tea stain removal

Mach Two

Anybody know how to get rid of teastains in my mugs. The dishwasher does not seem to remove the teastains anymore. Is it the dishwasher or the detergent that I am using.

Mach Two

Mach Two wrote: »

Anybody know how to get rid of teastains in my mugs. The dishwasher does not seem to remove the teastains anymore. Is it the dishwasher or the detergent that I am using.

I soak the mugs in a weak bleach solution before running them through the dishwasher, not something that you would want to do too frequently.

cold case

Try a tablespoon of neat Milton in the mug, swirl it around a bit, and it works in a few minutes, rinse out, and then put the mug in the dishwasher as normal.

Incidentally, your dishwasher should take tea stains out of mugs normally though. Hope this helps.

byte

cold case wrote: »

Try a tablespoon of neat Milton in the mug, swirl it around a bit, and it works in a few minutes, rinse out, and then put the mug in the dishwasher as normal.

Incidentally, your dishwasher should take tea stains out of mugs normally though. Hope this helps.

Yeah, I do something similar for the mugs at work, small dash of Milton, then fill the mug with hot water, you can nearly watch the stain disappear!

At home, the dishwasher always cleans them, so maybe try a different detergent. What detergent are you currently using OP?

Fr_Dougal

White vinegar will remove the stains, let them soak for 10min.

wazzer1

You shouldnt have to do any of the above. Either the dishwasher isnt washing at a high enough temp or change tablet and add more rinse aid.

cold case

Speaking of dishwashers, and the way the glasses and mugs are left with a residue, and don't seem to be rinsed properly, I made a discovery that if the top shelf isn't pushed in fully to the back of the machine, the connection with the incoming water is not fitted together properly.

I had been cleaning the filter etc for ages, and this solved the problem for me. Just make sure the top shelf is pushed in fully and firmly!

Also, as above, use good quality detergent, and tea stains should not remain.

Ultimate Seduction

A scrubbing sponge and elbow grease does the trick for me. I drink black tea so they stain badly.

I used to use bleech but I find they stain alot faster after it.

Mach Two

Thanks everyone. All replies will be taken in to account. I am using 3 different types of detergent. All tablets. I will check the temperature and maybe use a rinse aid. I am using Sun tablets. Centra tablets and Tesco all in one.

threetrees

Black tea stains more than milky tea and if you've hard water there's a scum on the tea that sticks to the mug too. I use weak bleach to clean them up.

Mach Two

Is 65° hot enough. It says on detergent box that the addition of salt may be needed in areas with hard water. What does the salt do and how much is needed.

I am also putting the tablet into the dishwasher and not where the detergent should go. Maybe if I put the tablet where it should go it might make a difference.

granturismo

Coat the stains in salt, add a small bit of water to form a gel type gloop that still has some bits of undissolved salt, leave for a few minutes and then apply a small bit of elbow grease.

Mach Two

granturismo wrote: »

Coat the stains in salt, add a small bit of water to form a gel type gloop that still has some bits of undissolved salt, leave for a few minutes and then apply a small bit of elbow grease.

Thanks for the above but the dishwasher should remove the tea stain.

Alun

For a mug, a scouring sponge plus elbow grease, or failing that if it's really, really bad ... a spoonful of soda, some boiling water and leave for a few hours or over night. It's the way we clean our teapot out when it gets really stained as it's physically difficult to get in there with a scouring sponge.

chicorytip

Mach Two wrote:

Anybody know how to get rid of teastains in my mugs. The dishwasher does not seem to remove the teastains anymore. Is it the dishwasher or the detergent that I am using.

Use a Brillo Pad and plenty of elbow grease.

Once you reach the stage that you need to use physical force on the stains, it usually means that the glaze has gone off the mug and it's time for a new one.

cold case

Agreed, i wouldn't use a brilliant pad on a mug, because it will wear off the glaze.

david65

As a black tea drinker, I just give my my mug with a rub with salt and bung it in the dish washer, clean every time and I use generic tabs. Give it a try!

Rubberchikken

I dont think its an absolute should tjat the dishwasher should remove teastains.
Ive seen industrial dishwashers in action and they can fail to remove teastains and they'd be washing at 65c and with very strong washing liquid.
A kitchen sponge and elbow grease will do the trick or a drop of bleach and sponge.

prinzeugen

Denture tablets. The things your grandparents use/used in a glass of water at night.

One is enough to clean coffee pots etc as well.

Sterodent is the ones I use. I even pop one in the jacks every so often.

Safe (wash mug etc as normal afterwards) and no elbow grease needed.

Great for cleaning crud out of wine/beer glasses also. Just let them soak for a hour or so.

cheif kaiser

I put a capful of bleach in with the dishwasher tablet, select setting and quickly close the door. mugs, knives, forks and even the dishwasher sparkle afterwards.

Staph

Mach Two wrote: »

Is 65° hot enough. It says on detergent box that the addition of salt may be needed in areas with hard water. What does the salt do and how much is needed.

