Stain of the week: scorch marks

SCORCH MARKS

On carpets: for light marks, trim tufts with scissors to remove damaged area. If scorching is heavier, remove any loosened fibres with a stiff-bristled brush, then make gentle circular movements with a piece of glasspaper to hide the area. Re-tufting or patching small areas on carpets is possible and can be done by expert firms - always insist of references. before booking.

On fabrics: impossible to remove heavily scorched marks, but you may be able to fade light marks by washing as usual, adding a liquid in-wash stain remover, such as Vanish, or soaking in a solution of 15ml (1 tbsp) washing soda to 500ml (¾ pint) warm water for a couple of hours before normal washing.

Previous stain of the week