It's Easter, so here are our top tips for dealing with chocolate crises - and I don't mean not having enough of it:

Scrape excess melted or ground-in chocolate from upholstery using a blunt knife

then treat the stain with a proprietary stain remover before rinsing and blotting

gently to dry.

For clothing, again scrape off the excess, then soak in a solution of washing soda or pre-wash such as Vanish Pre-wash, then machine wash using a biological detergent at as high a temperature as the fabric allows.

For chocolate trodden into carpets, again remove the excess with a blunt knife before treating the remains with a carpet shampoo. Treat any residual stain with a stain remover.

Better still, make them eat their Easter Eggs in the garden...

Get your vacuum flasks ready for the picnic season:

Fill with hot water and either a drop of washing up liquid or a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and leave to stand to eliminate any 'flasky' odours. Use a bottle brush to remove any marks and leave overnight. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry with the top off.

Never store your flasks with the top on as this encourages smells and mildew, and never immerse in water to avoid moisture getting trapped between the outer skin and inner lining.

Freshen-up your home by giving your curtains a spring clean. First vacuum away any dust, cobwebs and debris from within the folds on both sides using your upholstery attachment. Then take down removing any hooks and weights.

For washable curtains with linings, follow the more gentle washing instructions to avoid shrinkage, then line dry.

Wash delicate fabrics by hand and have nonwashable fabric drycleaned.

Even some washable curtains are best dry-cleaned if they are large as manhandling acres of wet fabric is no fun!

Updated: 15:32 Friday, January 28, 2005