Are you or a family member heading to college this fall? College serves many purposes, including the chance to learn some important life skills—like laundry!
In honor of this exciting new chapter, we’ve gathered 10 laundry tips for college students.
How to do Laundry in College: 10 Laundry Tips for College Students
Choose collapsable laundry bins
Between hauling clothes to the laundry room and the tiny size of dorm rooms, collapsable laundry bins are the handiest choice for college students.
If possible, choose one with multiple spaces to toss your clothes. This makes sorting by color much faster!
Stick to a smart laundry schedule
Don’t wait until you have no clean clothes left to do your laundry. Choose a dedicated day and time to do laundry every week (or bi-weekly), and stick to it, even if your bin doesn’t feel full yet!
You’ll also have an easier time if your washing session is during non-peak laundry hours, like early in the morning or late at night.
Always sort your clothes by color
Your parents weren’t lying when they stressed the importance of sorting by color. At the very least, separate darks from lights!
If you’re feeling extra organized, here are some tips for more detailed laundry sorting.
Turn clothes inside out
This simple hack will minimize how much damage your clothes suffer in communal washers and dryers. For bonus points, close every zipper and button!
Don’t overload your machines
Filling the washer to the brim does more harm than good. Though it may feel like you’re saving time, you risk unsanitized clothes, damaged garments, and clogged washing machines.
Use minimal detergent and add sanitizer
Did you know that most people use too much laundry detergent? In general, less is more when it comes to laundry soap. Even in large loads, one or two ounces is usually sufficient.
Air dry whenever possible
From workout clothes to sweaters, you may be surprised how many items should be air dried. Doing so can also save money on dryer usage and reduce clothing damage.
Keep a stain removal stick on hand
Let’s be real—college is messy! The secret to stain removal is to treat them ASAP, so keep a Tide stick or similar tool in your backpack at all times.
Label your clothes
One thing no one warns you about in college is how easy it is to lose stuff. Ensure you don’t swap garments with dormmates by labeling everything you bring ahead of time.
Always bring formal items to the dry cleaner!
Some garments simply aren’t meant to be washed in shared college machines. Remember to bring dresses, sports coats, suits, silks, and everything else on this list to your local dry cleaner instead of cleaning them DIY-style.
Have a great semester! If you’re in the Denver metro area, visit our WaveMAX in Thornton or head to our website for reliable dry cleaning, laundromats, and wash-and-fold services.
