How do you get coffee out of carpet?

Why does it matter what was in the cup?

Because cream adds fat, and fat does not come out with water-based cleaners alone. The CRI keeps two separate Spot Solver entries, one for coffee and one for coffee with cream and sugar, and the second puts a solvent first. Treating a latte like black coffee can leave fat behind in the pile, and fat holds dirt.

How do I use a solvent safely on carpet?

Sparingly, and never poured. The CRI's solvent is "a non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent", and it warns: "Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together." Put a little on a white cloth, dab the stain, and blot. Ventilate the room while you work.

How strong are the water-based mixes?

• Detergent solution: one quarter teaspoon of liquid dish detergent per cup of lukewarm water. Never laundry detergent, which the CRI says "may contain optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fiber".
• Vinegar solution: one cup of white vinegar per two cups of water.
• Warm water: plain lukewarm tap water, to rinse out the cleaners.

Blot with each, from the edge toward the centre, and move on only when nothing more is coming onto the cloth.

Why does a coffee stain come back after it dries?

Usually because coffee went deeper than the cleaning did. As carpet dries, water wicks up the fibres and carries what is dissolved below to the tips, where it dries as a brown ring. Rinsing more and blotting harder is the answer, and a light weight of folded white towels left on the spot overnight draws the last of it up into the towel. That is a common professional practice rather than a CRI step. Sugar left in the pile is also sticky and holds new soil, which is one more reason to rinse well.

What about coffee on office carpet?

It is the most common spill in any office, and the paths to the kitchen and around desks show it first. The carpet tile maker Interface's maintenance guidelines say that areas "around vending machines and desks need daily attention to spills and stains". See how often office carpet should be cleaned, and the guide to red wine for the other drink stain people ask about most.