Remove Coffee Stains from Silk

Silk is made up of animal proteins, which are easily damaged by acid and grease. Always test a corner of the fabric before trying a new cleaning product. Even cleaners that are considered mild on cotton fabric may seriously damage silk.

Steps

Removing Fresh Stains

  1. Blot out liquid coffee. Blot out as much coffee as you can with a paper towel. Do not rub the silk, as this may spread the stain.
  2. Bring colorful silk to a professional cleaner. Silk is already susceptible to damage from most cleaning products. Colorful dyes further restrict your options, since some chemicals will cause the dye to fade. The safest option for colored silk is a professional cleaner, who has access to specialized products for specific dyes.
  3. Dab with hydrogen peroxide. In an emergency, apply hydrogen peroxide using a cotton swab or sponge. Dab it onto a hidden area first. If there is no color change, swab a corner of the stain, then the entire stain.
  4. Mix with detergent (optional). Detergent can eat away at your silk, but may be necessary if the stain is still present. Mix a little hand soap, liquid detergent, or liquid dish washing soap with some hydrogen peroxide. This helps the peroxide push through the cloth, carrying the stain with it. Hold a sponge on the other side to pick up the dirty liquid. Rinse the sponge and change the liquid frequently to avoid spreading the stain. Repeat until the stain is gone.
  5. Rinse. Rinse the silk thoroughly. Leaving residual cleaning products on the silk can fade the color or even unravel the silk fibers.
  6. Consider harsher treatments. If the hydrogen peroxide does not work, repeat the same steps with a more powerful treatment. Always test a hidden area first to check for damage. (Alternatively, skip ahead to removing old stains for safer methods.) Here are your options, starting with relatively mild options and moving on to harsher ones:
    • Baking soda
    • Distilled white vinegar and cold water in equal amounts
    • Distilled white vinegar
    • Lemon or lime juice
    • As described above, you may add detergent to any of these. This makes the treatment more powerful, but also more likely to cause damage.

Removing Old Stains

  1. Bring the silk to a professional. Professional cleaners have access to specialized chemicals that can clean silk without damaging the fibers. This is especially important for brightly colored silks.
  2. Apply a silk cleaning product. If the stain has already set, it's worth taking the time to find a specialized product. A cleaning product intended to remove stains from silk should contain no acid or grease. Follow label instructions carefully to reduce risk of damage. Typically, you will apply a small amount of the product to the stain, then wash as described below.
  3. Wash with a specialized detergent. Normal laundry detergent can eat away at silk fibers. Find a specialized detergent for delicate materials instead, ideally one that specifically mentions silk on the label. Wash your silk garment on a delicate laundry cycle.



Tips

  • If the stain is especially stubborn or has already set, it might be best to take your silk garment to your dry cleaner for a professional solution which will not damage the fabric.
  • Aside from directly applying vinegar onto the stain, you can also try applying rubbing alcohol. Repeat the same process using absorbent pads as with the vinegar.

Warnings

  • Before applying the above methods to the whole stain, try it out first on a smaller test area to ensure that there will be no negative reaction between the solution and the fabric. For dyed silk material, there is the possibility of some of the dye being removed resulting to an uneven color, so make sure to test out the methods on a smaller area first.

Things You’ll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Clean rag or cloth
  • Clean sponge
  • Absorbent pads
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Cold water
  • White vinegar
  • Dropper

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Sources and Citations

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