The Ultimate Guide to Laundry Products

College is a major life transition that brings with it a host of new experiences and responsibilities. Although laundry is one of the more mundane changes, it’s a critical chore that college students need to get the hang of if they want clean, fresh-smelling clothes on a regular basis. When you first begin exploring the wonderful world of laundry, you might be wondering about the various laundry products needed to get the job done. Let’s review the various types of laundry tools and their purposes so you can master your laundry needs in college.

Detergents

Imagine washing your hands without any hand soap. Yuck! That’s essentially the equivalent of washing clothes without detergent. This is the key to keeping your clothes clean, smelling fresh, and looking great. The real challenge for most college students is finding the right kind of detergent. In general, there are three primary kinds of detergent: liquid, powder, and pods. Pods are more portable and convenient, but liquid and powder detergents are generally cheaper per wash. The trick is finding the right variety of detergents depending on your specific needs. Standard detergents work great with all clothes while others have a specific use such as removing stains from white clothes, treating delicate materials lightly, or tackling stubborn stains. Make sure to read the labels to make sure you have what you need.

Dryer Sheets

Don’t you hate when freshly-dried clothes stick to your skin like glue with that annoying static? Well, we’ve got a solution for you: dryer sheets! These laundry tools resemble small tissues and significantly minimize the static-cling of clothes. On top of that, dryer sheets make materials feel softer and more comfortable and leave behind a nice scent to give your clothes a long-lasting pleasant aroma. This way, your clothes are ready to be worn immediately after the drying process without any frustrating sticking. All you have to do is toss a dryer sheet or two in the dryer with a load of laundry. The more clothes you’re drying, the more dryer sheets you’ll need. However, usually one is more than enough.

Further Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Doing Laundry in College

Mesh Bags

One of the most underrated and underutilized laundry products is mesh bags. When you need to wash delicate materials but don’t have the time, patience, or money to pay for multiple loads, mesh bags allow you to mix all your laundry together while still protecting more sensitive items. For example, if you need to wash your underwear with everything else, tossing them in a mesh bag can eliminate the potential for snagging, pulling, and ripping. Mesh bags are incredibly affordable, easy to use, and super effective. You can use mesh bags in the washer and the dryer, although you might not want to dry some more sensitive materials such as wool, cashmere, or silk. You can find mesh bags at the vast majority of superstores, supermarkets, and drug stores.

Stain Sticks

Stain sticks are another helpful laundry tool to have in your arsenal for college. These pen-shaped devices are the most convenient way to remove smaller stains to avoid having to do a full load of laundry. Whether you spill some coffee in the morning (or late at night), drop a bit of ketchup at lunch, experience an ink spill, or fall victim to any other kind of stain, you can simply pull out the stain stick and apply it on the stain. These devices aren’t guaranteed to remove stubborn stains, but they can handle moderate blemishes pretty well. They’re a great tool to have at your disposal whenever you’re in a pinch.

Interested in learning more ways to prepare yourself for laundry at college? Head over to www.coinmeter.com for insider tips and tricks for mastering this weekly chore. We offer a host of helpful advice and actionable tips you can use to keep your clothes clean and pristine.

Essential Laundry Equipment for College

College is a massive transition in virtually all areas of your life even in the more mundane and everyday responsibilities. For many college students, undergraduate life is the first time they handle laundry all on their own. As you start making a list of all the items you’ll need to succeed in college, make some room for this essential laundry equipment. These handy, convenient, and low-cost items will make your routine visits to the campus laundry room or local laundromat that much quicker and seamless.

Laundry basket.

The corner of the dorm room might seem like the perfect place to throw your laundry for the first few weeks of college, but you’ll quickly be looking for an alternative solution. That’s where laundry baskets come into play. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, but their basic function is identical: to keep your dirty clothes in one convenient place until laundry day comes around. The best laundry baskets for college students are compact, lightweight, and foldable in some way. This way, you can easily store it away when you’re not using it to maximize the limited amount of living space you’re dealing with in college.

Laundry bag.

