Don't Eat With Your Mouth Full


Tea and Orange Juice - a Public Service Announcement: A couple of years ago I was given a rather pretty Cath Kidston mug, from which I often drink green tea in the afternoon. (It's the only kind of tea I really like.) After a while, I noticed that the mug was becoming stained on the inside, and that washing up liquid did nothing to shift it, no matter how I scrubbed. It was hard to accept, but eventually I came to terms with it.

Being out of glasses one day, I drank orange juice from that same mug. Wiping the mug clean afterwards, I found the tea stains disappearing like magic, with no effort at all. "That's a useful trick," I said to myself.

Since then, I've had occasion to mention this thrilling experience to a couple of people, and neither of them was aware of the tea-stain removing properties of orange juice. It occurs to me that it may not be widely known - in which case it's my duty to tell the world!

Is it widely known?
Tags: real life

( 14 comments — Leave a comment )

angevin2

2013-02-15 08:54 am (UTC) (Link)

I've heard that it works with lemon or lime juice, so I guess it must work with any kind of citrus!

steepholm

2013-02-15 09:01 am (UTC) (Link)

I guess - I assumed it was the acid.

dorianegray

2013-02-15 10:36 am (UTC) (Link)

I'd never encountered it - I usually use bleach to remove tea stains from mugs.

malkhos

2013-02-15 01:21 pm (UTC) (Link)

The industrial product used to remove grafitti is derived from orange juice.

steepholm

2013-02-15 02:29 pm (UTC) (Link)

How fascinating!

malkhos

2013-02-15 02:31 pm (UTC) (Link)

I realized its a tedious fact I can't discard, but it is at least as interesting as the post itself.

steepholm

2013-02-15 02:40 pm (UTC) (Link)

Oh, absolutely - and I wasn't being ironic. I have a childish wonder at household chemistry experiments. (I generally post things that are of interest to me: if anyone else finds them so, great - if not, they can pass on to something more to their taste.)

Edited at 2013-02-15 02:42 pm (UTC)

ethelmay

2013-02-15 10:05 pm (UTC) (Link)

I remember when I was in college someone pointed out that adding just a small amount of lemon juice to a cup of tea almost immediately lightened the color, far beyond the degree of dilution. I wouldn't be surprised if that's a reaction between the acid and whatever it is that colors tea (the tannins?).

steepholm

2013-02-15 10:13 pm (UTC) (Link)

That does sound likely, yes.

tekalynn

2013-02-16 04:27 am (UTC) (Link)

News to me! Thank you, I shall have to remember this.

ethelmay

2013-02-17 03:16 am (UTC) (Link)

"And she gives me tea and oranges, That take all the stains off china..."

steepholm

2013-02-17 09:14 am (UTC) (Link)

Leonard Cohen is full of useful household tips, if you're prepared to look beneath the tinsel facade.

oldefashion

2013-03-07 10:23 am (UTC) (Link)

This remark is squirmingly, delightful .

gillpolack

2013-02-20 06:15 am (UTC) (Link)

I use carb soda diluted with very little water, but the best remover of grease and sticky tape and other miscellaneous messes here is made from orange oil (from orange peel).

( 14 comments — Leave a comment )