How To Remove Coffee Stains From Desk Mat

How To Remove Coffee Stains From A Desk Mat

If you’re an avid coffee drinker like me, you likely end up with coffee stains on your desk mat.

You might think of buying a new desk mat just because you can’t get rid of the huge brown circles formed on your desk mat after spilling coffee on it.

But don’t! First, take a look at our guide, where we don’t only show you how to remove coffee stains from your desk mat, but we also give you tips to maintain it in good shape.

Enjoy reading!

How To Remove Coffee Stains From A Desk Mat

It’s very important to clean your office items after spilling coffee on them.

Not only because the stains are not a pleasant thing to look at but because they are also an open space for bacteria, a real potential health risk.

Is It A Fresh Coffee Stain?

If you spill coffee on your desk, follow these steps immediately, so you don’t have any stains!

The first thing to do is blot up as much coffee as possible. After that, form a mixture of two cups of warm water, one tablespoon of liquid dish soap, and one tablespoon of white vinegar.

Clean the stain using a clean cloth and the mixture. Keep on blotting with a dry cloth until the stain disappears. 

In the end, sponge with cold water and blot dry.

Not A Fresh Stain?

No worries at all! The following step-by-step guide will show how to clean your mousepad not only from coffee stains, but from any stains.

  1. Identify The Material Of Your Desk Mat

To get rid of coffee stains, you’ll need to first identify what material your desk mat is made out of to know how deep you need to clean it.

If it’s a plastic desk mat, all you need to do in most cases is to wipe it with a damp cloth and a mild cleaner, and you’re good to go.

If it’s a different material like neoprene or rubber, please continue reading our guide to clean your desk mat from coffee stains.

  1. Submerge The Desk Mat

Grab a bowl filled with hot water or a bucket, depending on how big the mat is. Before putting the desk mat in the water, add a hand soap and mix it very well in the water.

Push your mat down in the bowel or the bucket until it’s fully submerged, and let it sit there for a couple of minutes. Our goal is to dissolve all the grease and dirt in the water.

You can use dish soap instead of hand soap. We recommend hand soap as it’s softer.

  1. Give Your Desk Mat A Rub

It’s time to get down and dirty with soap. Give the stains a rub with your hands until they break down.

If that doesn’t work, try adding more soap to the stains or using a laundry detergent. Continue rubbing until all of the stains are gone.

Be gentle. You don’t want to rub off any colors.

Don’t forget that while your hands may not be too delicate, they could still scratch up your desk mat’s surface depending on how long you spend scrubbing.

If the instructions above don’t do the trick, you can always wash the mat in your washing machine along with some jeans or towels for an added layer of protection against scratches.

You might have to run multiple cycles because coffee spots can stick around; sometimes, machines remove the stain but leave behind a dark outline.

Stubborn stains might require soaking overnight.

  1. Rinse And Dry

When satisfied with the rubbing session result, rinse your desk mat out to remove soap residue. We recommend rinsing it using hot water to make sure that the water runs fully clear.

You can use a hairdryer to dry the desk mat if you are in a hurry. If not, the best way to dry it is to hang it out in the sun.

Make sure to use the lowest heat setting of the hairdryer because you don’t want to damage the surface or the mat’s design.

How To Maintain Your Desk Mat In A Good Shape

You could be careful with your coffee, but most of us aren’t perfect.

And you definitely can’t expect a coworker or a client to be.

So how do you avoid spills on your desk mat?

First, invest in a desk mat made of stain-resistant material like polyurethane.

Many are labeled as either machine washable or wipe clean.

Wipe it down daily and give it a good washing once every couple of weeks, preferably during weekends or after work.

This way, you won’t have to do so much manual labor when removing coffee stains or any stains.

Preventive maintenance is key! Don’t wait until stains happen.

In fact, keep some cleaning products nearby at all times because there’s nothing worse than someone walking up with a shocked look on their face asking why there are huge brown circles on your desk mat!

The more preemptive action you take now, the less time you’ll spend dealing with major cleanup later!

Take care of your desktop early and often so minor messes don’t become permanent discolorations later.

>>>Related: In this article, we show you how to keep your desk clean all year long with simple tips and tricks. Enjoy reading!

There! That was easy, right? Now you know how to remove coffee stains from a desk mat.

What do you think? Do you have any special office cleaning tips or tricks? Share them with us, we would love to hear from you!