Home Ec: 5 Laundry Myths, Debunked

Rethink what your mom taught you; these pearls of laundry wisdom are actually old wives' tales.

Before Patrick Dempsey captured hearts as Dr. McDreamy in Grey's Anatomy, the actor starred in one of my favorite '80s flicks, Can't Buy Me Love. In the film, you witness one fatal laundry foul: using club soda and salt as a quick fix for a wine stain.Turns out some other commonly used laundry tricks are actually wrong too.

Here are 5 laundry myths, debunked.

MYTH: Bleach is the best way to whiten clothes.

Reality: Excessive chlorine bleaching can causes holes and tears in clothes in your fabric over time.
What to do: Follow these effective bleach-free tips for whitening clothes.

MYTH: The more detergent you use, the cleaner your clothes.

Reality: The surfactants in a laundry detergent work to suspend dirt and oil in the suds of the water in your wash. If you use too much detergent, the dirt actually get redeposited on your clothes (too much suds is a bad thing!).
What to do: Follow the directions on your detergent bottle for how much detergent to use per load. If you're using a front-loading washing machine, be sure to use an HE (or high-efficiency) detergent; you'll probably only need a half cupful or less. Those washing machines work by using less water than top-loading washers, so using excessive detergent can damage your machine and leave you with less-clean clothes.

MYTH: It's best to store my fancy dresses in the plastic bags they come back in from the dry cleaners to protect them.

Reality: Never leave any clothes in those plastic bags. The plastic bags mixed with the chemicals from the dry cleaners smother your fabrics and can cause yellowing in spots.
What to do: You actually should remove all clothes from those plastic dry cleaning bags as soon as you get home.

MYTH: Use club soda when you're at a restaurant to get out a stain.

Reality: When you're to dinner and your guy spills a drink or food on his tie, skip the club soda quick fix. According to Steve Boorstein, the Clothing Doctor, using club soda -- especially on oily stains -- can actually set the stain. Rubbing club soda on the tie can also dull the shiny sheen of the fabric. You might even spread the stain by using the club soda trick.
What you should do: Blot the fabric with a dry, white napkin and have the tie dry-cleaned right away (within two days). Be sure to point out the stain to your dry cleaners. If you're opposed to dry-cleaning, try using these natural stain-removal methods.

MYTH: If you pre-treat and wash any stain within 24 hours, you'll help get the stain out.

Reality: While this is a good method to follow for most food stains, any oil-based stains (think cooking oil, french fry grease, salad dressing, tire grease, cosmetics) will not come out in the wash. Oil-based stains do not dissolve in water, no matter what superpower detergent you use. Steve Boorstein, the Clothing Doctor, notes that oil-based stains do not have an outline and often look dark or blotchy.
What you should do: Depending on the severity of the oil stain, the first thing to do is either blot it with a white cloth (like a napkin), submerge it in very hot water or absorb it with talcum powder. Here's more thorough information on removing oil-based stains.