Out of all the things one has to do in college, laundry would seem to be one of the simpler tasks. Wrong. So very wrong. Washing clothes, sheets and towels takes dedication. It takes sorting, a decent chunk of time, and if you're like me and you live on the second floor and the laundry room is in the basement, a commitment to leg day. Also folding. You have to fold things. As if managing papers and problem sets weren't enough. Thanks, higher education.
1. You set aside a day to do laundry. You're ready. Things are getting clean TODAY. It's written in your planner — or you ran out of underwear.
2. You sort out all of your dirty clothes. Whites. Colors. Delicates maybe? Sheets have to be separate because shirts will get stuck inside of them. I learned this the hard way.
3. Everything is sorted. It's great. Then you realize you don't have enough money on your laundry card (or that you have literally no quarters).
4. You have to trek to wherever the machine is to put money on said card (or somehow obtain quarters).
5. You have the money. Back on track. You begin the descent down the stairs into the bowels of the building to the laundry machines, all while carrying heavy laundry baskets.
6. You realize you forgot the detergent. You have to go back.
7. You try to make all of your clothes fit into one washing machine so you don't have to pay for two.
8. Everything is in the washing machines. It's all getting clean. For the next 25 minutes, you're free.
9. The timer goes off. You have to go back down to put things in the dryer.
10. All the dryers are full, except for the one that just finished. The only problem is, instead of just throwing his stuff back in the basket, the kid using the dryer is folding every individual piece of clothing. He knows you're there waiting, He just doesn't care.
11. He's finally gone. You get all your stuff in the dryer. We're coming up on home base here.
12. You get all your stuff out of the dryer. For the last time, you go up the stairs, invigorated by the promise of not having to go back.
13. You start to fold everything.
14. You realize that one of your favorite socks is missing.
15. You also realize that one of your t-shirts still has that ketchup stain on it.
16. You decide it's not worth it, and put everything away anyway.
17. After all is said and done, you take a moment to reflect on your experience.
18. And while you feel extremely accomplished...
19. ...you decide that you'll just wait until you go home to do laundry the next time.
