The new book, Good Housekeeping Stain Rescue (Hearst Books; $12.95), has a lot of helpful advice. Here are the book's 12 Golden Rules of Fabric Stain Removal:

1. Identify the stain. Using the wrong treatment increases the risk of setting the stain permanently. A safe solution is to rinse and soak the garment in cold water before laundering or applying a stain remover.

When the origin of a stain has you stumped, check the location (food stains tend to be on the front of a garment and are generally protein stains). And try to remember what you were doing the last time you wore the garment or what you might have been serving to cause the carpet spill. Also, try scratching and sniffing the stain: alcohol, fruit juice, perfume and motor oil have distinct odors.

2. Read the care label. Knowing whether the item is dry-clean only or the type of bleach to use will save you time and heartache.

3. Stock up. Since quick treatment increases your rate of success, keep your laundry room well-stocked with the right tools and supplies.

4. Check for colorfastness. If you are not sure if the color will run, use an eye dropper or a cotton swab to apply the recommended stain remover to an inconspicuous spot. Rinse or sponge with cold water and let dry. If there's no color change or water spotting, continue with the treatment. If the color is damaged, consult a dry cleaner.

5. Don't delay. The fresher the stain, the better your chances of getting it out.

6. Soak the stain. This is the easiest way to loosen heavy soils. Soak in cool water anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the type of stain, how heavy the soil is and how much time you have.

7. Prewash. This is an alternative to soaking. You are actually running the wash and spin cycles twice, with water extraction but no rinsing in between. This prolongs the agitation that removes greasy or heavy soil.

8. Pretreat difficult stains. Don't rely on the washing machine to do all the work. The best-case scenario is the one where you completely remove the stain before the item is laundered.

9. Be prepared. Stain sticks are easy to take along wherever you go. They are especially effective on polyester fibers and oil-based stains and can usually be left on the fabric for up to a week.

10. Check before drying. Never put an item in the dryer until the stain is completely removed.

11. Be patient. You might have to repeat a treatment several times before the stain completely disappears.

12. Launder. If the item is washable, always launder it after using a stain-removal product.

* On another matter: Staying moisturized is vital to keeping skin plump and healthy, so it is imperative to moisturize in the morning and before bed. To find the best moisturizing day creams and night creams, chemists from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested volunteers' skin three times throughout the day with a Corneometer (an instrument that measures moisture levels in the top layer of skin). They also asked volunteers to rate the creams' scents, textures and usability. Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream ($28) was the highest scoring day cream, while Lancome Absolue Premium Bx Night Recovery Cream ($132) and Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Night Cream ($20) tied for first place in the night-cream category.