Since Dec. 24, the Clorox Company's Dr. Laundry hotline has been fielding calls 24 hours a day. The biggest dilemmas involve chocolate or hot chocolate stains, with gravy and red wine following. Lipstick on napkins and coffee on tablecloths also are common concerns, the company said.

The man behind Dr. Laundry is Harold Baker, senior scientist at Clorox, who said the holidays are stressful enough without fretting over spills.

"Let's face it -- stains happen," he said.

The toll-free hotline number is 877-STAIN-411, and will operate through Sunday.