Melt away stubborn tea cup stains with 3p trick Mrs Hinch fans swear by

05 September 2023 , 11:42

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Stains in mugs can often be difficult to get rid of (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There's nothing better than sitting back and enjoying a cuppa after a tiring day - but there's no denying just how infuriating those pesky tea stains in our mugs are that come afterwards. When it comes to getting rid of stubborn stains around the house, many will agree that tea stains are one of the more difficult to budge. After the long-term use of a mug or cup and frequent stirring with spoons that scratch the inside, the ceramic becomes porous.

When this happens, it makes it easier for the tannins in tea to stick to the sides of a cup or mug. This results in them being harder to clean - and the longer they're left, the worse they will become. Luckily, one genius woman has taken to social media to share a helpful life hack that "only takes 30 minutes". Sharing before and after pictures of the state of her tea cup, she revealed her secret to getting it looking as good as new.

The first two images show the tea cup completely covered in ugly brown stains. In the other two, the cup was completely spotless and left without any scratches, the Express reports. Taking to the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook page, Abigail wrote: "I've seen a lot of posts about stubborn tea stains in cups so thought I would share my incredible trick. I use one Steradent tablet with boiling water, leave for 30 minutes then just go over with a sponge. Hope this helps."

The primary ingredients of Steradent tablets - which are used to clean dentures - are sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid, which work well together to remove stubborn stains that just won't budge. Amazingly, a pack of 30 Steradent tablets cost just £1 at Tesco, working out at just 3p per cup or mug.

Members of the group didn't hesitate in sharing their love for the life hack in the comments section, with one writing: "I use this all the time on my stained cups, but any denture tablets can be used, not just these ones."

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Another bloke said he cleaned his daughter's tea cups the week before using the tablets, adding that the trick "works great", while one woman revealed that she also uses them for stubborn stains in her toilet, and plans to use them on clothing stains next.

Meanwhile, another commenter wrote: "Yes Steradent is an old favourite of mine. I don't just use them to clean my cups, but also for grout and whitening clothing."

Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.

Lauren Davidson