8 Must Haves For College Laundry
8 Must Haves For College Laundry
"I love doing laundry" said no college student ever. Sure, there are those few who find the laundry room a quiet place to study (especially in the middle of the night). But most students find laundry a necessary evil at best.
There are tips to make college laundry easier to manage, like sorting clothes in your room before you head to the laundry or even downloading your campus laundry app. But, here are eight must-haves to buy before you get to campus for college laundry novices and perpetual students still heading to the laundry mat.
2 Dirty Clothes Hampers
Two hampers are a must for college laundry. By sorting your white and colored laundry in your dorm room, you'll save a great deal of time when you get to the laundry room. Then when clothes are clean, they are easier to put away (or dig through) when you get back to your room.
Since space is always at a premium in a dorm room or apartment, collapsible hampers are a great space saver for those few times you have no laundry to do.
Most of these mesh or fabric hampers have a strap for easy carrying.
If you prefer laundry baskets, look for those that might fit under the bed and have sturdy handles for easy carrying. Plastic baskets are always a good choice because they can be easily cleaned. If you choose a natural fiber basket - like wicker or rattan - be sure they have a fabric lining to prevent snags to clothes.
2 Mesh Bags
If you don't like a collapsible hamper and want a dirty clothes bag, be sure to get one made of mesh. Mesh bags allow your dirty laundry to get some air and not mildew before you get around to doing it.
No matter what hamper you choose, be sure to get a mesh bag for washing small items. If you put all of your socks in a mesh laundry bag and tie it shut, you can throw the whole thing in the washer and never lose a sock.
The bags shown with tags for labeling are actually used for sports gear by team managers so everyone gets their own stuff back.
Mesh bags also work well for delicate bras and underwear that should never go into a dryer. The mesh bag makes them easy to find. You'll find a million uses.
Easy To Use Detergent
When we start out, most of us grab the same detergent our Mom uses at home. You may even want to continue using it to keep that familiar fresh laundry smell while you're away from home.
I would never want to suggest that Mom doesn't know best about laundry. But, I'm betting that she has several types of detergent and other tricks of the trade for handling home laundry. College laundry needs to be as simple as possible.
But I suggest that you investigate laundry products that include stain removers, brightening and whitening agents and come in single use units. Single use products are more costly per load but the convenience is unmatchable. It is nearly impossible to carry multiple bottles to a laundry room.
For the best results, Persil, Wisk and Tide are the highest rated detergents by Consumer Reports. All are heavy duty products available in single dose units (scented and unscented) that will handle most stains and streamline the laundry process.
Stain Removers
Stains happen. Keep stain remover pens on hand to treat stains as soon as they happen or at least before you toss something in the hamper. To pretreat stains before you wash clothes, use a solid or gel stain stick - no spilling! For best results, apply the stain remover to the stain and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before you toss in the washer (gives the stuff time to work).
Don't reach for chlorine bleach unless you are experienced at doing laundry.
Rely instead on oxygen-based bleach for removing tough stains. It is safe for all washable fabrics and you won't end up with mysterious spots on your clothing.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets come in scented and unscented varieties. They help reduce static cling and soften clothes making wrinkles easier to remove. You can also use scented dryer sheets to freshen stinky shoes and even dust computer monitors!
Collapsible Drying Rack
A collapsible drying rack can be used for drying bath towels between uses (there are never enough towel racks in the bathroom), drying rain soaked coats and even for freshly washed clothes. Most college dryers are set permanently on high heat and that can ruin sweaters, delicate garments and work out gear.
One of the oldest styles, X-frame drying racks are study and able to hold a number of garments while taking up only a small amount of floorspace.
While most are made from wood, they are lightweight and sizes and finishes can vary. Even an over-the-door drying rack will help make laundry easier.
If you aren't comfortable with or pleased about using an iron, get a clothes steamer. A travel size steamer is perfect for a dorm room.
Simply hang up your garment and run the steamer over it. This will take out nearly every wrinkle.
I promise that Mom or Dad will welcome a phone call home for laundry advice. But, if you just don't want to "bother them" and risk that they ask a lot of questions, simply bookmark About Laundry on your phone.
