a place called home . . .

Blot the excess. This is the overarching rule of carpet-stain cleaning. Don't soak or wipe it, otherwise you're stuck with the stain for life.

Know your stain. Figure out what kind of stain you have on your hands. Unlike clothing, carpet stains can often be difficult to discern after a few moments. Smell it if you have to. Seriously.

For grease stains, dab with a small amount of dry-cleaning fluid. Then, blot with a small amount of dishwashing liqiud and warm water. Blot from the outside in, and let stand for five minutes.

For juices and wines, mix a small amount of laundry detergent with lukewarm water (or ammonia) and blot the stain. Then, sponge lightly with club soda and blot on the detergent-water solution again.

For eggs and dairy products, blot with ammonia and sponge with warm water. Then, blot with white vinegar and warm-water mixture.

For ink, blot with dry-cleaing fluid, and then repeat the steps for step 3:

Place paper towels over the stain and let dry, overnight if you have to. This is a universal step that should be performed after steps 3-6 (depending on stain type).

Brush clean and vacuum once the stain is dry. The flat brush should pick up and dried particles that are lingering, and the vacuum will do the rest.