While your laundry basket is perfect for stowing away dirty clothes, it’s probably not designed to take on the road. As a result, you’ll need a laundry bag to haul everything from your dorm to the laundry room. A large bag of any size will do just fine, just make sure it’s lightweight, comfortable, and spacious. You’ll have to fit days worth of clothing in there and might even have to carry it a decent way if you’re going to a local laundromat. If you can find a hybrid laundry basket-carrying bag that gets the job done, you’re killing two laundry birds with one stone.

Detergent.

Detergent is critical when it comes to keeping your clothes clean and smelling fresh. There are plenty of high-quality detergents that get the job done, but the variety gives you room to choose what fits your needs best. The best detergent will depend on a few factors including your budget, the strength of cleaning your clothes demand, your scent preferences, and any sensitivities or allergies you might have. Some laundromats sell detergent which is convenient in a pinch. However, bringing your own detergent is going to save you a lot of money in the long run while giving you the ability to find a product that works perfectly for you.

Clothes hangers.

One of the most painful laundromat experiences is pulling out your favorite shirt or pair of pants from the dryer only to see them completely ruined. Sensitive materials such as faux leather, silk, wool, and suede aren’t designed to get tumble dried at high temperatures. This is where clothes hangers are essential. Read the tags on your clothes to figure out which items need to get hung up to dry instead of thrown in the dryer. You might find enough space to air dry your clothes in the laundry facility, but you can always move them to your dorm room with hangers.

Mesh bags.

Mesh bags are an effective way to protect more sensitive materials from becoming damaged during the washing and drying cycles. Undergarments, wool fabric, and other sensitive items can get snagged on zippers which can cause irreparable tears and holes. Instead of having to pay extra by separating loads, you can simply invest in a handful of mesh bags that protect your more at-risk clothing. These bags are incredibly affordable, easy to use, and highly effective. No more spin cycles of death! You can rest assured your clothes will remain intact.

Interested in getting more actionable advice for improving your routine trip to the laundromat? Check out CoinMeter’s insider tips and tricks so you can keep your clothes in tip-top shape and smelling great no matter what life throws your way.

College Laundry Room Etiquette: The Dos & Don’ts

College is an entirely new world of social norms and expectations that newcomers have to learn to navigate. The campus laundry room is no exception to this rule. There are some unspoken rules that govern how you do laundry in college. Catching up on these conventions and expectations can make it easier to transition to the collegiate laundry room.

The dos of the college laundry room.

Do come prepared.
Campus laundry rooms can get pretty cramped when there are too many people in a relatively tight space. A great way to avoid being in the way is to come with your laundry locked and loaded. Prepare beforehand by sorting by colors, removing tags, and getting the right detergent so you can simply load up, start the cycle, and leave. Even if you’re staying around, it’s better to stick to designated waiting areas than hanging out in the aisles.

Do take everything out.
Nobody wants to open up a washer or dryer only to be greeted by a mystery sock or undergarment, a leftover dryer sheet, or a random piece of trash. Make sure you remove everything from the load when removing your clothes. If you’re dealing with front-facing equipment, simply turning the drum is an easy way to ensure nothing is left over. Top-loading equipment might require a bit more effort, but the next user will be thankful.

Do clear the lint trap.
Dryers collect dust, dirt, and debris from clothing which gets deposited in the lint trap. While these traps are critical for keeping your clothes clean, they can hinder the performance of dryers when not cleaned out after every use. You should always clear out the lint trap and toss the remnants in the trash to keep the next person from having to mess with it. It’s a small gesture that only takes a few minutes but can have a huge impact.

The don’ts of the college laundry.

Don’t let your clothes sit.
College laundry facilities see a lot of use given the sheer number of people relying on the same equipment. It’s not uncommon to have fellow students waiting to swoop in and claim your washer or dryer after you’re done. One of the biggest laundry room blunders you can commit is leaving your clothes in the machine far past when the cycle is complete. If you decide to leave the facility during the cycle, make sure to set a timer so you don’t hold anyone up.

