Laundry

Laundry, the weekly chore that is somehow never ending, especially when you have to lug your laundry around. However, I hope that this list can be the definitive college edition laundry list for you. I think it’s practical, affordable,and follows the motto minimizing while maximizing. 

Before I dive into my recommendations, I’d like to tell you what I don’t recommend and why.

X Non-collapsible hampers / Hard hampers – They take up valuable space and can’t fit into odd spaces’

X Non collapsible totes / Semi-sollapsible totes / soft semi-collapsible totes – They all take up too much space to store and don’t really make the situation easier.

X Liquid detergent – It’s hard to clean up, you often don’t have a sink readily available

Instead, here is what I do recommend:

 Collapsible hampers – I recommend getting a hamper which can be collapsed completely for easy moving, is narrow, tall, and sturdy. You’ll fill this up each week with your clothes. A great alternative is a popup hamper which are surprisingly study and can be stuffed. 

Totes – I love these type of totes for laundry. They can fit so much and collapse down ot the size of a small dinner plate. I store mine in my laundry hamper, outside the lining. I recommend getting 3 – 1-2 for carrying dirty clothes, and 1 to put the clean clothes in as they come out. 

Delicates bag – When I was in college, I often found undergarments in my laundry which did not belong to me. I never wanted to lose my things so I got some delicate bags. They allowed me to clean everything while keeping all my socks together, my undergarments together, and protect anything that needed a more delicate wash but couldn’t have. 

Detergent –  I recommend using powder laundry detergent. The liquid can be messy and incredibly heavy to lug everywhere and the pods while light often just sit in the door of the washing machine. I would buy a refillable small thing of detergent and fill up a screw-top piece of tupperware which can be stored in your hamper with your clothes so you never forget to bring it. There is little worse than realizing you’ve forgotten the detergent and have to lug all you laundry back up to your room and when you return all the machines might be full.

Stain remover  – I use this one a lot, and I like it, but it’s not necessary. A tide stick from a dollar store can also work great.  

Keychain coin purse – Although most laundry units are moving towards digital, if yours does not, (buy this after you’re already there and confirmed the laundry setup) then consider getting , diying, or acquiring some kind of bag you can regularly fill with quarters (Find a working soda machine and put in bills to get out quarters). The keychain is so you can attach it either to your laundry tote or your bag so you don’t forget to bring it. Again, you want to minimize the amounts of trips you have to take while lugging laundry, so keep everything together, and if possible attached, to your hamper.