Part of having a home is dealing with pesky stains—whether borne out of carelessness or a genuine accident. It doesn’t help, either, if you have crayon-wielding toddlers who love getting creative on anything but paper. Thankfully, you can avoid the headache that comes with getting stains on your furniture! Here are four things to keep in mind the next time you encounter a spill here or a splatter there.

(First published in the September 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping Philippines, Good Enough section as “On the Spot;” adapted for use in Female Network)