It doesn’t matter how careful you are around the house, bet your bottom dollar you’ll spill something on your carpet or drop something down your clothing at some point. Chances are it’ll be a stubborn stain too, something that’s dark, sinister and looks like it’s totally ruined your goods.

Take heart though, there are ways to remove the most stubborn stains, try these ideas if you are facing a problem at the moment.

Tea stains – Oh dear, you’ve made a cup of rosy lee, you are just about to sit down with a plateful of hobnobs and you drop the cup on the floor. Firstly, dab as much of the stain up as you can with paper towels to remove most of a moisture. Don’t let the stain dry though. Next, as tears well in your eyes head into the kitchen and mix a little baking soda with water. From a paste, smear it over the stain and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash the area afterwards and the stain should disappear.

Red wine stains – A red wine stain on a carpet can send you into shock, snap out of it though, you need to act fast and the best thing to do is grab a bottle of white wine. This isn’t for drinking though. Dab the excess moisture up and pour white wine over the spill. Leave to settle for a moment or two then dab away gently until all of the red wine disappears. You might want to shampoo the carpet afterwards to remove the smell of alcohol otherwise your home will smell like a brewery.

Curry stains - Bought a takeaway as a treat but ended up with most of it down your shirt? Dab away the excess then treat the area with glycerine before popping your shirt into the washer on a warm setting. Use a proven washing powder and hopefully your shirt will emerge from the wash stain-free.

Stand fast against stains, don’t let them ruin your life.