How to Remove Coffee from Wool

The Logic Verdict

My Take: The Woolmark Company tackles “white coffee” (coffee plus milk) by building a controlled soak: blot the spill immediately, rest the stained panel in a bowl of lukewarm water with wool detergent and white vinegar, rinse, then treat any lingering cast with oxygen bleach before washing on a gentle wool cycle. The entire workflow keeps agitation and heat to a minimum so the fibers don’t felt or shrink.

The Science

Wool is [property]. Coffee is [property]. We need to… Wool is a keratin protein fiber that swells, felts, and loses strength in hot alkaline baths. Coffee brings tannins while milk-based “white coffee” adds fats and proteins that bind stubbornly to keratin. Mildly acidic vinegar keeps the scales on the wool fiber closed, and wool-safe detergent provides low-foaming surfactants that lift both tannins and dairy without stripping the natural lanolin. Oxygen bleach oxidizes the last traces of brown pigment without the fiber damage chlorine bleach would cause.

Step-by-Step Removal

1. Blot Excess: Use a clean white cloth to absorb as much of the stain as possible.
2. Lift the spill. Lay the garment flat, slide a clean towel behind the stain, and blot from the outside in. Use a spoon to scoop up any dried milk solids before they smear.
3. Mix the soak bath. In a bowl, combine 1 liter lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon wool-safe liquid detergent, and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Stir gently to disperse the soap.
4. Soak just the stained panel. Dip only the affected area into the solution (keeping the rest of the garment supported) for 10–15 minutes. Gently squeeze the fabric through the liquid rather than scrubbing.
5. Rinse and assess. Rinse the treated area with cool water and roll it in a dry towel to remove excess moisture. If the stain is gone, move ahead to laundering.
6. Spot-treat leftovers. Mist the stain with fresh solution from a spray bottle, sprinkle a pinch of oxygen bleach on the damp fibers, and massage lightly with your fingers until the brown cast lifts. Rinse again.
7. Wash on the wool cycle. Machine-wash (or hand-wash) the entire garment using a wool cycle, cold water, and the same wool detergent.
8. Dry flat. Reshape the garment on a towel, roll to blot, then lay flat away from heat or sun until dry.

What NOT To Do

• Do not use hot water.
• Skip boiling or very hot water—heat shrinks and felts wool instantly.
• Avoid rubbing the fibers together; agitation roughens the scales and sets the stain.
• Don’t pour chlorine bleach on wool; it dissolves keratin.
• Never hang heavy wet wool—gravity will stretch the knit.

Resources

• Amazon Product (Amazon)
• The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo (Amazon)
• Heinz Cleaning Vinegar (Amazon)
• OxiClean White Revive (Amazon)
• Mesh Drying Rack for Sweaters (Amazon)