The Struggles of doing Laundry in College

I get it, doing laundry isn’t that big of a deal right? It really isn’t, but with most everything, there are a set of annoyances that come with it when you pair it with the fact that you are at college.

1. You have to do it (and fold it too)

Your parents are not there anymore to help with laundry so you will need to know how to do it (how much soap, what can and can’t be dried completely, what should be hand washed, etc.). It’s just another responsibility to add to the list when it comes to living without your parents (doing adult things can be hard). Sometimes, the hard part is just finding the motivation (and time) to walk yourself there and start the load.

2. Carrying it there

Maybe you’re lucky and there are laundry facilities on your floor, good for you! But unfortunately, there is also the chance that the laundry facilities are in the basement and you live on the top floor.  This becomes even more unfortunate when all of the washers and dryers are in use.

3. Having to pay for it

For some lucky people, laundry at their college is free, but chances are, you will be paying for laundry in college. Some people get around this by just bringing their dirty clothes home every weekend, but not everyone lives that close to home or can afford that kind of gas usage.

4. Other people

For some people, it is not the act of doing laundry at the college that is the bad part, sometimes it is other individual’s habits.

I have experienced, time and time again, that people will just forget their stuff that is in the washer or dryer and just leave it there for ages. There are times when I have gone to do laundry and BOTH laundry rooms were full with loads
that were done and just sitting there. When I come across this, I just take my load back to my room and try to deal with it later, but there are some individuals who are not that patient. Sometimes, when someone leaves their load in the dryer or washer and it is done, someone will take the clothes out and put them on the table or floor so they can start their load.

Another habit that I have noticed is that some people do not know how to empty their pockets of gum. I am not exaggerating when I say that every time I go down to start laundry, there is gum in at least two of the dryers, and sometimes those two are the only ones open. If you ever do end up with gum on some of your clothing from this, there is a simple way to get it off, that even college kids can do, as described in this video! You could also try just rubbing ice on it instead if that is more appealing to you! 🙂

If you are one of those people who just does not want to deal with laundry, you will unfortunately have to overcome that and just deal with it. The dos and don’ts of doing laundry in college dorms is an article filled with laundry room etiquette and tips to get you through the process!