Remove brown tea stains from mugs in '30 minutes' with 1 bathroom staple - not baking soda

If you've noticed stains appearing on the inside of your mugs, you're not alone (Image: Getty)

If you've noticed stains appearing on the inside of your mugs, you're not alone.

Some of the nation's favourite hot beverages, tea and coffee, contain tannins which are responsible for the colour of tea and their bitter taste.

When mugs and cups, which are porous, are frequently exposed to tannins, they can turn brown.

Facebook user Lucy Robinson has been struggling to remove brown tea stains from her new mug.

She asked the Facebook group, 'Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips' for advice: "How to stop tea stains in my Ember mug. [I] treated myself to a fancy temperature control mug, and I’m struggling to stop a build-up of tea stains as I use it.

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"I got it sparkling last weekend with a few bleach washes and a scourer as gently as possible, but both methods feel too harsh for regular use.

"I’ve been washing it up with liquid and a sponge immediately but it’s still building up again. Is there a gentler method to stop the stains from building? It’s not dishwasher safe, so can’t use that."

The post was inundated with more than 200 comments with the most suggested method being to use denture tablets or Steradent tablets.

Michelle Vine said: "Definitely Steradent tablets, they’re harmless to dentures and after cleaning a mug my husband left in work for three weeks (sooooo bad) I wouldn’t use anything else - everything else is abrasive and will cause “scuff” marks in the coating of the mug which will just attract and hold more tannins.

"Just drop a tablet in, pour in boiling water, leave for 30 minutes and tannin will wash away very gently."

Mitzi Andrews replied: "Use denture cleaning tablets overnight. Put one in the mug and fill the mug with boiling water. By morning the stain will be gone."

Julie Edwards commented: "I use Steradent tablets in my cups to get rid of stains or bicarbonate of soda. Leave overnight."

Elaine Campbell suggested: "Pop in a Steradent tablet and hot water and leave overnight. Just rinse it out in the morning and it will be sparkling."

Emanuela Brown posted: "Steradent(denture tablets) or Milton I use now instead of bleach. They all clear the stains beautifully."

Steradent tablets cost £1.79 from Superdrug, £1.30 from Boots and 89p from Savers.

Other suggestions for removing the stains included using magic sponges, Flash bleach spray and baking soda.

Ellen Dew replied: "The white sponges work a treat. Very gentle. I think they’re called magic sponges."

Heather Connolly commented: "Flash bleach, it gets the tea stains out of mugs."

Clare Jones said: "Bicarbonate of soda in hot water, leave to soak for an hour and it will scrub off very easily."