My colleagues came up with various great suggestions depending on the makeup of the fabric and the type of mark. Products mentioned are usually available retail or online — always follow manufacturers’ instructions. If possible, always test on a fabric offcut or inconspicuous area before tackling the problem.

Talcum powder — great for clean oil marks, apply straight away and leave to absorb for a while. Brush off, and repeat if required.

K2R spray — an aerosol spray that dries to white powder which can be brushed away. It can be used on dry clean only fabrics.

White Wonder — a soft cream to rub into marks and stains.

A clean, soft pencil eraser — great for pencil and grubby marks.

Dry Magic Lampshade Sponge — for fabrics, lampshades and other items you can’t wash. Removes dust, lint, pet hair and dry grubby marks. Regular sticky tape can also help, but not on fabrics with pile.

Sta-clean spray — an aerosol solvent for most fabrics.

Stain remover wipes — various brands available for fabrics including velvet and silk. Handy to carry with you for site visits.

Saliva — if disaster strikes and a speck of blood is transferred to fabric, rub it gently with a clean cloth dampened with the saliva of the same person, the mark will dissolve and disappear.

Baby wipes — these can work on marks made on fabrics and hard surfaces.