Getting stubborn brown stains out of a Yeti coffee cup (aka Yeti Rambler Tumbler cup) is a common problem. If you’re facing rust, mold, or coffee stains, you’ll want to take some specific steps to get rid of them. Even though most Yeti cups are dishwasher-safe, you’ll still need to take some precautions. It also needs to be more than just putting your mug in the dishwasher to remove dirty stains.
The 3 best methods to remove coffee stains from a Yeti Rambler Tumbler are: Salt and Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Yeti Cleaning Tablets. Dishwashers are not powerful enough to remove coffee stains and microfiber cloth should be used instead of scouring pads to avoid scratching.
If you’re ready to help your Yeti sparkle again, check out these 3 easy ways to get coffee stains out of your Yeti cup.
Method 1: Baking Soda
With a reputation for natural whitening abilities, 100% baking soda can be used to clean various objects, from teeth to Yeti tumblers. Not only is baking soda fast and effective, but it’s also a safe, natural way to clean your Yeti without any health effects or risk of damaging your travel cup.
Baking soda’s whitening properties make it a top choice to get rid of coffee stains for good.
What you’ll need:
- A box of pure baking soda
- Water
- A microfiber cleaning cloth
How to Remove Coffee Stains from a Yeti with Baking Soda:
- Shake a couple of inches of pure baking soda into the bottom of your Yeti mug.
- Next, pour water into the mug until you achieve a thick paste. It’s not a problem if you add too much and it gets runny. Just pour in more baking soda and stir to a thick paste.
- Use your fingers or a spatula to coat the entire inside of the mug with the paste. Pay special attention to any stained areas and cover these thoroughly with the thick mixture.
- With the microfiber cloth, scrub the stained areas with the paste for 1-2 minutes or until the stains come off.
- Rinse out your Yeti cup to flush out all the residue.
- If this doesn’t remove all the stains on the first try, repeat the process until all the stains disappear.
Method 2: Vinegar And Salt
Salt and vinegar are amazing when it comes to removing dirty, old stains. The good news is that most kitchens have these simple ingredients on hand. If you don’t have any white cleaning vinegar, it’s easy to pick it up from your local grocery store or order it online.
What you’ll need:
- 100% White vinegar
- Salt
- A microfiber cleaning cloth
How to Remove Coffee Stains Using White Vinegar And Salt:
- Mix 1 cup of 100% white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of salt in a bowl.
- Pour the mix into your Yeti cup.
- Next, use a new or good quality microfiber cleaning cloth since this will work better to scrub stains from a Yeti mug or cup.
- Let the scrubbed mixture sit for a while to finish removing stains.
- Rinse the cup of mug thoroughly with water.
- Repeat the process until all the stains are gone.
- You can also combine white vinegar with baking soda for a powerhouse cleaning effect.
I recently cleaned of of my YETI tumblers that is a dedicated coffee cup. And, it was pretty nasty. I did not have baking soda or YETI cleaning tablets so I went with salt and vinegar.
The stains in this cup were very stubborn and I had to let the solution sit in the cup for about an hour. So keep that in mind.
Cup And Lid Before Cleaning With Vinegar And Salt
Cup And Lid After Cleaning With Vinegar And Salt
The red circle is a section that was cleaned following the salt and vinegar method. You can see to the left and right of it just how badly the cup was stained with coffee. The lid itself wasn’t too bad. It wiped down in one pass of vinegar and a rinse of water.
Method 3: Yeti Cleaning Tablets
One of the best, easiest, and most efficient ways to get rid of stains in Yeti mugs, a Yeti cleaning tablet can erase stubborn coffee or tea stain marks from your Yeti cup like magic.
What you’ll need:
- YETI Cleaning Tablets
- Water
- A dishwasher
How to Remove Coffee Stains Using Yeti Cleaning Tablets
- If you don’t have any Yeti cleaning tablets for a deep-cleaning solution, just hop online to order them easily.
- Put 1 Yeti Cleaning Tablet inside your Yeti cup or mug. If you have a 30 oz. or bigger cup, use two tablets for the best cleaning results.
- Don’t shake the solution. Let the tablet sit and do its job for 5 minutes.
- Dump out the cleaning solution and rinse the cup out with water.
- After a thorough cleaning, put your mug in the top rack of the dishwasher and put it on a wash cycle.
- Repeat this 1-2 times per week to keep your Yeti cup or mug clean and stain-free.
Will Coffee Stain a Yeti?
Yes, coffee can stain a Yeti cup or mug. Both coffee and black, green, and herbal teas contain tannins, an active compound that can stain or discolor everything from teeth to cups. Even though Yeti cups are made of stainless-steel, which means that they are stain and rust-resistant, anything that is corrosive or contains tannins can still stain your cup.
How Do You Get Coffee Stains Out of Yeti?
Even though you can technically put your Yeti cup in the dishwasher, the manufacturer advises washing your cup by hand to avoid damage from heat in the dishwasher and to promote the longevity of your Yeti cup.
The best trick to get stubborn coffee stains out of your favorite Yeti cup is to make a paste with white distilled vinegar and pure baking soda. Use a non-scratch sponge to dip into the solution and scrub the paste around the inside of the mug until the stains come off. Rinse and repeat as needed.
How to Clean Yeti Cup Lid
- Take off the lid of your Yeti cup or mug and set it aside.
- Put one Yeti Cleaning Tablet in the lid and let it sit to activate for 5 minutes.
- Don’t shake it while it is proofing.
