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A Freshman’s Survival Guide to Laundry: Ten tips on how to do the perfect wash

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brandeis chapter.

Accidentally died your white t-shirt pink? Did you shrunk your favorite sweater by mistake because you put it in the drier? Avoid future laundry fiascios by following these 10 helpful tips:

1.     Schedulemania! The most important tip when doing laundry is to remember to do laundry. Set up a time block every week dedicated for the suds. If you want to ensure you get a machiene, then go to Laundry View to check if they are available. This will help you avoid lugging your clothes up and down the steps only to find that all the machienes are in use. 

2.     Abandoned clothes! Don’t leave your load in the laundry room for too long! You may come back to your clothes sprawled out across floor and someone else’s load in your machine.

3.     Sharing is caring! If you don’t have a full load, divvy it up with a friend or two and split the cost.

4.     Scent Test! If you’re not sure if you should wash something, then ask your roommate and get a second opinion.

5.     Like with Like! Separate out that brand new pink or red shirt from all of your whites, or you’ll be showing off your pink streaked bathrobe in your hallway.

6.     Pass the Pods! Detergent pods save tons of time and make laundry really easy to do.

7.     Towel trouble! Don’t put your towels and sheets in the dryer with the rest of your load; you’ll be hanging up your wet clothes around your dorm for days.

8.     Study Party! Don’t wait around bored in the laundry room, bring a book and catch up on textbook reading or finish up an essay.

9.     Delicate Dilemma! If you have lace, embellishments, or delicate fabrics on clothing it’s a smart idea to hand wash these items.

10.   Ask around! Upperclassmen have been through the laundry struggles of freshmen, and they have great advice. Ask around for their favorite laundry tips so you can clean your clothes like a pro. 

Andrea is a sociology major with minors in journalism and women's and gender studies. She is currently finishing her senior year at Brandeis University. She was born and reared in Los Angeles, CA, which does mean that she is a die-hard Laker fan… Sorry Bostonians. When Andrea is not routing on her favorite basketball team, she dedicates her time to her many passions. They include reading and writing about fashion, traveling, exploring new restaurants, spending time with friends, watching reality television (she has a weak spot for Bravo), shopping, and working out.