Woman hails 8p item for removing stubborn 20-year-old tea cup stains

23 February 2024 , 15:16

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It's time to banish brew stains for good! (Stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Brits love nothing more than a cuppa - but years of tea stains can leave our mugs looking pretty grim.

There's no harm to your health if your favourite cup has slowly taken on a brown interior, which is caused by tannin stains that can build up over time. But it can have a 'musty, earthy taste' that is enough to put even the most ardent tea-lover off their morning brew.

However, getting rid of these stubborn stains can prove difficult - as one woman found out. Luckily, there is a tried-and-tested solution that will only set you back a couple of quid.

Taking to the Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tips Facebook page, a woman named Jade explained how her husband's mug had become riddled with stains from decades worth of tea drinking. She had tried common cleaning products, as well as homemade solutions - but nothing would shift the stubborn stain.

She said: "[It] had 20 years worth of tea stains (we live in a hard water area) and I had tried bleach, soda crystals, baking soda and white vinegar to no avail. Just one tablespoon of Astonish Clean and Revive powder and it worked far better than bleach."

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Jade raved about how efficient the cleaning powder is on tea stains (Astonish)

You can pick up a tub of the cleaning product - which vows to 'leave no residue or smell' - from a slew of retailers. Shoppers can make use of the current sale at Robert Dyas, which is flogging a 350g tub of the remover for just £1.99. This works out at just 8p a go - based on using a 14g tablespoon per use. Ocado sells the same tub for £3.

"It is simple to use as all you need to do is simply add one scoop to hot water and watch as the instant foaming action gets to work removing the stain," according to Astonish. "No effort is required as you don't even need to scrub – simply watch the magic unfold! This stain remover will leave your cups taint free and there's no aftertaste."

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Liam Gilliver