- Place the cup in the top rack of the dishwasher where it won’t get subjected to harsher heat settings.
- Run it through the dishwasher setting.
- Add another tablet if your cup is over 30 oz.
Can I Use a Magic Eraser on Yeti?
Yes, you can use a Magic Eraser Durafoam sponge on a Yeti cup. White Yeti coolers are more prone to showing smudges, marks, and dirt more easily. The good news is that Yeti coolers are also pretty easy to clean.
Use a power washer to blast grimy marks from your Yeti cup’s surface or gently wash your Yeti with warm, soapy water and a Magic Eraser to have your Yeti cooler looking good as new.
Keep in mind that if you’re trying to brighten a Yeti cup, a Magic Eraser can cause small scratches on the stainless-steel surface. While some people don’t mind some scratches as long as it’s clean, it’s best to use warm water, soap, and a microfiber cloth to clean the inside and outside of the Yeti if you want to avoid scratching it up.
Can I Use Bleach to Clean My Yeti Cup?
While bleach is a great home cleaning product for kitchens and bathrooms, it’s not the best thing when it comes to cleaning a stainless-steel Yeti tumbler.
That’s because bleach contains harsh chemicals that can corrode and permanently damage a Yeti’s stainless- steel surface. Corrosion compromises stainless-steel which makes it susceptible to rust.
Do Yetis Have to be Hand Washed?
Yes, it’s safest to always wash your Yetis by hand. At the same time, Yeti tumblers and cups are engineered to be pretty sturdy, so most people don’t report any problems with putting them in the dishwasher.
How Often Should You Wash Your Yeti?
Experts say it’s best to wash your Yeti cup, tumbler, or bottle every day. If you need to sanitize it or remove stains, you can do this at least once a week.
How Long Can I Leave Water in a Yeti?
A premium beverage bottle like a Yeti has a solid stainless-steel body and vacuum insulation that’s designed to hold cold water or other drinks for up to 24 hours. A Yeti can keep a hot beverage warm for about 6 hours.
After 24 hours, chlorinated water starts to break down and algae and bacteria begin to grow in the cup. That’s why it’s best to dump out water that’s been sitting for a long time since it isn’t safe to drink.
Can You Put Vinegar in a Yeti?
Yes, you can put vinegar in your Yeti if your cup has mildew or mold growing in it. Fill the cup to the top with pure, distilled white vinegar and let it stand for 15 minutes. Scrub it with a bottle brush and rinse. The vinegar will kill off any mold or bacteria to make it safe to use again.
Is Yeti a Lifetime Warranty?
Most Yetis come with a 3-year warranty that starts from the date of purchase. According to Dutchland Plastics, the company that makes Yeti coolers, they offer a 3-year limited warranty.
If your Yeti is damaged from normal wear, intentional breakage, or damage from neglect, the Yeti warranty won’t cover these situations. A Lifetime Warranty will apply to all Yeti frames manufactured since 2019. If your model is from 2018 or older, this is covered until the company’s previous 2-year or 5-year warranty depending on purchase date.
What Do I Do If There’s Rust on My Yeti?
If you’re unlucky enough to find rust on your Yeti drinkware, use hot water, a stainless-steel cleaning solution, and a soft sponge to wipe and rinse your cup or tumbler to have it looking new again. If the stainless-steel is corroded instead of slightly rusted, this may not rejuvenate the cup’s surface.
How to Get Mold Out of a Yeti Cup
- Step 1: Rinse out the Yeti cup with hot water.
- Pour vinegar into the cup and shake it up.
- Pour out the vinegar and prepare a paste from baking soda and water.
- Use a bottle brush to scrub out the mold with the thick paste.
- Rinse the cup thoroughly.
For extra tough mold or mildewy smells:
- Mix two cups of water and white distilled vinegar with two teaspoons of tea tee oil. Tea tree oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help kill mold.
- Pour this solution into a spray bottle.
- Spray it liberally onto the stainless-steel cup or bottle’s moldy areas.
- Let the spray sit on the cup for an hour before your scrub off the mold.
How to Get Smells Out of a Yeti
If your Yeti mug or tumbler has a nasty smell that won’t go away, this simple process will do the trick.
Pour white vinegar up to the top of the cup and let it sit for 15 minutes. Wash it out with a bottle brush and rinse it. This will remove both funky smells and calcified buildup that can accumulate on the inside of the cup.
How to Clean Coffee Yeti Cup Ring
First, take out the rubber gasket inside the Yeti cup ring. Use a fork or blunt knife tip to gently pry the ring away from the lid if you have trouble getting it out.
Next, soak the rubber gasket, lid, and any removable parts in hot, soapy water or some drops of dishwashing solution for 10 minutes to remove dirt or mold growth. Scrub and rinse with clean water. This should be done on a regular basis to get rid of toxic mold that can grow inside the lid and cause health issues.
Can You Really Get Rid of Coffee Stains from Your Yeti Tumbler?
Yes, it’s possible to get rid of coffee stains from your Yeti tumbler. Baking soda, white vinegar, hot water, and soap (if you don’t have the other items) can do wonders to make your Yeti look bright and new again. If you have any issues cleaning stubborn stains, a Yeti Cleaning Tablet can do the trick.
Final Thoughts
Even if your Yeti contains stubborn coffee, tea, or dirt stains, it’s possible to get it clean with just a few simple household cleaning supplies. These methods can keep your cup looking and smelling fresh.
Proper care and cleaning will not only rid your Yeti cup of coffee stains and mildew, but it can help your Yeti cup last longer.