The tree you tromped through the woods to select and dragged through the house is a beauty. But what about the sap on the sofa? And how do you get the old wax off Grandma's silver candlesticks?

Sap: Check your sofa fabric label first. Remove cushion cover if possible and put a towel between cushion and cover. Use a dull knife to remove as much as possible. Rub glycerin into the stain and let stand until sap is softened. For older stains, warm glycerin, spread over stain and let stand. Place stain over absorbent cloth and tap the back with an old toothbrush to loosen. Replace cloth when saturated. Or try Goof Off stain remover.

Candle wax: The first rule is not to let candles burn low enough that wax oozes off the bottom. The other is to snuff them out instead of blowing.

The "cold" cleaning method involves putting candlesticks in the freezer 20-30 minutes, then gently scraping the brittle wax off with a fingernail or credit card wrapped in a paper towel. The "warm" method uses a hair dryer to soften the wax, which is then wiped off with a paper towel.

Joy Kraft