Salad dressing, hand cream, bacon – it all has a habit of spreading itself about.

From carpets: Place kitchen towel over the spill and apply a cool iron to the other side to draw the grease up into the paper. Shampoo the carpet.

From fabric: Use a pre-wash stain treatment or rub liquid laundry detergent into the fabric before washing in as hot a wash as the fabric can take. If the stain is persistent, repeat the process.

From upholstery: Cover the stain with talcum powder. Allow to dry then vacuum off. If the stain persists, try dabbing with methylated spirits (test on an inconspicuous area first) or a proprietary stain remover.