Banish stubborn tea stains with vinegar and salt magic
When it's grey outside and the mornings surprise you with their chill, hot tea becomes an essential companion. Whether you're drinking rooibos, Earl Grey, or green tea, an unsightly residue can sometimes appear in mugs, glasses, and thermoses. You can get rid of it easily.
Although tea residue in a mug is not harmful, it definitely spoils the visual appeal and annoys aesthetes. If your mug has turned brown, and the inside of your favourite thermos starts to look a bit alarming, rely on two proven ingredients. They will work much better than regular dish soap.
Tea residue
Tea residue in a mug results from a natural chemical reaction that occurs between components of the tea and minerals present in the water. Tea leaves naturally contain oxalates, and water (especially hard water) contains calcium. When you brew tea, the oxalates from the leaves combine with the calcium from the water, forming insoluble compounds that accumulate on the walls of the mug. The more calcium in the water, the more intense and quickly the residue forms.
There's no need to worry about tea residue—it's just a regular chemical reaction. The more valuable the tea is in terms of polyphenol content, the more intense the colour of the residue can be. However, it does not affect the taste or aroma of the brew.
Reach into the kitchen cupboard
Although the residue is a natural phenomenon, the brown stains on cups definitely diminish their aesthetic. But there's no need to cry over spilled tea. Reach into the kitchen cupboard and pull out vinegar and salt. They will perform much better than scrubbing the walls with dish soap.
Prepare a paste made of equal parts table salt and white vinegar. Vigorously rub it into the stained areas of the thermos. Leave it for about 10 minutes to let the ingredients work. After this time, thoroughly scrub the mug or thermos with a sponge, and then rinse abundantly with warm water. Your mug will look like new.
Citric acid or baking soda will work in a similar way. Just pour them into the mug, pour hot water over it, and set it aside for a few hours.
