I'm not an appliance expert, and there is a lot of information out there. With all of the different appliances, brands, types and features, it can be confusing to know what information is accurate and what is not. Here are some common household appliance myths you may have heard about - busted!
Myth #1: You need to pre-rinse dishes before putting them into the dishwasher. Feel free to scrape off extra food after eating, but pre-rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher actually wastes water (and your time)! Modern dishwashers and detergents are designed to cut through food, grease and grime.
Myth #2: Microwaves emit radiation that can be harmful. Almost every kitchen has a microwave. They are specially designed to prevent radiation leaks, and use a type of non-ionizing radiation to heat up food, which is not the same as radiation used in x-rays or gamma rays.
Myth #3: You can put anything you want down your garbage disposal. Garbage disposals are incredibly convenient for getting rid of small biodegradable food scraps. However, larger food scraps, hard items, grease and more can damage the motor, cause clogs and potentially do significant damage to your home's plumbing system.
Myth #4: Using more laundry detergent will make your clothes cleaner. Washing machines are designed for a specific amount of soap in order to maintain the proper function of the washing machine and to get your clothes appropriately clean. Using too much soap can cause strain on the machine and not enable the machine to properly rinse the soap out of the clothing.
Myth #5: Adding boiling water to grease makes it safe to pour down the drain. Similar to what was discussed above, it is never safe to pour grease down any drain, even with boiling water. It can damage your plumbing.
Myth #6: Baking soda removes bad odors from your refrigerator. Baking soda can help with some minor odors, but if you really want to eliminate odors from your fridge, activated charcoal does a much better job!
Myth #7: It is ok to leave oven racks in the oven during the self-cleaning cycle. The intense heat from the self-cleaning cycle can damage or warp the racks.
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