If you’re favourite mug is starting to look a little worse for wear – cleaning fans swear by a cheap hack to remove tannin stains without using harsh chemicals or smelly products…
There’s no denying Brits love their tea – but those morning cuppas can leave our mugs looking rather grim.
Over time, tannins can stain the inside of our favourite cup which can give your brew a ‘musty’ and ‘earthy’ taste, as well as make any guest think you’ve never washed a mug in your life. Luckily, this build-up won’t harm your health and can easily be removed.
While many cleaning fans use acidic products like vinegar and bleach to keep their mugs sparkling, these can leave your cuppas tasting a little funky… Fancy a Tetley Domestos, anyone?
Taking to Reddit, one man sought advice after ‘putting up’ with the brown tea stains for years. “I suddenly wondered whether there’s either a way to effectively remove the stain or cups/mugs made of particular materials that are less likely to stain,” he said.
Straight away, several users hailed baking soda – a household staple that you can pick up from a slew of supermarkets for less than a quid. In fact, Aldi and Tesco are is selling a 200g tub for just 65p.
“[They’re] easily removed with baking soda and water made into a paste. Let it sit for 30 minutes and wipe it off,” one person wrote. Another agreed, commenting: ” Love using baking soda, it works so well!”
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A third added: “Baking soda: make a paste and scrub gently. It works perfectly. Mugs and cups will look lovely afterwards. And it’s non-toxic because it’s baking soda… Still, take care to rinse just so you don’t have to deal with residue on your next steep.”
Others suggested citric acid, with one user saying it works great ‘and fast’ without the need to scrub. “Mix baking soda with citric acid in warm water,” another suggested. “You really don’t need much, I do a teaspoon of each in lone litre of water. Submerge the tea ware for 30 seconds, then clean it with a clean sponge, it comes right off. No need to wait 30 minutes, use fancy tablets or scrub them with whatever…”
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