Using water and a napkin on stains can cause more damage than good.

So says Steve Boorstein, who calls himself the "Clothing Doctor" and boasts 15 years of cleaning experience as a dry cleaner based in Washington, D.C.

But what about cleaning whites? Here's his advice:

• Don't bleach because bleach doesn't remove stains. You have to remove the stain first, wash it and then bleach it, Boorstein says. Bleach is a brightener and whitener, not a cleaning product.

• Don't wear a garment a second time. Perspiration and body oil coat garments, making them harder to clean.

• Hang up your dirty clothes. Air them out so that cooking, smoke and other odors can dissipate, which will make cleaning the garments easier, Boorstein says.

• Don't starch linen garments.

"Linen should be worn soft without starch or sizing, because it's going to wrinkle anyway. But without starch, the wrinkles will be softer and more natural, not like folded paper," Boorstein says. By the way, he adds that it's better to dry clean white linen because it will remain softer longer.

"You can be much more aggressive with a white garment, but the more you rub, the more you rough up the fabric, and it will forever look different than the surrounding fabric," Boorstein says. "White is not the ultimate free pass."

• However, he does recommend Tide To Go and other brands of cleaning pens that can be dabbed on small stains — but only as short-term aids. The garment needs to be properly cleaned as soon as possible, he says.

• Boorstein says that wearing white doesn't have to be scary.

If you're going to wash it at home, put as much water on it as you want to treat the stain, he says. But if it's something you're sending to the dry cleaner, use water very sparingly.

Putting water on dry-clean only garments can create a ring that no dry-cleaning process can remove. He says the key is to dab and blot, then hold a clean cloth over the area when you're done to absorb any excess liquid.

When you take a stained garment to the dry cleaner, don't be shy about pointing out the problem areas. If you don't point it out, the stain may not be treated properly.