the advanced oxidation video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIWwh6yMfNuajdU

[@2parrotlady]

​@@TheStainGuide6:03

[@husybabahhh6057]

This is super useful, thank you! Looks like the Essential Power Ammonia in the links is not sold anymore. Amazon lists Knockout Household Ammonia as an alternative, though several reviews complain about the smell. Then La's Totally Awesome Pure Ammonia reviews talk about the absence of smell (some even doubting whether it is ammonia).Should I be concerned about the smell for application to my wool carpet, assuming that it will all evaporate? My options are to either order Knockout Ammonia from abroad, or get the only locally available 24,5% Ammonia from the paint store and dilute it. Would you advise diluting it with just water or distilled water, or should I just go with the smelly Knockout ammonia?

[@TheStainGuide]

Hi There! for wool carpets, I'd recommend getting them cleaned by a professional cleaner, as they are considered a fine fiber, and are more delicate than standard carpets. This stain removal process (hydrogen peroxide and ammonia) is what is used to bleach hair in salons. This bleaching process slowly degrades and damages hair. Wool is virtually the same, except an animal hair, and wool carpets don't grow back! For this reason, It is not something I recommend using on Wool carpets. I will note that some people have used this method on wool carpets and had no issues. If the coffee stain is truly a set-in stain, hydrogen peroxide would be the only way to remove the stain. Regarding the products, if it doesn't smell bad, it isn't ammonia. Household ammonia is typically 5-7% ammonia and 93-95% water. If you have pure 24.5% ammonia, you could dilute it (1 part 24.5% ammonia, 3 parts tap water) to bring it to the correct concentration. Ammonia does evaporate, so as the carpet dries, the odor will disappear.

[@husybabahhh6057]

@@TheStainGuideThank you!

[@nottNitesh]

Hello can I use hydrogen peroxide antiseptic spray

[@M..R....]

Hi can this method be used on a mid grey coloured carpet with a stain that is years old without affecting the colour of the carpet?

[@TheStainGuide]

Hydrogen peroxide is known as a color safe bleach. Professional carpet cleaners use hydrogen peroxide, or a derivative of hydrogen peroxide, on nearly every job. Hydrogen peroxide typically breaks down dye molecules from organic substances, but not the dye molecules that are used by carpet manufacturers. I always recommend testing any stain removal method in an inconspicuous area on your carpet prior to using it in a visible area. this can be done in a corner of a closet, or on a piece of scrap carpet.

[@thebigg3416]

Could i use 6% hydrogen peroxide food grade?

[@user-of7tr5dm4k]

Will this work on upholstery?

[@butchjohnson3018]

Do you have a solution for red wine stain on white carpet?

[@TheStainGuide]

Yes, I have a video on wine stain removal! Check out the videos on my channel. You’ll find it there. 😃

[@pamzanon6599]

why do you include the image of 20 volume hair color developer?? can you use this in place if peroxide?

[@TheStainGuide]

Yes, 20 Volume Clear Developer is the same thing as 6% hydrogen peroxide. Professional carpet cleaners will typically use salon grade hydrogen peroxide (20 Volume Clear Developer), or hydrogen peroxide from a swimming pool supply store. Otherwise, the only option is 3% medical grade hydrogen peroxide, which is pretty weak for carpet cleaning.

[@user-us3pi4es5b]

​@@TheStainGuide healthstores hace 35% peroxide , drug stores have 10% Hydrogen peroxide

[@zeekflash6924]

Used rug doctor , to steam my carpet .. it looked good .. until 2 weeks later , a lot of stains in my carpet Re appear … can I use 20% hydrogen perioxide and dilute it with more water ? Ammonia from Home Depot ok Thxs

[@TheStainGuide]

Yes you can dilute high concentrated hydrogen peroxide down to 6% by adding water. However, I don't think this is the right method to use for stains that are reappearing. These stains are likely caused by a cleaning agent residue that has built up in your carpet. The residue attracts soils and that is likely why the stains reappear. The best way to deal with this issue is to rinse the cleaning agent residue out of the carpet.

[@zeekflash6924]

@@TheStainGuide , ok .. Thxs . I used boiling hot water , when I cleaned it . Hopefully that didn’t mess up the carpet . There’s streaks of stains . Water marks . So just , use the rug doctor .. but don’t use the detergent .. just hot water or warm water .. to rinse out the detergent? Thxs

[@mathewwilson9776]

Quick question: after applying the first method (water with dish soap) I end up with white stains in the area where I applied the solution. They stay even after I keep spraying tap water and absorbing it with towels. I see no foam forming when shaking my hand on it. How can I remove them? Thanks for your content.

