Why shouldn’t you worry too much if your dog has had an accident on your Persian rug or a guest accidentally spilled beer on your white-as-snow carpet? That’s because expert cleaners, specifically those assigned to crime scenes, have dealt with much worse and have successfully restored carpets to their virginal states.

Here are a number of tips they share with hapless homeowners on how to remove carpet stains:

1. If you can, do it now. Carpet stains become more difficult to deal with the longer they sit and set.

2. Blot, don’t wipe. The first thing you need to do to the spill is to blot it. Wiping it off only rubs it in more and enlarges the area of damage. Get a strong paper towel or an absorbent white towel and blot the spot, pressing down ever so gently. Allow the towel to soak up as much of the spill as it can.

3. Avoid vigorous scrubbing. Whenever you scrub a stain, the carpet’s pile may become damaged. For semi-solids such as dog poor, use an old utensil to scrape it up.

4. First, try the universal solvent. If any residual stain persists, try removing it with water. Moisten a clean white cloth and work your way in from the edges of the stain to its center. Keep blotting on the stain and repeat as many times as necessary.

5. There are oil-based stains that water alone cannot solve. In cases like these, try nail polish remover. Both types of removers – acetone and non-acetone – are effective, but the latter is better as it contains ethyl acetate or amyl acetate which are known grease, oil, and paint removers. Never pour the nail polish remover directly onto the stain. Instead, pour a small amount on a rag and use this to blot the stain with. Finish the job off by blotting it with water. Use cold water for blood stains and lukewarm water for most other types of stain.

6. Get rid of tough blood stains. An all-purpose cleaner that works well with blood stains is Simple Green. Before using it on a light-colored carpet, however, first test it on a small discreet portion to see if it stains green. If it doesn’t, work from the inside of the stain outward, rubbing lightly to get rid of the mark. After a while, return to the spot using a water-dampened white cloth.

7. Don’t turn solid into liquid. If the spill is powdered chocolate drink, for instance, don’t add water or any liquid cleaner to it as you will only turn it into a harder-to-handle paste. Vacuum the spill instead and go over it until everything has been sucked up.

8. Look ahead. If you’re planning on hosting a huge Super Bowl party or children’s party in your home, roll up the fancy carpet and bring out your old reliable cheap alternative. It’ll simply be awful if a party is stopped just because someone spills beer all over the rug or if a kid drops a slice of cake on it. Better yet, have your tools handy – keep your dry carpet cleaning powder, such as Capture or Host, within reach. If someone makes a spill, sprinkle the powder on the beer and leave it there to soak. Clean it up in the morning when you’re good and ready.