Carpet feels great under your feet, but the problem is that it’s like any fabric – prone to staining. Some stains aren’t a big deal – usually, with something like coffee or pop, it’s just a matter of a wet cloth to sponge up the stain, and then you forget it ever happened.

Other stains, though, can be considerably more problematic. Here are some of the most difficult stains to remove from carpet, and the best ways to deal with them.

WINE OR GRAPE JUICE

There’s nothing harder on carpet than a fruit stain, and it doesn’t much matter whether or not it’s fermented. When wine or grape juice lands on your carpet, the first problem that you have is that your carpet absorbs it really quickly. The next problem is that even when the stain is fresh, it can be incredibly difficult to remove.

To attack a wine or grape juice stain, you need to act quickly. Apply club soda or hydrogen peroxide immediately, and then rinse thoroughly with water. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the stain out. If you’re not, you might need to call a pro.

BLOOD

Blood is another substance that can penetrate very quickly into your carpet, and leave a stain even before it dries. Of course, the first thing you should do is make sure that the person who caused the stain is okay. Then, get to work on the stain using the same methods that you would use for wine or grape juice.

COFFEE

As previously stated, this isn’t that big a deal, but it is if you don’t clean it up right away. Usually, you can clean up a coffee stain quickly and easily just using water and dish soap, but if you don’t act quickly, it can leave brownish or yellowish stains on your carpet.

INK

This is one of the most difficult stains to remove. You have to clean up ink stains immediately. Use ammonia to begin with, in order to lift the stain, and then immediately steam-clean your carpet.

VOMIT AND EXCREMENT

If you have children or pets, then you can probably assume that at some point, you will end up with vomit, excrement, or both on your carpet. To deal with it, clean up as much of the mess as you can. Then apply baking soda to the stain. Let it dry, and then vacuum it up. You might also need to follow up with steam cleaning.

ACT QUICKLY

These are the five worst carpet stains that you’ll ever have to deal with. With all of them, time is of the essence. Clean up right away. If you come upon a stain well after the fact (perhaps you’ve been at work?) do the best you can, and if you have to, call a pro.