I have been struggling to get my favourite mug clean recently as no matter if I hand wash it or put it through the dishwasher, it still comes out with big brown stains all over it. 

While I am the only person who uses this mug, it still looks very unsightly when it is hanging up with all my other cups so I went to research the best way to get it sparkling clean again. 

After looking online, I discovered that white cups often become easily stained due to tannins, a natural compound in both tea and coffee which easily sticks to surfaces when heated. 

While tannins is completely harmless, it becomes very hard to remove if not wiped away immediately after drinking tea as the stain can bind to the cup surface and set in deeply. 

However, I then read that tannins will dissolve if you mix together a simple homemade solution of baking soda and lemon juice, two ingredients I already had tucked away in my kitchen cupboard.

Baking soda is alkaline which can break down the acidic tannins while lemon juice contains citric acid, which can dissolve the compounds in tea stains. 

I also discovered that lemon juice has natural antibacterial properties which will sanitise the mug as well as lift away the stains. 

This plague doctor mug is sentimental to me as I bought it while some friends from abroad were visiting my home city of Edinburgh and we visited Mary King’s Close, a historic street underground known for its ghost stories.

It was important for me to find a natural way to clean the mug without risking it becoming damaged or cracked so I decided to try out this method, and was surprised at how effective it was. 

How to get rid of mug stains 

You will need:

• Baking Soda
• Lemon juice
• Boiling hot water 
  

Method 

I first poured some baking soda and lemon juice into the mug which instantly began to fizz.

I recommend only using a small amount of baking soda and then gradually adding more if needed as I unfortunately discovered that the cleaning solution will quickly overflow the mug if you use too much. 

I then boiled the kettle, poured it into the mug, and left the solution to sit for five minutes to allow the solution time to break down the stains. 

After the time was up, the solution had stopped fizzing and had deflated but there were also now lots of brown floating pieces in the mug.

I rinsed out the mug with hot water from the tap, then wiped it with a tea towel to dry it, and was surprised to discover that the mug was completely clean. 

My mug was completely white, stain-free and sparkling again without having to scrub and it only took five minutes to do. 

In my opinion, this homemade solution is an effortless, quick and easy way to get your mugs looking brand new again so you can enjoy a cup of tea without having to worry about stains.