Use Egg Yolks To Get Rid Of Coffee Stains In A Flash

Many people love coffee, but the downside of the beloved morning pick-me-up is that it can leave behind some obvious stains that are hard to remove. Unfortunately, coffee stains are as common as they are annoying. The secret to eliminating them may lie in another breakfast standby — eggs, specifically yolks.

The technique for using egg yolks to clean up coffee stains is simple and effective. First, separate the yolk from the white and beat it. Some people add additional cold water to increase the volume. After you've created your cleaning solution, gently apply the yolk to the coffee stain with a terry cloth towel. 

After approximately a minute of rubbing, rinse the soiled item under water and watch the stain miraculously disappear. You'll still need to wash garments to remove any residual coffee or egg yolk, but you won't have to worry about any visible remnants the next time you wear it. Like all stain treatments, it's critical to do this as soon as possible to keep the coffee from soaking further into the fabric.

It's not clear exactly why this trick works so well. However, it may have to do with some of the properties of egg yolks, such as the presence of an emulsifier called lecithin, which can act as a surfactant (a compound that decreases surface tension between liquids) and help remove stains more easily. 

If you struggle to get the yolk apart from the egg white, don't stress. Use this clever trick for separating egg yolks with a water bottle, which takes only seconds and can be done with any empty plastic bottle. Even better, it's so easy that it's nearly foolproof — and it preserves the egg white for other uses, too.

Of course, egg yolks aren't the only secret ingredient for removing coffee stains from your clothes. A DIY stain-busting solution can be a homemade mixture of white vinegar, liquid detergent, and water. The vinegar breaks down stubborn tannins in the coffee while the detergent gently lifts the remaining stain away. There are also commercially developed products geared toward coffee stains, though these can be expensive and provide mixed results. Who needs them when a top stain-fighting solution is likely already in your fridge?