Final answer:
The statement is false. Soil separation is important for garment care to prevent further staining and damage during washing. It also aids in the effectiveness of cleaning. Additionally, short staple cotton was not preferred prior to the invention of the cotton gin.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Soil separation is not important to maintaining the quality of my garments' is False. Soil separation in the context of laundry refers to sorting clothes based on the type of soil or stains they have before washing. This is a critical part of garment care because different types of soil may require different treatments or washing cycles. By separating soiled garments, one can reduce the risk of further staining or damaging the fabric. Mixing heavily soiled items with lightly soiled ones can spread dirt and make the cleaning process less effective. Therefore, recognizing that soil separation is crucial helps in maintaining the quality and longevity of garments. Concerning the additional information provided, it is false that short staple cotton was preferred to long staple prior to the invention of the cotton gin. After Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793, it became easier to process short staple cotton, which previously had been more labor-intensive to clean than long staple cotton.