If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, A: count me as jealous and B: you’ve likely had to tackle ash or soot stains on fabrics or your carpet at some point in time. That’s not so fun. Luckily, you can get those stains out on your own. Here’s how to do it.

For fabric: Use the hose attachment on your vacuum to remove as much of the ash as possible. Then sprinkle the stain with baking soda and let it absorb the rest. (Leave it on for about 15 minutes.) Then vacuum again. Finally use a stain treatment that is approved for the type of fabric and run it through the washing machine on the warmest water setting that won’t damage the fabric.

For carpet: First use your vacuum’s hose to get up as much as possible. Then for wool, use a wool-safe spot treatment and a clean cloth to remove the rest. For synthetic carpet, apply diluted (clear!) dish soap to the stain. Rinse with warm water and blot dry.

Get more holiday stain removal tips here, and learn how to clean a sooty fireplace.