The Art of Dorm Laundry

Laundry and dorm life aren't known for coexistence. It takes a little discipline, a bit of diligence and a lot of tricks to get the wash done before it piles up.

First, keep your time in the laundry room to a minimum. Laundry rooms are generally not particularly nice, and most laundry-related tasks can easily be accomplished in the comfort of your own room. Buy two inexpensive vertical hampers. By avoiding bulky baskets, you can save yourself quite a bit of floorspace while maximizing efficiency. After you've worn an outfit, separate it however you'd like (personally, I separate my laundry into colors and whites). Use the two hampers to differentiate so you don't have to sort later on. Pretreat deep stains before you leave the room--a brief consultation with Martha Stewart's Stain Removal Chart might just save your stained shirt!

Next, set your laundry schedule. It might sound odd, but it will save you the hassle of rushing to finish a few loads of laundry at the last minute. Count the number of outfits you have, minus one. This number will determine how many days you can go before having to do the wash. So if you have eight pairs of pants and thirteen shirts, you subtract one from eight (the number of pairs of pants) and find yourself doing laundry once a week. That way, if something comes up and you can't fit laundry in on that day, you'll still have one clean outfit left.

Decide on a common time to put the wash in, but aim for off-times. For example, I usually try to do all of my laundry late on Friday nights (after 10:00 PM) or early Friday mornings (6:00 AM). There are no lines, there is no one around to move your delicates into an overly hot drier and you can work on homework or other housekeeping projects while you wait for the loads to finish. If you have to do your laundry during the day, try to get it done while many people are at class--approximately 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. It'll save you from unnecessary headaches! You should also time your laundry and pick it up in a timely manner. It is rude to keep others waiting while your fresh linens sit in a long-forgotten machine.

I recommend folding laundry in one's room. It is easier to organize everything, and you can listen to music or the television. I always fold my shirts in a neat, organized manner as seen in this video. The fold is a bit tricky at first, but after you figure it out, it takes just under two seconds to complete. Pile your folded shirts, pants and other laundry in stacks of similar items so that you can quickly and easily transfer the piles into your drawers.

Most people think of dorm rooms as havens for old, smelly laundry. But with these tips, you can avoid the stigma and always be assured that a fresh, crisp outfit is waiting for you.