Laundry 101 For College Students

Buy your supplies 

Detergent: Know if you need HE (high efficiency) detergent or regular.  HE detergents are low-sudsing and quick dispersing for use in low water volume machines. Using a traditional laundry detergent in a high-efficiency washer (front loader) will produce too many suds. You can use HE detergent in a traditional washer with no problems.
Stain Treater: Like Shout Advanced Gel
If you’re adventurous, here’s a great stain removal chart from Martha Stewart.com
Dryer Sheets: They cut down on static cling, add softness and just smell good.
Laundry Basket or Bag A basket is recommended so you can fold or drape your clothes over the edges.

Separate your laundry

Lights, Darks, Delicates, Towels and Sheets
There is some overlap.  You could put a gray pair of shorts in either lights or darks, but never put a new dark red or purple shirt with lights or whites. Wash separately in cold the first few times to set the color.
Got stains?  Treat them BEFORE you put them in the washer?  Once they are dried, they become very difficult to remove.
Delicates? Silk blouses, nice sweaters (not wool), bras and fine swim wear should be hand washed or at least use the hand wash or delicate cycle if the machine has one. After washing reshape clothing flat on a towel to dry.  You can put the item in a very low dryer to fluff when it’s almost dry for a few minutes so the item softens back up and most wrinkles fall out.

Quarters anyone? 

This may be a thing of the past. Many schools allow you to use your school ID as a debit card for the machines. If your school has older machines then set aside a container to collect quarters so you’re prepared.

 Pick the right time 

Wash during non-peak hours, which means early in the morning or late at night….pretty much when everyone else is sleeping.  You can also use off-campus laundry mats if your dorm laundry is always crowded.

Choose the correct laundry settings  

First, check the tags on your clothing for any special cleaning instruction.
Then choose the water temperature: hot for whites, linens and towels, cold for anything you don’t want to shrink or fade(including any whites that fall into this category) warm for everything else.
Don’t over stuff!  If you can’t close the door, it’s too full! When you stuff your washing machine full, there isn’t enough room for the laundry to move around to get clean.  Basically don’t fill the machine more than two-thirds full.  Small, medium or large load?  Not sure?  When in doubt choose the larger size!  The same rules pretty much apply to the dryer.  Be sure to check the lint filter and clean it out unless you want your clothes to be fuzzy.

Laundry Courtesy 

Don’t forget that you are sharing a limited number of machines so try not to forget your clothes in the washer or dryer.  Set an alarm on your phone if you have to leave the laundry room. It’s best not to leave your clothes unattended because clothing may be placed on the floor by your fellow dorm mates.

Fold or Hang

Fold or hang your laundry immediately.  Unless you want to look like you just rolled out of bed, put away your clothes as soon as you’re done doing the laundry. Put your nicer shirts and pants on hangers before you leave the laundry room. Give jeans a good shake and smooth them out. Fold shirts, shorts and other items or at least hang them over the edge of your laundry basket until you get to your room then fold and put away.

Ironing

This is a topic left to another time for the over achievers in your class!