Carpet stains: red wine, coffee, mud and more

1. Wet spill: blot up as much as you can with an absorbent cloth or white kitchen towel. Press hard. [1]
2. Solids such as chocolate: scrape up the excess with a blunt knife first. [1]
3. Mud: vacuum up the solids so they aren't tracked further into the carpet. [3] For mud on clothes, Vanish says to let it dry first, then brush or vacuum it off. [3]

• Leave 5 min max
• Then blot

Vanish UK's method with Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery spray: [2]

1. Spray the product onto the stain and leave it for no more than 5 minutes.
2. Blot gently with a clean, absorbent cloth to soak up the liquid.
3. Repeat until the stain has lifted.

For a red wine stain from the night before, skip the blotting and go straight in with the spray. [2]

The National Carpet Cleaners Association's solutions: [1]

• Detergent solution: 1 teaspoon of gentle detergent for woollens in half a pint (0.3 litres) of warm water.
• Detergent-vinegar solution: add 1 teaspoon of white (not malt) vinegar to the detergent solution.
• Ammonia solution: 1 teaspoon of household ammonia in a cup of warm water.

Which to use: [1]

1. Wine, tea, coffee or urine: the detergent-vinegar solution, a little at a time, blotting often with dry cloths.
2. Chocolate, sweets, ice cream or vomit: the detergent solution, blot dry, then the ammonia solution, blot dry.
3. Fats, chewing gum or shoe polish: a dry-cleaning solution, then the detergent-vinegar solution, blot dry.