Mug stains ‘magically disappear’ in 5 minutes with 1 winning item – not vinegar or lemons

It can be incredibly embarrassing to offer someone a cup of tea only to discover your mugs are covered in unsightly brown stains, but there is a simple way to get them clean again.

Mugs can be difficult to keep due to a compound called tannins found in and , which gives beverages their rich flavour but is known to stick to surfaces.

Tannis can get into the tiny pores of ceramic mugs and will need to be scrubbed for ages or repeatedly run through the dishwasher to wash them properly.

However, Sarah, a natural cleaning expert and founder of , has shared she discovered a much simpler way to keep mugs clean and all you need is an item likely sitting in your kitchen cupboard.

She said: “I got to work. I researched, tried a few ideas, and settled on the one I liked best – of course, I should’ve known the winning product would be my all-time favourite scouring agent ever – baking soda!”

It may sound strange but is alkaline which means it can easily break down the acidic tannins stains so your mugs will be cleaned in a few minutes.

Baking soda is also gritty, so when you wipe your mug it will be able to gently lift the stains as well without having to keep scrubbing at them.

All you need to do is pour some baking soda onto a shallow dish and then wet a clean cloth with hot water.

Dip the damp cloth into the baking soda to form a paste, and then begin scrubbing your mugs.

Sarah said: “Just a couple of quick scrubs, and I was already seeing those stains magically disappear!

“This of course got me super excited, which made me work even more diligently, and I had those mugs cleaned up in no time – seriously, it was less than five minutes!”

Give your mugs a rinse with clean water from the tap, and they should be completely cleaned without any fuss.