How to Clean Tea Cups

A clean, untarnished tea cup makes drinking tea or coffee more enjoyable.

Tea cups are small, decorative and delicate drinking cups common for teas and coffees. You clean tea cups in the same manner as other glassware. Tea and coffee can quickly leave unsightly and difficult-to-remove stains. Fortunately, you can remove the stains and clean your tea cups using common household items. When cleaning the tea cups, you must take care not to damage or chip the cups during the cleaning process.

Things You'll Need

• Cloths
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Baking soda
• Lemon wedges
• Towel

Instructions

1. Line the bottom of a clean sink with cloths. The cloths will help protect the tea cups by adding padding to the hard sink.

2. Fill the sink with warm water and add several drops of dish soap. Swirl the water and soap around with your hand until well mixed.

3. Submerge the tea cups in the soapy water and let soak for several minutes. Scrub the inside and outside of the tea cups with a cloth dampened in the warm, soapy water.

4. Dampen a clean sponge with cool water. Sprinkle baking soda on the damp sponge and gently scrub tea and coffee stains off the tea cups. Alternatively, place a lemon wedge in the cup and carefully pour boiling water in it. Let sit overnight and wash in the same manner as step 3.

5. Rinse the tea cups clean with cool water. Wipe dry with a soft towel.

References

• Environmental Law Centre: The Five Basics for Non-toxic Cleaning
• Stain Expert; Dealing With Tea and Coffee Stains; Hsin-Yi Cohen; December 2010