One of the easiest way to start feeling like you’ve got a handle on things is to figure out laundry! Welcome to Adulting 101 crash course in laundry!
** Laundry rooms are disinfected daily, but be sure to disinfect the surfaces that you use to help protect yourself**
TLDR:
- Sort clothes into two piles lights and darks(reds go in darks) .
- Using the minimum marker on the measuring cap for detergent, wash in cold water.
- Dry on the lowest temp
***!!!*** Does not apply to Wool, Down, Dry clean and hand wash only
Laundry can get complicated, but if you stick to the basics you can figure out the details as you go.
SORT
Laundry begins when you decide to pull everything out of the hamper. Divide your clothes into 3 piles Light, Dark and Special. Be sure to check all of your tags the first few times to familiarize yourself with your closet’s washing and drying needs. This is also a great time to check your pockets!
Lights: include light colored clothing. I usually include colors up to around an athletic grey after that I consider it dark.
Darks: include anything that I feel would not be ruined if some color in the wash bled. Make sure red goes in the dark pile, it has a habit of turning your lights into pinks.
Specials: These require extra care. Wool, Down, Dry clean and hand wash only. Make sure to check the tags on the items to get specific cleaning instructions it varies for each one.
WASH
When washing clothes, it possible use H•E (For high efficiency washers) laundry detergent then use the minimum suggested amount of detergent. This will save you money on detergent and help keep your clothing and the washing machine in better condition longer. Keep in mind some clothes require special soaps. Down jackets and comforters should be washed using a proper down detergent. Wool often has special care instructions as well, so always pay attention to the tags!
DRY
Drying is just as important as the washing part, for 90% of your wardrobe you are likely to be able to use the lowest heat setting and be just fine. High heat has a tendency of shrinking clothes, damaging fibers and making clothes look faded and frizzy faster than if you use the lowest heat setting available. One common exception to this is towels. Towels can be dried in high heat, almost always (but it doesn’t hurt to go green and dry on low heat settings).
But some clothes have special dry instructions. Usually these instructions mean your clothes will shrink or become SEVERELY damaged if you don’t follow the instructions so hang dry or lay flat to dry when the tags says so!
Once everything is done drying don’t forget to retrieve your clothes from the machine right away, so other students don’t remove your clothes for you!
BONUS:
DECIPHERING CARE INSTRUCTION SYMBOLS
Tags can be hard to read, it’s like alien hieroglyphs, they can look like absolute gibberish! Check out this chart to help decipher some of the common symbols used.
MACHINE MALFUNCTION
If a machine is malfunctioning, call the number on the machine or go to CSC ServiceWorks and enter the Machine ID
CONQUERING LAUNDRY RESOURCES
Find videos and print outs that can help you figure things out!