Inner page banner image that shows 4 light blue waves on top of one another

Student’s Guide to Campus Laundry

For many young adults, college is the first time they have to do their own laundry by themselves. It can be challenging to know what to buy, how often to do laundry and what exactly you need to do. While lugging your laundry home every two weeks may seem easier, the best time to do laundry in college is weekly. With this guide to washing clothes 101, doing your own laundry will be a breeze. You’ll always have clean clothes to wear, and you’ll be a pro in the campus laundry room. 

Table of Contents

How to Do Laundry in College

The most important part of doing laundry is preparation. To get the best results, you need to sort your clothes and learn which pieces of clothing need which setting on the machine.

Sort Your Clothes

Many students know you’re supposed to sort by color but still choose not to. If you want your clothes to last longer, you need to know how to separate laundry by color and by material:

Laundry Symbols

You should also consider your delicate items and clothing with special washing instructions. All your clothing should have a tag telling you how the manufacturer recommends you wash that item. Three main types of laundry symbols and variations of each type indicate how you should wash, bleach and dry that article of clothing.

When doing your laundry, look for these symbols:

Wash Your Laundry

When putting your clothes in the washing machine, remember these guidelines before you hit that “Start” button:

Dry Your Clothes

Time to get those freshly washed clothes dry and ready to wear! Before you throw your clothes in the dryer, remember these helpful drying tips:

Don’t Forget to Fold!

The final step of the laundry process is the most annoying and tedious for many people, but trust us, it’s necessary! When you leave your clothes crumpled in your laundry basket after taking them out of the dryer, they’re likely to become wrinkled. Why undo all your hard work washing them by letting them go unfolded?

You can choose from several different folding methods. Have a lot of clothes and not enough space? The rolling technique is popular for saving space in closets and suitcases. Want to ensure you don’t get any wrinkles in your new top? Put it straight onto a hanger when you’re unloading the dryer. If you want precision, you can invest in portable folding stations that give your clothes consistent, uniform folds.

Laundry Tips for College Students

These additional helpful tips will help you become a pro at doing laundry while away at school. Following these tips can help you avoid mishaps in your campus laundry room.

Best Laundry Detergent for College Students

We highly recommend investing in pod detergents because of their convenience. Regular liquid or powder detergents can be a pain when you have to lug those giant containers along with your dirty clothes into your dorm’s laundry room. Plus, you’re more likely to make a mess if you accidentally drop the container or overfill the measuring cup.

You can wash your clothes confidently with detergent pods, knowing you’re using just the right amount of detergent.

Visit Our Student Page

College life can be a whirlwind, and we understand that you’ve got better things to do than sit in your dorm’s laundry room, wondering how long your laundry will take. Caldwell & Gregory is proud to offer even more helpful tips on how to do laundry in college on our student page!