Everyone in college or preparing for their first year of college please take note of something very important and crucial to campus life, doing your laundry. You may think well this is a simple task I don’t need to think on it too much. Odds are you will be one of the problem people that makes it hell for everyone else. So I’ve taken it upon myself to give you a written out version of laundry room etiquette since some people seem to be completely oblivious.

1. Separate loads before you go into the laundry room.

This is just a good habit to have to make sure that you spend as little amount of time in the laundry rooms as possible. Most of these rooms are going to be small so crowding may occur. By separating your loads beforehand you can easily just walk in drop your clothes in the machines and walk out.

2. Use the detergent that comes in pods instead of loose powder or liquid.

Under no circumstances should you use powder detergent in a college laundry room. Most people who choose this detergent don’t actually know how much they’re supposed to use so they end up making a mess and leaving it for the next person doing their laundry to deal with. Don’t be that person. The liquid detergent also tends to spill places and can cause some minor messes but not as much as the powder. Liquid detergent is acceptable but also a bit of an inconvenience to you since you have to measure out the right amount for your load and try not to drip all over the washer. Thankfully we have handy dandy pods that you throw into the machine before you put in your laundry and you don’t have to worry about a thing. No mess, no hassle, and theres no residue left when the next person comes to use the machine. The only issue some people have with them is the pod not fully dissolving and the outer casing getting on your clothes but they come right off the next wash so there’s no permanent damage to your clothes.

3. Pick the right time for you to do your laundry.

In college, everyone is going to be on a different schedule and therefore should be able to use the laundry room at a time that is convenient for them without worrying about having enough machines available. I like doing mine on Sunday afternoons because I have a lot of free time and can work on homework while the clothes are in the washer. Others like doing theirs when other people are at meals, when they aren't in class but know that most other students are, when people are off partying on a friday night but their at home, when they don’t have morning classes and can stay up late doing it, etc. There are so many opportunities for you to do your laundry. If the laundry room is packed simply wait for another time to do it when there are less people.

4. DO NOT USE MORE THAN TWO WASHERS OR DRYERS AT A TIME.

I get it, we all have a lot of clothes and tight schedules but do not occupy more than two machines for your clothes. That is insanely selfish and inconvenient for the MANY other people who have laundry to do. There are times like over a break where not many people are on campus and you know that the laundry room is going to be incredibly empty that it is ok to use more than two machines. Any other time, you should only use two machines at a time. If that means you have to do cycle through your loads one at a time then that’s what you do. It is not fair for you to place more importance on your laundry than the other people on your campus.

5. Do not start your laundry right before you are about to do something else.

If you are about to go out to eat with your friends or go grocery shopping, you shouldn’t be doing your laundry. If you are about to go to class or go to a movie, you shouldn’t be doing your laundry. Make sure that once you start doing your laundry you have time to at least get all of your clothes out of the laundry room before you do something else. Leaving your laundry in a washer for two hours when it took only 45 minutes to clean your clothes is absurd. It prevents people from using that washer while your clothes are sitting there. Same thing goes for the dryers. This keeps traffic flowing in the laundry room. Do not be the person who backs everyone else up.

6. Set timers for the washer and dryer on your phone.

The machines clearly show how long they will take cleaning and drying your clothes. You should have a timer on your phone so you know exactly when you can go get your things. Do not just sit there and wait and hour and say I wonder if my clothes are done. Know exactly when the cycles finish so you can take your clothes out in a timely manner. Again, this keeps traffic moving at a steady pace in the laundry room.

7. Leave the door to the washer open after use.

Leaving the door to the washer open after use not only lets people know that it is available for someone else’s clothes, it also prevents mildew from growing. If you leave the lid down when you take out your clothes then the washer has no way to air dry and once mildew grows on it, it’ll be extremely difficult to remove.

8. Take your laundry back to your room to fold.

Laundry rooms in college are very small, very cramped, and not the place you need to be getting in each other’s way. Do not stand in the middle of the laundry room neatly folding your laundry before you take it back to your dorm/apartment. Lug it back to your room where you have space to fold everything neatly without blocking other people. Laundry rooms are uncomfortable enough spaces without having to deal with crowds.

9. Try not to mess with other people’s laundry.

This is a rule that may be broken under the right circumstances. Do not take out someone else’s laundry from a machine after it has just finished. They should hopefully be on their way to collect it. Do not expect people to immediately be there to remove their clothes when the timer is done. But if people have left their laundry lying there occupying a machine for an hour after the timer finished then take it out and leave it on a table top for them to collect when they get back. You have to do laundry too. If they don’t want their items messed with then they should make sure they come get them in a timely manner.

Laundry is a tedious enough task as it is. Please help each other out and make it as painless a process as possible. Hopefully following these guidelines will help.