Surviving College Life

Weird College Laundry: Dry-cleaning, Hand-Washing & More

Here’s my college laundry confession: my freshman year, I had a hard time figuring out how to turn on the dryer. Really. I’d been doing laundry for years at home, but my mom’s dryer was different than the one at school, and I couldn’t get it to turn on! I felt so stupid!

What I’m trying to say is, laundry can be tricky and frustrating. Just handling the basics of sorting, washing, drying, folding, and putting it all away is plenty for most students. But what about those odd pieces of clothing that take special care? That suit that needs dry-cleaned? That blouse you have to hand wash? How do you do that at school?

Dry-Clean Only

If you don’t want to trek off campus to find a dry-cleaner (or wait until your next trip home when Mom might do it for you) I’d definitely recommend using Dryel (click there and you can get a coupon for $4.00 off). There are directions in the box (which means its easy) and all you need is your clothes, your Dryel kit, and a dryer. Super easy, and it actually works. I still use it even though I live off-campus because its also so much cheaper than getting it done professionally.

If you have a nice suit, you may as well take it to the local dry cleaner-they’ll press it for you so you don’t have to. It costs a little more, but it’s usually worth it.

Hand-Wash

The trickiest part of hand-washing is knowing that you need to use a different type of detergent. You can’t just pour regular detergent in your sink and expect it to work the same way. I usually use Woolite-it just takes a tiny capful to do a sinkfull of clothes. There are directions on the back that tell you how to use it for hand washing. You can either wash your clothes in the sink, or bring a small tub (12″ by 10″ or so should do it) to wash hand wash items in.

If you’re not too worried about your clothes wearing out and decide to use the washer anyway, the least you should do is make sure the washer is set to a delicate cycle. But keep in mind that machine washing hand-wash only items could damage them.

Air Dry, Flat Dry, or Hang-Dry Only

Since dorm rooms are usually small, I got pretty creative with this. First, I bought an over-the-door 5-hook rack (like this) for about $10. I generally used it for coats & towels, but if I had laundry that needed to air dry, I would dangle hangers off the hooks, and drape my laundry over the bars of the hangers. That worked pretty well: it kept all the laundry out of my way, and reduced stretching, shrinking or warping caused by the dryer. I did this with my “flat dry” items too, but be careful because those are usually the most apt to stretch out. (Note: I don’t suggest laying your “flat dry” clothes to dry on your roommate’s bed/desk. )

-Jamie

Photo: At the saloon by ollinger

2 comments March 3rd, 2008

How to Do Your Laundry in 5 Easy Steps

You knew it was coming eventually—this is your lesson in Laundry 101.

A lot of kids don’t get their first taste of doing laundry until a week (or two… or three…) into college. Go into it unprepared, and you can end up with a load of white clothes that come out pink. Yeah, it can get pretty bad. Below I’ve compiled a few easy steps to help you successfully navigate your first laundry experience.

These directions just tell you how I do my laundry, and I’m more focused on ease than absolute perfection. So, if you want to spend a lot of time on your laundry, you should probably search out more detailed instructions. You can also consult your clothes’ tags for detailed instructions—remember that some fabrics need to be dry-cleaned or hand-washed. Also, don’t over-load your washer or dryer, as your clothes won’t get as clean or dry as fast.

1. Gather What You Need
   Quarters or laundry room cash card, detergent, softener (if you want), dryer anti-static sheets, and of course, your laundry
2. Separate Your Laundry by Color
   To keep colors from bleeding into each other, I recommend having three separate loads:
   Whites & Light Colors: white or very very light colored clothing
   Colors: any rich or bright colors (including jeans)
   Reds: red or dark pink ONLY!
   Some people do five loads—whites, light colors, bright colors, dark colors, and reds—but the above system should work okay if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on it. Just make sure you keep your reds separate! They can RUIN a load of laundry in no time!
3. Start the Washer & Add Detergent
   Pay to start the washer, and select the cycle and temperature settings (but don’t put your clothes in yet):
   Whites & Light Colors: if you have delicates, put it on the delicate setting, otherwise use normal; “warm/cold” temperature setting
   Colors: normal or permanent press setting; “cold/cold” temperature setting
   Reds: same as colors
   When the water starts, add your detergent.
4. Add Clothing to Wash
   Add your clothing and shut the lid. Check the timer to be sure you get back quickly (so no one steals your laundry!). Take a break until your laundry is done washing.
   
5. Dry Clothes
   Put clothes in the dryer with an anti-static sheet (if desired). Dry delicates on low, and other fabrics on medium. Hang dry anything very delicate (like bras and certain sweaters).

That’s it!

5 comments September 27th, 2007