How to maintain your carpets

Get to grips with the nuts and bolts of DIY – we show you how.

Here’s how get rid of:

Chocolate, coffee and urine stains Mix 5ml gentle detergent for wool, 10ml white vinegar and 125ml lukewarm water. Soak the stain and allow to dry.
Candle wax Press an ice cube on the wax spot. When the wax is hard you can scrape it off.
Red wine Reduce the stain with white wine, rinse with cold water and sprinkle some salt on it. Vacuum after 10 minutes.
• If heavy furniture is making dents in your carpet, hold a steam iron over the area without the iron touching the fibres. Loose threads should be cut off at the height of the rest of the pile. Don’t pull on it as it may unravel the whole rug. To repair a burned patch you will have to cut the piece out and replace it.