As an avid tea lover, brown or dark brown stains in my favorite set of teacups annoy me. Not only are the stains unpleasant to look at, but they are also tough to get rid of and often tarnish the beauty of the cups. Drinking tea is a hobby I don’t intend to quit soon, and not even brown tannin stains can hinder me.
So, I have discovered different cleaning methods for my teacups, and bleaching the cups seems to be the rave. When I mean bleach, I am referring to that household cleaning agent we use for brightening white clothes and surfaces. But the question I seek to answer centers on: is it safe to clean teacups with bleach? Yes, it is safe to clean teacups with bleach (Don’t leave yet, I’m not done explaining).
Is it safe to clean teacups with bleach?
As I stated earlier, it is safe to use bleach when cleaning teacups. A regular chlorine bleach comprises mainly sodium hypochlorite and contains more minor compositions of calcium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide. Regular household bleach contains 3.6%-5.25% of these chemical compounds, while ultra-strength bleach contains almost double. The amount of these chemicals in an average bleach cannot cause potential damage to any human if ingested.
To allow for an original tea taste and experience, most teacups are made with ceramics, glass, or clay and therefore cannot absorb liquids easily, even if they are soaked for a long time. Teacups with these materials cannot readily react with bleach as the materials are natural and do not contain chemicals.
Why do people love using Bleach as a cleaning agent for teacups?
Other cleaning methods like the use of abrasive sponges, wedges, lemon, hot water, and even liquid soaps to clean teacups are available, but why is cleaning with bleach more practiced over these other methods? First, household bleach is very easy to get. It does not require effort to purchase, as it is readily available in any supermarket or store. It is also very affordable and does not cost a fortune, only requiring a few pounds or dollars.
Using chlorine to brighten teacups is easy to perform. As a human, I avoid anything that requires extra effort, so I choose easier and faster processes such as washing with chlorine. Unlike other cleaning methods requiring hard scrubbing, steaming, or any other additional process, bleaching requires less time and energy.
How To Clean Tea Cups with Bleach
Just pour in household chlorine and warm water (measurement should be in a ratio of 10 to 1) in a big bowl or sink and wash the mugs. For older cups with stubborn stains, soak the mugs before washing as soaking allows the bleach-water mixture to penetrate the stains for easy removal. After washing rinse, the cups properly to get rid of the chlorine and the odor (nobody wants to drink chlorine-infused lavender tea.)
Tips I adhere to before using bleach to clean my teacups
Aside from bleach being used primarily as a whitening agent for clothes and surfaces, it is also a powerful chemical agent and can cause harm when misused. There are several precautions I obey to avoid burns and further damages.
Bleach and other cleaning products
Bleach should not be mixed with anything aside from water. Compounds like hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, and vinegar should never come in contact with bleach, or else an unexpected chemical reaction could occur (boom!).
Bleach and vinegar combine to form poisonous chlorine gas, which can cause eye irritation and tamper with breathing, while bleach and ammonia produce chloramine which is also similar to chlorine gas.
If I intend on trying other chemicals like hydrogen peroxide or vinegar to get rid of the stains in my cups, I don’t use bleach with them. I incorporate only one into my cleaning as mixing two or more can cause a chemical reaction and release toxic chlorine gas into the atmosphere, potentially cause me harm.
Bleach and metal cups
For teacups made with copper, brass, stainless steel, and other metallic materials, do not use bleach on them. The chemical in bleach (i.e., sodium hypochlorite) can react with these metals to produce poisonous gas. They can either cause rusting or corrosion and leave behind more stains, rather than removing them.
Other cleaning practices, like soaking in warm soapy water, boiling and soaking lemons, and washing with vinegar, are what I use in cleaning my metallic teacups. These other methods do not affect the metallic materials and also help get rid of stains and streaks.
Always dilute bleach
Before I use my household bleach, I make sure it is well diluted. Many people believe undiluted bleach works better than diluted ones; this notion is very wrong. Undiluted bleaches (depending on the intensity) are very concentrated and can cause damage to the eyes, nose, and skin when abused. Before using undiluted bleach, mix the bleach with water (bleach-to-water ratio depends on the stubbornness of the stain)
Rinse teacups properly after washing
As I stated earlier on how to clean teacups, proper rinsing of the teacup after washing with the bleach is very important. I advise you to rinse more than once to get rid of any lingering bleach taste and smell. If the smell persists, rinse the cup with white vinegar or lemon juice.
Tips on how I avoid teacup stains
Avoiding teacup stains is almost impossible as the tea leaves have tannin. Tannin is the agent responsible for brown stains and is often used as a dyeing agent in the clothing industry for its strong staining properties.
Check the type of water the supply system dispenses
There are two types of water an average community supply system dispenses; they are soft and hard water. Soft waters are purer and often later well with detergents while hard water lathers poorly. Using pure and soft waters to make my tea has led to less staining, while hard waters cause more staining. So, consistent staining of teacups may be because of the water supply.
Wash teacups immediately
I’ve noticed that immediate washing of teacups after usage has drastically reduced staining. If I let them sit longer than 8 hours, it required more scrubbing than usual. Letting the tea remains sit longer allows the tannin to sit in, causing more stubborn stains.