Here are the basics to get you through your college career with relatively clean clothes:
"I love doing laundry" said no college student ever. Sure, there are those few who find the laundry room a quiet place to study (especially in the middle of the night). But most students find laundry a necessary evil at best.
There are tips to make college laundry easier to manage, like sorting clothes in your room before you head to the laundry or even downloading your campus laundry app. But, here are eight must-haves to buy before you get to campus for college laundry novices and perpetual students still heading to the laundry mat.
2 Dirty Clothes Hampers
Two hampers are a must for college laundry. By sorting your white and colored laundry in your dorm room, you'll save a great deal of time when you get to the laundry room. Then when clothes are clean, they are easier to put away (or dig through) when you get back to your room.
Since space is always at a premium in a dorm room or apartment, collapsible hampers are a great space saver for those few times you have no laundry to do.
Most of these mesh or fabric hampers have a strap for easy carrying.
If you prefer laundry baskets, look for those that might fit under the bed and have sturdy handles for easy carrying. Plastic baskets are always a good choice because they can be easily cleaned. If you choose a natural fiber basket - like wicker or rattan - be sure they have a fabric lining to prevent snags to clothes.
2 Mesh Bags
If you don't like a collapsible hamper and want a dirty clothes bag, be sure to get one made of mesh. Mesh bags allow your dirty laundry to get some air and not mildew before you get around to doing it.
No matter what hamper you choose, be sure to get a mesh bag for washing small items. If you put all of your socks in a mesh laundry bag and tie it shut, you can throw the whole thing in the washer and never lose a sock.
The bags shown with tags for labeling are actually used for sports gear by team managers so everyone gets their own stuff back.
Mesh bags also work well for delicate bras and underwear that should never go into a dryer. The mesh bag makes them easy to find. You'll find a million uses.
Easy To Use Detergent
When we start out, most of us grab the same detergent our Mom uses at home. You may even want to continue using it to keep that familiar fresh laundry smell while you're away from home.
I would never want to suggest that Mom doesn't know best about laundry. But, I'm betting that she has several types of detergent and other tricks of the trade for handling home laundry. College laundry needs to be as simple as possible.
But I suggest that you investigate laundry products that include stain removers, brightening and whitening agents and come in single use units. Single use products are more costly per load but the convenience is unmatchable. It is nearly impossible to carry multiple bottles to a laundry room.
For the best results, Persil, Wisk and Tide are the highest rated detergents by Consumer Reports. All are heavy duty products available in single dose units (scented and unscented) that will handle most stains and streamline the laundry process.
Stain Removers
Stains happen. Keep stain remover pens on hand to treat stains as soon as they happen or at least before you toss something in the hamper. To pretreat stains before you wash clothes, use a solid or gel stain stick - no spilling! For best results, apply the stain remover to the stain and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before you toss in the washer (gives the stuff time to work).
Don't reach for chlorine bleach unless you are experienced at doing laundry.
Rely instead on oxygen-based bleach for removing tough stains. It is safe for all washable fabrics and you won't end up with mysterious spots on your clothing.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets come in scented and unscented varieties. They help reduce static cling and soften clothes making wrinkles easier to remove. You can also use scented dryer sheets to freshen stinky shoes and even dust computer monitors!
Collapsible Drying Rack
A collapsible drying rack can be used for drying bath towels between uses (there are never enough towel racks in the bathroom), drying rain soaked coats and even for freshly washed clothes. Most college dryers are set permanently on high heat and that can ruin sweaters, delicate garments and work out gear.
One of the oldest styles, X-frame drying racks are study and able to hold a number of garments while taking up only a small amount of floorspace.
While most are made from wood, they are lightweight and sizes and finishes can vary. Even an over-the-door drying rack will help make laundry easier.
If you aren't comfortable with or pleased about using an iron, get a clothes steamer. A travel size steamer is perfect for a dorm room.
Simply hang up your garment and run the steamer over it. This will take out nearly every wrinkle.
I promise that Mom or Dad will welcome a phone call home for laundry advice. But, if you just don't want to "bother them" and risk that they ask a lot of questions, simply bookmark About Laundry on your phone.
Here are the basics to get you through your college career with relatively clean clothes:
- How To Do Laundry In 10 Easy Steps
- Stain Removal A to Z
- Color Bleeding (you washed that red sock in your white underwear)
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