I am also putting the tablet into the dishwasher and not where the detergent should go. Maybe if I put the tablet where it should go it might make a difference.

Put the detergent/tablet in the correct location. That is definitely causing the issue, as the tablet is being dissolved in the initial rinse before the wash cycle. If you have hard water, salt will soften the water and make the detergent work better.
The dishwasher should remove tea stains without the need for scrubbing etc.

Mach Two

Staph wrote: »

Put the detergent/tablet in the correct location. That is definitely causing the issue, as the tablet is being dissolved in the initial rinse before the wash cycle. If you have hard water, salt will soften the water and make the detergent work better.
The dishwasher should remove tea stains without the need for scrubbing etc.

I was thinking as much. In my old dishwasher the tablet used to get stuck in between the plates when it fell down. It wouldn't dissolve and approximately one third of it would remain in between the plates. That is why I started putting in on the bottom of the dishwasher. Some of the tablet must be getting washed away. The plates and cutlery are being washed ok bar the tea stains.

Alun

Staph wrote: »

If you have hard water, salt will soften the water and make the detergent work better.

To be pedantic, the water softening is actually done by passing it through a water softener which consists of a container of granules of synthetic resin, but after a while the resin gets saturated and needs to be regenerated by passing a salt solution (brine) through it, hence the salt. The spent salt solution never gets into the water used for the washing process, as it's pumped out after the regeneration takes place.

Mach Two

Alun wrote: »

To be pedantic, the water softening is actually done by passing it through a water softener which consists of a container of granules of synthetic resin, but after a while the resin gets saturated and needs to be regenerated by passing a salt solution (brine) through it, hence the salt. The spent salt solution never gets into the water used for the washing process, as it's pumped out after the regeneration takes place.

So is there any point in putting any salt in it. I don't have a water softener yet.

Alun

Mach Two wrote: »

So is there any point in putting any salt in it. I don't have a water softener yet.

Every dishwasher has a water softener built in, you don't get a choice.

The water hardness is different in every part of Ireland.

Here in Wicklow the water comes off the mountains and is as soft as it can be, so strictly speaking there's no need for salt, but I've put some in anyway. There's a setting, usually a little dial, on the dishwasher where you set the water hardness which determines how often the water softener regenerates. I put in some salt when we got its several years ago, and set the dial to the minimum, and it han't asked for a refill since.

In parts of North Dublin, however, the water comes from underground aquifers and is extremely hard, so no escaping from it there.

Mach Two

You learn something every day. Thank you for the information. My water comes from a well and has some lime in it. So salt will be a benefit to use.

Spanish Eyes

Check the rotating arms and clear out the water outlets every so often.

I had a similar problem with residue etc. Then I cleaned out the arms and hey presto everything is sparkling again including tea/coffee stained mugs.

I use Aldi Magnum all in one tabs. Find them brilliant and they only cost a couple of euro.

Mach Two

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Check the rotating arms and clear out the water outlets every so often.

I had a similar problem with residue etc. Then I cleaned out the arms and hey presto everything is sparkling again including tea/coffee stained mugs.

I use Aldi Magnum all in one tabs. Find them brilliant and they only cost a couple of euro.

I saw that before. The water outlets were all clogged with lime. I won't be needing tablets for a while. I have a number of different tablets purchased to try them out. I have without realising it acquired a dishwasher tablet bank.

Mach Two

Back to square one I am afraid. For the last three washes I have put the tablet where it should go. But I still get tea stains on my mugs. More help needed. I did not get the salt yet for the dishwasher.

Jellybaby1

My old dishwasher left the mugs stained brown with tea as well. The arms were bunged up but although I cleared them as much as possible I could tell there was more gunk in there but I couldn't get it out. Why don't they invent a way to open those arms up? In the end I bought a new dishwasher and everything is coming out lovely and clean now on a 30 degree wash. I don't use the dishwasher much in the winter time anyway as there's always lots of hot water with the heating being on but I do use it in the summer. Bleach, salt, vinegar or bicarbonate of soda works on the mugs. I've used Brillo but its too harsh. Do you ever put one of those dishwasher cleansing bottles in? I do that about twice or three times a year to help clean it. You have to run it when its empty, at the hottest setting though.

Mach Two

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

My old dishwasher left the mugs stained brown with tea as well. The arms were bunged up but although I cleared them as much as possible I could tell there was more gunk in there but I couldn't get it out. Why don't they invent a way to open those arms up? In the end I bought a new dishwasher and everything is coming out lovely and clean now on a 30 degree wash. I don't use the dishwasher much in the winter time anyway as there's always lots of hot water with the heating being on but I do use it in the summer. Bleach, salt, vinegar or bicarbonate of soda works on the mugs. I've used Brillo but its too harsh. Do you ever put one of those dishwasher cleansing bottles in? I do that about twice or three times a year to help clean it. You have to run it when its empty, at the hottest setting though.

It's a new dishwasher.

