Red wine on the carpet? Ink on your work shirt? Favorite takeout on the sofa? Don’t panic! Some of the best stain removal tricks are cheap, natural, and surprisingly effective.

Whether you’re tackling coffee rings, oil marks, or muddy pawprints, these humble household staples cut through spills and splotches.

Click or scroll to explore fixes that will help you clean smarter, not harder...

We've all been there; splashing red wine on the couch, carpet, or rug. Notoriously difficult to remove, many believe that the best solution is to pour white wine over the stain. However, this is mostly a myth. White wine will dilute the red wine a little, but it won't neutralize or remove the pigment.

Instead, you need to grab a kitchen essential that everyone has to hand – salt. Sprinkle salt on the stain to absorb the wine and lift the color from the surface. Leave it to work for at least five minutes, or overnight for stubborn stains.

There's nothing worse than getting someone else's old chewing gum stuck to your shoe, clothes or worse, your soft furnishings. Luckily, there's a clever hack to solve the issue. Small items can be placed in the freezer.

The intense cold will solidify the chewing gum, enabling you to scrape it off easily. For larger items, a simple ice cube will do the job. Rub the spot with ice until the gum has completely hardened. You should then be able to ease it off.

Ice works on another common household stain: wax! Candle lovers will know how easy it is to spill wax, but there's an effective way to remove it. For hard surfaces, ice the wax for around two minutes until it hardens. You can then use a credit card to gently scrape it up.

On soft furnishings or carpets, you want to turn to heat. Place some paper towels on top of the stain, followed by an old dishcloth. Then, go over the spot with your iron. Repeat until all the wax is removed.

Who doesn't love fresh fruit? Especially seasonal berries that pack real flavor. However, these lovely little treats can easily leave their mark. So, if you need to remove fruit stains from your kitchen counters, opt for a solution of baking soda and water and apply it directly to the stain.

For carpets or upholstery, blot the stain with a paper towel. In a bowl, mix one tablespoon of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish soap, and two cups of cold water. Apply the solution to the stain and leave it to work before wiping it off.

You know how it is; you place something in the microwave and suddenly you hear it explode. It's always wise to tackle food stains quickly, before they have the chance to dry. But, if it's too late for that, then a humble lemon could be the answer. 

Add half a cup of water to a microwave-safe bowl and squeeze the juice of a lemon into it. Place the bowl in the microwave and set the power for three minutes. Leave the door closed for a further five minutes to allow the lemon steam to work, then remove the bowl and wipe the interior clean.

Food dye is fantastic for adding oomph to your bakes, but it can leave a mess. If your kitchen counters have been stained, you'll need to carefully choose the right cleaning method, based on the surface type. For example, marble worktops require natural products like baking soda, white vinegar, or mild dish soap.

If they're laminate, then you'll need to use a soft-bristle brush to scrub the mark away. If the affected area is your carpet, then make a solution of one tablespoon of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish detergent, and two cups of warm water. If the food dye is red, use ammonia instead of vinegar.

There are several eco-friendly and inexpensive ways to remove blood stains from home furnishings or clothing, and the best part is that you probably have the ingredients already. It's essential to work quickly and avoid heat, which will set the stain.

So, spray some cold water onto the stain and dab any excess away. Repeat until the stain has gone or lessened. If the stain is stubborn, sprinkle some salt onto it and let it sit. Baking soda, lemon juice, and white vinegar are all proven alternatives, too.

Whether your fountain pen has burst in your shirt pocket, or your little one has gotten creative on your walls or carpet, there is a way to remove ink stains. For fabrics (like clothes and carpets), rub alcohol or hand sanitizer on the stain, or spray an alcohol-based hairspray on the mark. 

If you're worried, test the solution on a small, hidden area first. If the stain is on your wall, a magic eraser (or melamine sponge) might be your best bet. Whitening toothpaste is also thought to be effective.

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Whether you're a mild and creamy korma fan or a spicy vindaloo lover, it's easy to splash your favorite takeout dish. Many curries include turmeric, which contains curcumin. This vivid yellow pigment is famously hard to remove.

For carpets, remove as much of the sauce as possible using a paper napkin. Then mix one tablespoon of dish soap with two cups of water and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Sponge the stain with the solution and repeat as needed. If you've stained your kitchen worktop, create a paste using baking soda and water. Cover the stain and then wipe after a few minutes.

During hot summer commutes, our workwear is put through its paces, and we can end up leaving unsightly yellow armpit stains on our clothes. To fix it, create a mixture using lemon juice and baking soda. Apply to the stain and leave to work for 30 minutes, then wash as normal.

Alternatively, add white vinegar to the area and leave for 15 to 30 minutes before washing. For colored clothing, crush two aspirin tablets and mix the powder with warm water. Soak the stain for around two hours, then wash as normal.