Don’t touch somebody else’s clothes.
There are times when you’ll be tempted to move another person’s clothes either because they’re sitting on a chair, taking up the whole table, resting on top of a machine, or sitting inside of the machine you want to use. Regardless of where the clothes might be, it’s a major breach of college laundry room etiquette to touch another person’s laundry. Instead, you can politely address the issue with the individual if you know to whom the clothes belong.

Don’t leave a mess.
Nobody wants to clean up after somebody else when doing laundry in college. As a shared space, it’s common etiquette to clean up after yourself when you’re done. Imagine showing up after a long day at school or fighting to wake up early only to see the laundry room messy, dirty, and cluttered. Don’t contribute to the chaos. Make sure to take all your clothes with you, throw away any trash, remove everything from the machines, and clean out the traps.

Looking for more practical laundry tips to keep your clothes spotless, clean, and smelling fresh? You’re in the right place! Check out all the handy info and insider tricks at Coin Meter today. You’ll find everything you need to master this weekly chore and make your transition to college as smooth as possible.

The Ultimate Guide to Doing Laundry in College

You learn a lot when you’re in college, and the majority of that learning takes place outside of the classroom. You learn how to make new friends, how to deal with difficult breakups, how to navigate disagreements, how to budget, how to cook, and…how to do laundry.

Before moving out, you might’ve done a few loads of laundry on your own, but – let’s face it – you really have no idea what you’re doing. And that’s okay! Everyone starts somewhere. Here’s a little cheat sheet to get you ahead of the game so you can look like a seasoned pro in the laundry room.

The Basics

Read the washing labels.
What if we told you there were clear-cut instructions for washing every piece of clothing you own? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it’s not! Every t-shirt, sweater, pair of shorts, pair of jeans, and, yes, even underwear has a washing label that outlines exactly how to properly clean that particular article of clothing. Understanding how to read washing labels can save you from permanently staining or shrinking your clothes.

Suggested Reading: Follow These 4 Steps for Unshrinking Your Clothes

Separate clothes by color or type.
One of the commandments of college laundry is to wash clothes according to their color or type. For example, all your jeans and jean-material clothes should get washed together and all your white clothes should be put in the same load. This matching and organizing help to prevent colors from bleeding and textures from losing their distinct feel. Ignore this one at your own risk.

Washing

Don’t overload the washing machine.
As a college student, you have a lot of responsibilities on your plate with a limited amount of time during the week. Naturally, when laundry day rolls around, you might feel tempted to stuff as many clothes in the washing machine as possible. You might be able to fit in every piece of laundry you have, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all turn out clean…which is the whole point after all. It’s advisable to leave about 25% of space in a laundry load for the clothes to toss and turn since that’s how they actually get clean.

Choose the right detergent.
While using a less-than-ideal detergent won’t harm your clothing, it can certainly keep them from looking, feeling, and smelling their freshest. Whether you want to get out stubborn stains, refreshen white clothing, or keep your favorite sweater looking vibrant, there’s a specific laundry to help you reach those goals. You’ll want to find the best detergent based on what you want to accomplish for the most successful laundry experience possible.

Set a fitting temperature.
There are a seemingly endless number of washing settings, especially on commercial equipment at the local laundromat or campus laundry room. A lot of these options are pretty straightforward, but the most important setting is the temperature. Washing something too cold might not get it clean enough while washing too hot can shrink sensitive clothing. Nearly all clothing has this info on its washing labels so check those diligently before choosing the best temperature.

Drying

Take out anything that can’t be dried.

There are several items that do perfectly fine in the washing machine that can get destroyed in the dryer. Cashmere, silk, rayon, and wool are just a few examples. Consult your clothing’s washing labels before tossing them in the washer and opt for air-drying or sun-drying for clothes that can’t handle the heat of the dryer.

Clear out the filter every time.
All kinds of debris, dust, and lint get picked up and filtered by dryers so your clothes come out looking fresh and clean. However, these filters can end up limiting the drying impact of a machine when they become too clogged with debris and air can’t escape. Before (and after) using the dryer, clean out the filter for an optimized drying experience.

Interested in learning more about how to master laundry days? Check out the Coin Meter site for more insider tips and tricks for making the most of this weekly chore.