Jellybaby1

Mach Two wrote: »

It's a new dishwasher.

Sorry, didn't realise. Is it still under guarantee? If not, then I'd get someone in to check it out anyway.

Mach Two

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Sorry, didn't realise. Is it still under guarantee? If not, then I'd get someone in to check it out anyway.

I still think I am doing something wrong. As everything else is washing properly. It is just the tea stains that are not coming off the cups.

Mach Two

I have put salt in the dishwasher. I am hoping that whatever is being used as a tea stain remover that the lime in the water might be neutralizing it. So with the addition of salt it might work properly.

Jellybaby1

I always use salt in mine though I think our water is soft enough and doesn't really need it. I think you can find out about your water by contacting your council. Hope you get the problem sorted.

Alun

If it's a new dishwasher, there was probably a water hardness testing strip supplied with it. We got a new one only a couple of days ago and we had one with ours.

Mach Two

Alun wrote: »

If it's a new dishwasher, there was probably a water hardness testing strip supplied with it. We got a new one only a couple of days ago and we had one with ours.

I know the water is hard because of lime in kettle. Just after starting a wash now so we will see shortly.

Mach Two

Wash done. Bad news l am afraid. Still tea stains on cups. A small consolation the tea stains seem to have softened a bit. I might be wrong but maybe a few more washes might do the trick.
I wonder would two tablets be better than one?
Maybe the Lidl magnum tablets might do a better job.
There is a kind of layer of tarnish on the cutlery.

EdgeCase

Domestic dishwasher detergent, provided it's a decent formulation will remove this.

It sounds like the cycle could be too short or the dishwasher isn’t working correctly.

Did you check the upper spray arm for any clogs? Sometimes if the filter wasn’t fully seated, you can end go with debris in the jets.

The other possible issue is your cups. If the glaze is gone porus, nothing will remove the stains as they’ll be embedded in the surface.

Btw: commercial dishwashers use hot, short cycles and rely on lots of bleach. They actually don’t always work as well as domestic machines as they don’t have a very long cycle time. Your home machine used enzymes and slow acting peroxide type bleachs. That takes time. So short wash cycles won’t necessarily work well.

If the water wasn’t being softened and you’ve hard water, you wouldn’t get stains, you’d get cloudy glasses and mottled deposits of lime like inside a kettle.

Also all in one tablets only soften the water during the wash cycle. The built in water softener works like a replenishable Brita filter and softens the water in the rinses too.

If you've still got tea stains with a good detergent like Finish or Fairy tablets after a normal or intense cycle, either your cups glaze is wrecked or your dishwasher is faulty.

Try putting a dishwasher tablet into a cup of hot water give it a good stir and leave overnight.

If that doesn't shift it, get new cups!

Mach Two

I might get a few new mugs and see if there is any difference. I can use them as a control. Would the lime be the cause of the embellishes on the cutlery.

EdgeCase

Are you getting any soapy taste or smell from the dishes ? That usually means dishwasher is having issues.

Mach Two

EdgeCase wrote: »

Are you getting any soapy taste or smell from the dishes ? That usually means dishwasher is having issues.

No soapy taste or smell from anything. The arms seem to be clear of any blockages.

EdgeCase

Anf it's definitely getting hot ? If you open it mid cycle, you should be getting clouds of steam.

If all is well and you're not using some weird hemp dishwasher tablets or something, it’s likely the cups.

I’d say your test idea or attempting to soak one with a tablet should show that up.

If the glaze feels rough too - could be gone.

Also some of those rugged earthenware cups are naturally like that and are just not very cleanable too. So if you like the cups, you might just have to live with the stains.

With regard to the tablets : check online for reviews. The Lidl and Aldi ones are good but some of the other own brand supermarket ones are rubbish and they vary depending on who’s making them and that can change.

Day Lewin

@OP
The traditional method for removing tea stains from inside cups uses not electricity, but hand power.
You need:
Saucer of bread soda (aka baking soda or bicarbonate of soda)
Clean damp rag (eg bit of old teeshirt)

Dip a corner of the damp cloth into the dry soda, and use this to rub the stains away. Rotary action with index finger gets good results.

Rinse the cups when done.

Mach Two

EdgeCase wrote: »

Anf it's definitely getting hot ? If you open it mid cycle, you should be getting clouds of steam.

If all is well and you're not using some weird hemp dishwasher tablets or something, it’s likely the cups.

I’d say your test idea or attempting to soak one with a tablet should show that up.

If the glaze feels rough too - could be gone.

Also some of those rugged earthenware cups are naturally like that and are just not very cleanable too. So if you like the cups, you might just have to live with the stains.

It is definitely getting hot. When the wash is finished I can only barely handle the ware it's so hot.

EdgeCase

Try just picking up better dishwasher tablets then.

The Aldi and Lidl ones work well and also you’ll always find one of Finish, Fairy or Sun will be on offer in the likes of Supervalu and Dunnes.

Mach Two

I will put the teapot in with the next wash and see what happens as well.