It's incredibly easy to spill a bottle of nail varnish. As it dries, the solvents inside the solution evaporate, leaving you with a hard, colored film. Great for nails, but not so great for our homes! To rectify a spill on your carpet, gently place a paper towel on top to absorb the varnish. Then, using an old rag dipped in a small amount of acetone, gently dab the stain. Repeat as needed.

For clothing or upholstery, repeat the first step (above), then layer a paper towel under the affected area before using polish remover to blot away the stain. A word of warning – never use nail polish remover on wood, as it will damage the surface.

Has your child gone rogue with the crayons? If you find yourself facing a drawing on your walls or floor, don't worry, there's a simple home remedy. Grab a damp cloth and some baking soda, and gently rub the crayon until it lifts.

Alternatively, toothpaste (non-gel) and dish soap should work on many painted surfaces. For wallpaper, use a wire wool ball. Gently skim the surface in one direction until the stain fades.

When it's wet and muddy outside, dirt and soil can get traipsed inside, especially if you have a four-legged friend. The key is to let the mud dry completely before tackling it. You should then be able to brush up the muck.

Don't reach for the vacuum, as this can push the dirt further down into the carpet. Once all the excess mud is removed, you can apply a mixture of dish soap and cold water to any stains, leaving them to work before removing the solution with a paper towel.

Chocolate is solid at room temperature, but if it exceeds about 86°F, just below body temperature, it will begin to melt. So, it's easy to end up with chocolate stains on your clothes or furniture. If some has landed on your carpet or upholstery, use dish soap with a dash of cold water to remove it. Allow the solution to work for a minute before removing with a clean, damp cloth.

If you’re dealing with dried-on chocolate stains, then try white vinegar and a little water in a ratio of about two to one. Toothpaste and baking soda are also very effective.

Tomato sauce and ketchup contain color pigments that quickly bind to porous surfaces, leaving behind a reddish stain. These sauces are also highly acidic and oily, both of which make them hard to remove. If you get some on your carpet, remove any excess sauce with a butter knife or paper towel. Blot, don't rub!

Then wet the area with a little cold water, followed by a few drops of dish soap. After a few minutes, dab away with more cold water and repeat until clean. If the stain remains, try one part white vinegar to three parts cold water. 

With five billion cups of tea and two billion cups of coffee drunk globally every single day, according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association, it isn't hard to believe that a few might end up on the floor, or all over the couch. If you have an accident, don't despair. Soak up as much liquid as possible, using paper towels. Next, make a thick paste with baking soda and cold water.

Apply a good covering to the affected area, then rub to lift the stain. Half a teaspoon of dish soap, half a teaspoon of white vinegar, and 2 cups of water will also do a good job. If you have a stubborn or old stain, try white vinegar, toothpaste or, if all else fails, carpet stain remover.

Whether you've dropped your foundation tube, spilt your eye shadow palette, or left a greasy lipstick stain on the carpet, there's an easy, eco-friendly cleaning hack to save the day. If the stain is fresh, a baby wipe could help to dab the mark away. Avoid rubbing, as this will make the stain worse.

If the stain persists, use a clean cloth and some lukewarm water to blot at the mark. After that, drizzle potato starch (available from most supermarkets) on the stain and leave it to dry for 24 hours before vacuuming.

Sunscreens and moisturizers can be very greasy and hard to get out of fabrics or upholstery. For smaller items, lightly wash the stain with cool water, dab a little dish soap into the affected area, then machine wash on the highest temperature the fabric will allow.

Eucalyptus oil can be very effective, too. Cover the stain and leave for five minutes before washing as normal. On carpets, remove as much of the liquid as you can with a damp cloth, apply an absorbent like baking soda to soak up the liquid, then vacuum it up.

Grease can quickly build up in a kitchen, creating an unhygienic mess that can be tough to clean. If your walls, tiles, or ceiling are caked, then it's time to get cleaning. Combine equal parts warm water and white vinegar in a bowl or spray bottle.

Apply the solution directly to the greasy areas and wipe off with a dry cloth. Repeat as needed. For grease marks on clothes or soft furnishings, blot away any excess grease, then apply dish soap to the area to break it down.

It's no secret that bleach is a very harsh chemical that, while effective at cleaning, can leave its mark on your clothes and home. Sadly, bleach stains are permanent, but there are a few things you can do to lessen the damage. The best approach is to try to restore the color.

First, neutralize the bleach with rubbing alcohol, using a cotton ball. Gently rub around the stain, then move from the outside to the center of the stain. The original color of the item should begin to spread to the stained area. If that fails, then you might need to recolor the entire item using fabric dye. Follow the instructions on the package for the best results.

This one might surprise you, but did you know that newspapers and magazines can stain worktops? Their printed ink can transfer to surfaces and leave mucky, hard-to-budge stains. While some kitchen worktops are stain-resistant, others might suffer from your morning habit.

For quartz worktops, make a simple dish soap and water solution, apply it to the area and leave it for five minutes before cleaning off. For wood surfaces, you may need to sand the stain off and reseal or oil the affected area.

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