[@TheStainGuide]

Hi @mathewwilson9776, Thanks for reaching out, let's try to figure out what is going on. Would you be able to provide some more information for me: 1) would you be able to send me a photo of the soap that you used? If you used any other products other than dish soap, please send photos of those as well. My email is [e-mail] 2) Can you also send me a photo of the affected area? 3) Did you happen to test the cleaning agent that you used in an inconspicuous area before you used it on a stain? if so, did it have the same affect? 4) What kind of a stain were you trying to remove? I assume coffee? 5) did the whitening occur everywhere where the cleaning agent was sprayed? or did the whitening occur only in spots where the cleaning agent was sprayed? 6) Did you notice any carpet dye transfer to the towel? 8) What is the condition of your carpet? is it possibly really dirty? and the whitening is just it looking clean? 7) Any people in your house that use acne medications? acne medications or creams contain benzoyl peroxides which can be activated by cleaning agents like dish soaps. A person wearing the cream could have touched the carpet years ago, leaving a small amount of benzoyl peroxide in the carpet. Then using a cleaning agent years later could activate it and cause bleaching. This is an unpredictable result and it happens sometimes. Liquid dish soaps contain no bleaching agents and it is very unlikely that the dish soap is leaving a film or a residue on the carpet, but send a photo of the product over and I'll look at this further. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you! take care. Jimmy

[@mathewwilson9776]

@@TheStainGuide Thank you so much for your reply Jimmy. I sent you an email with a few pictures and some further details. Looking forward to your thoughts. Best,

[@capque2]

Does it work with 3% on the carpet? Because I cannot find 6%. I know 3% is diluted but can i give it a try? And also if I don't use any amonia then how long would that take to work?

[@TheStainGuide]

3% alone likely will not work very well. 3% with ammonia will take a long time, and many repetitions, and it probably will not completely remove the stain.

[@bilalnatha1313]

Hi Jimmy! I write to you from the UK. i notice you dont have any tea stain removal videos but reviewing some comments i can see youve already touched upon removing green tea stains. Im keen to try this HP 6% and household ammonia method however i cant see any household ammonia available on amazon. Do you have any recent recommendations? Really appreciate your help!

[@TheStainGuide]

@bilalnatha1313 here’s something else you can try: lightly spray 6% hydrogen peroxide over the stained area and just allow it to dry. You don’t want to add too much hydrogen peroxide, just enough to coat the fibers, don’t soak the carpet. As the carpet dries, it should slowly break down the stain. The ammonia helps a lot because it accelerates the rate of reaction. Just note that hydrogen peroxide alone won’t work as quickly and may need to be repeated many times. Hydrogen peroxide alone also won’t break down as many stains but it is worth a shot for a green tea stain. Jimmy

[@bilalnatha1313]

@@TheStainGuide thanks for your response i really appreciate it. Iv pretty much ordered everything from amazon including a 9.5% household ammonia which i will dilute 1/2 and go through the steps outlined in your spot removal and stain removal. Is there a certain amount of time after the spill that the spot removal becomes unnecessary or should i still try and spot remove after 2/3 days? Also is there such a thing as putting too much ammonia/HP and are there repercussions?

[@TheStainGuide]

@@bilalnatha1313 I always say never skip the spot removal step. With nearly all stains, a large portion of the stain can be removed using spot removal alone. You don't need to use too much hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, just enough to coat the stained fibers. No need to soak the carpet. I have a new video out that I would recommend following instead of this one. In the new video, I came up with a better method for removing spots and stains. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGHCemqMpaaMgbM

[@bilalnatha1313]

I followed all the steps in this video to remove a tea stain and it worked wonders just like you explained. Thanks a lot

[@martinwright1999]

How strong should the ammonia be? In Germany I can get Ammonia Solution 25%. Is this OK?

[@TheStainGuide]

The ammonia should be about 5% strength.

[@sarahabdul1825]

Is it fine to use Wet Dry Portable Car Vacuum Cleaner?

[@TheStainGuide]

@sarahabdul1825 Yes, I think that would work just fine.

[@cloud5887]

will this method work on a semi old stain that came from hot coffee? (~2-3 weeks old)

[@TheStainGuide]

Yes, this method is designed to work or hot coffee stains. The age of the stain does not matter - it will still work!

[@kilejw]

What kind of small wet-vac did you use? (Mine wasn't cheap and it doesn't have a lot of suction)

[@TheStainGuide]

I use a small Stanley 4.0 HP wet dry vacuum. The suction on it is very good. What kind are you using?

