You are sitting on your couch, relaxing and feeling a little smug after pulling off a successful dinner party, when suddenly your heart stops as you notice your lovely carpet marred with dinner stains. What do you do?

Get to work immediately! The longer the stain sets into the fabrics of the carpet, the more difficult it is to remove them. So gather your cleaning materials and start scrubbing.

For oily spots, simply spread dry baking soda over the spots and rub a little. Once the baking soda has absorbed the oil, you can vacuum it off the carpet. You can also prepare a cleaning solution of a cup of white vinegar, a cup of water, and 2 teaspoonfuls of ordinary detergent. Stir this well and dip a clean cloth into it. Tap the moistened cloth unto the oily spots. Dry after with paper towels once the stain is gone.

For red wine stains, you can spread salt over the affected area. Let the salt absorb the liquid. Simply rinse with water afterwards and dry by patting a clean cloth or paper towels over it.

For coffee stains, mix a cup of white vinegar and a cup of water and follow the same processes above.

If you are unsure of stains on your carpet, or if the spots are large, it is better to have your carpet professionally cleaned. Do not try untested solutions or cleaning implements as they might damage your carpet for good.