Cherokee Chronicle Times

College students and laundry


Unless mom or dad has conducted an informative “Laundry 101” class for them, many new college students have little experience in the laundry room. What with going to class, getting acclimated to college life and making new friends, laundry just isn’t a first concern.

For countless students, heading home for the weekend with the dirty laundry in tow may seem like the easiest solution. However, there are plenty of laundry resources available that help get the job done without having to make the trek back to mom and dad.

Online resources offer quick and easy laundry tips so students don’t have to call home for Laundry 101. The information there will teach consumers to maximize their laundry systems – saving time, money and effort.

The experts offer the following tips and supply list for laundry first-timers:

*Laundry can be a cinch with the right supplies. Make sure to add a laundry basket or bag, iron and board, drying rack, stain stick, laundry detergent and drying sheets to the back-to-school shopping list.

*The laundry process begins before you head to the laundry room. First, treat stains by blotting, not rubbing, from the back of the fabric to the front. Next, divide loads into lights and darks. While sorting, check that zippers are closed, hooks clasped and pockets emptied.

*Ease up on the detergent. Extra suds actually inhibit proper cleaning by holding on to soils and re-depositing them on your laundry. Use hot water to keep white loads bright and switch to cold to prevent darks from fading.

*Think twice before cramming the washer and dryer full of laundry. Clothes come out cleaner and less wrinkled when given room to move freely. Also, remember to empty the lint trap in the dryer. Doing so increases energy efficiency and speeds up drying to get back to more important things- like studying.

*Just like schoolwork, procrastination won’t make the task any easier. Fold clothing straight out of the dryer to avoid extra ironing later.

Good luck students, and moms and dads!

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