[@gailspresser6092]

Can I use stronger hydrogen peroxide than 6%.

[@TheStainGuide]

I recommend using 6%. 6% does the trick and I don't like to recommend using stronger cleaning agents than necessary.

[@JigarDharamshi]

Would the same work for tea stain too?

[@TheStainGuide]

It is worth a shot. There are many different types of tea, and many of them have their own unique pigments. The oxidation potential of hydrogen peroxide is strong enough to break down most organic pigments, including the ones in teas. There was someone else who commented that this method worked on green tea. good luck!

[@ttsuter87]

The hydrogen peroxide doesn’t lighten the carpet? I’m ignorant of the reaction so I’m clueless.

[@TheStainGuide]

Hydrogen peroxide is known as a color safe bleach. It breaks down most organic pigments, but does not break down the dyes that manufacturers use to dye carpets. This means that it is safe to use on colored carpet or clothing. Professional carpet cleaners are using hydrogen peroxide or a derivative of hydrogen peroxide on almost every job that they do.

[@ttsuter87]

@@TheStainGuide Thank you for explanation of this. I really didn’t know that. Think I’ll be buying a gallon of this stuff then for my myriad of household stains. The wife’s going to be thrilled. Thanks again!

[@AngelGuerratherealme]

What if a stain been there for days

[@TheStainGuide]

The length of time the stain has been in the carpet will not impact the result. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down melanoidin pigments (pigments that make coffee brown). It doesn't matter if the pigments have been stuck in the carpet for 1 day or 10 years, the hydrogen peroxide will still break them down and make the stain invisible.

[@AAlvarez14520]

How long in between steps can I repeat does it matter ?

[@TheStainGuide]

Hi @alexalvarez9587, so after each step, the hydrogen peroxide and household ammonia will loose their strength and basically just become water. You don't have to wait any amount of time between steps. I only recommend drying the carpet as much as possible between steps so that when you add the fresh peroxide and ammonia, you don't end up diluting it by adding it to a weakened solution.

[@christophermiguel8367]

How to get rid of ammonia smell my friend?

[@TheStainGuide]

Ammonia evaporates very quickly. The smell will go away quickly on its own. After a couple hours it will not smell at all.

[@getsiology]

What’s is the hair stuff for?

[@TheStainGuide]

That’s the hydrogen peroxide. I am using salon grade hydrogen peroxide which is called 20 volume clear developer.

[@getsiology]

Thank you

[@randym.8027]

Appreciate it!

[@jinlee4466]

Doesn't Ammonia bleach the carpet?

[@TheStainGuide]

No, ammonia does not bleach carpet. Ammonia is commonly used by many professional carpet cleaners.

[@jinlee4466]

@@TheStainGuide Thank You! Do you dilute ammonia with water or use straight?

[@TheStainGuide]

@@jinlee4466 I use it straight

[@heikmasiraj7979]

I learnt that I shouldn’t spill hot coffee, but if I do.. my carpet will be replaced.

[@roses897]

👍💯👍💯👍💯👍💯👍💯👍🇮🇶🇭🇲

[@neoniccortessjrsmith9223]

Don't think it's smart to do such steps with t-shirt

[@lilrayasunshine54]

NEVER EVER CASUALLY MIX CLEANING CHEMICALS. This is really bad advice. Stoichiometrically speaking, these amounts may not be enough to cause harm, but it’s really common for viewers to think “more is better” and mix too much. If you’re gonna use his method, blot as much as you can after adding the hydrogen peroxide, or just don’t use ammonia at all. Every cleaning chemical bottle warns to not mix others together.

[@TheStainGuide]

Mixing household ammonia with 6% hydrogen peroxide is safe. Yes, there are certain cleaning chemicals that should not be mixed, such as ammonia and chlorine bleach. In this method, we are simply using ammonia as an alkalizing agent to accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, in similar and even higher concentrations, are mixed all the time in hair salons when bleaching hair. Similar to the oxidative chemistry used in hair salons to break down melanin pigments in hair, we can also use the same chemical reaction to break down pigments from organic matter that cause set in stains in our carpets. Thank you for your interest in safety. I appreciate that you are trying to keep everyone safe. Take care.

[@AutoHeadz]

Nice KO! 😉

[@Treefoxxi]

Ufff what a waste of Starbucks lol

[@bawonratsittichai6514]

I got very yellow stain from coke long time ago ( few months) I just start prob clean yesterday and today It became very dark brown🥲 is it still can fix or anyway I can fixed this.

[@TheStainGuide]

What caused the coke stain to become dark brown? What cleaning solution did you use?