Pop quiz, hotshot: your favorite shirt has got a ginormous Sharpie stain on the collar. What do you do? Why, you check out housekeeping guru Sarah Aguirre's guide to ink stain removal, that's what.

Stains happen but they don't have to be permanent. Here are expert tips for removing the most common stains from clothes, carpets, and countertops. The quicker you treat a stain, the better your ...