How to Tea Stain Fabric
While Most Try to Remove Tea Stains from Clothing, Some Add Them
Aug 2, 2009
For most of human history, the only way to color clothing - or much anything else - has been to use plants and minerals. Common tea leaves create a beautiful warm ivory or light tan color, and is very easy to use, and without any of the potential hazards of chemical dyes.
Why Does Tea Stain Fabric?
The tannins in tea leaves are what actually stain the fabric fibers. Contrary to common belief, it is not tannic acid; tea tannins (C20 H20 O9) and tannic acid (C14 H10 O9), though similar, are not the same substance. Tannic acid, found in oak leaves and a number of other places, is one of the substances that can be used to tan leather; tea tannins can not.
Different types of tea will produce slightly different shades. Green tea will produce a light, slightly greenish or yellowish stain; common black tea produces a warm ivory/tan color; oolong tea comes out slightly more orange; many herbal teas create a more reddish tone.
How to Tea Stain the Fabric
- Be absolutely sure the fabric is completely clean. Hidden stains can and will show up if it isn't completely clean. If staining clothing, either use brand new clothes, or wash thoroughly, preferably with bleach, immediately prior to staining. There is no need to bother drying the clothing if washed first.
- Place the fabric to be stained in a large pot and fill with water, making sure the fabric is completely covered with a bit to spare.
- Remove the fabric and squeeze as much of the water out as possible (back into the pot.) Set fabric aside.
- Bring the water to a boil, then turn off heat.
- Add teabags to the hot water and allow to steep for about ten minutes. Use slightly higher than the recommended number of bags for tea to drink (approximately one regular sized tea bag per cup of water.)
- If an even dye is desired, remove the teabags. If a more 'dirty' appearance is desired, leaving the teabags in can produce darker and lighter areas.
- Place the fabric to be stained into the tea. Stir around to make sure the tea gets into all the folds and pockets of the fabric.
- Allow to sit for a minimum of five minutes. The longer it remains in the tea, the darker the stain will be. Check periodically on the color, keeping in mind that it will lighten as it dries.
- Wring out the fabric well, then rinse in cold water to remove excess acids from the tea.
- Rinse well with vinegar, to set the dye in the fabric. The vinegar can be used straight, or diluted up to one part in ten in water for larger pieces where using so much straight vinegar would be cost prohibitive.
- Dry the fabric, preferably in a heated dryer.
- Wash thoroughly as normal, to remove any remaining tea and vinegar.
How to Care for Tea Stained Fabric
Clothing that has been tea stained, as long as the stain has been set with vinegar and then dried, can be treated like any other clothing. It should not be bleached, and there is a chance it may make other clothing washed with it a bit dingy, especially the first few washes, so it should not be washed with very light colors or whites.
In time, and with sufficient washings, the stain will lighten. Luckily, it is just as easy to darken the stain again as it was to create it in the first place.
For help with unintentional tea stains, see Tea Stain Removal Tips and Tricks.
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