--- slug: how_to_remove_tea_stains_from_a_teapot category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/coffee_tea_espresso/teapots type: informational title: "How to Remove Tea Stains From a Teapot" lead: "Make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub the brown tannin stains inside, or fill the pot with hot water and a spoon of baking soda (or an oxygen-bleach or denture tablet) and let it soak. For a glass or stainless pot, a hot-water-and-vinegar soak works too — then rinse well." recommendation: name: "Scrub with a baking-soda paste, or soak with baking soda or a tablet, then rinse thoroughly" reason: "Tea stains are tannin deposits baked onto the surface, and a mild alkali lifts them without scratching. Make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water and scrub the inside with a soft cloth or sponge; for a textured or hard-to-reach pot, fill it with hot water, stir in a spoonful of baking soda (or drop in an oxygen-bleach or denture-cleaning tablet), leave it an hour or more, then scrub and rinse. Glass and stainless teapots also come clean with a soak of hot water and white vinegar or a little citric acid. Two cautions: don't use abrasive pads on glass or glazed ceramic, which they scratch, and never scour the inside of an unglazed clay teapot such as Yixing at all — its seasoning is the point, so you rinse it with water only. Rinse any teapot thoroughly afterward so no baking-soda or vinegar taste carries into the next brew." published: 2026-07-08 updated: 2026-07-08 ---