College students are nothing if not expert procrastinators. In addition to putting off studying for your Bio final or waiting to write that 8 page paper an hour before it’s due, there’s nothing we tend to avoid more than laundry day. If the thought of lugging a mammoth sized bag of dirty clothes and gallon of detergent down to the basement and fighting for an open washer fills you with dread, there are a few strategies you can use to make your wardrobe last as long as possible.
1. Make Denim Your Best Friend
Jeans are most likely already a wardrobe staple for the average collegiette. They’re comfy, durable, and go with everything. Another huge benefit of investing in a few great pairs of jeans is that they can be reworn multiple times before needing to be washed. In fact, washing jeans after every wear is a huge mistake and will lead to the fabric wearing out, so rock those third day skinnies with pride!
2. Layer to Hide Imperfections
Layering different tanks, sweaters, and tees is a cozy and practical way to add some warmth and uniqueness to your style. Undershirts also place a barrier between your shirts and knits and your skin meaning that they can be washed less often. Plus, a cute jacket or cardigan is the perfect solution to hiding an unsightly stain or small tear.
3. Hang Up/Fold Your Clothes!
When you actually do get around to making yourself do laundry, the last thing you ever want to do is go through the process of putting everything back on a hanger or folding a million t-shirts. Even though it’s easier in the moment to just dump your clean clothes on a chair, properly storing your clothes will actually keep them unwrinkled much longer!
4. Dine With Care
It’s 9am and you’re feeling adorably chic, happily chatting with friends over breakfast in the dining hall when suddenly tragedy strikes—a spoonful of strawberry yogurt lands directly on your brand new sundress! Nothing feels worse than having to toss a barely worn outfit in the hamper because of carelessness. To keep yourself from ending up with more food in your lap than in your mouth, make sure to eat slowly and focus on your mealtime surroundings.
5. Use A Spot Treatment
If you do tend to spill, get in the habit of keeping a spot treatment pen, like Tide To Go sticks, in your purse for emergencies. Oftentimes tiny spots aren’t a lost cause and can be quickly removed by applying a tiny bit of bleach or detergent.
6. Bond With Your Roomie and Double Your Options
Sometimes a major benefit of being BFFS with your roommate is that her closet can become your second wardrobe. If you’re lucky enough to be able to swap sizes, ask to borrow an outfit for your big job interview rather than immediately panicking about the fact that your go-to black pencil skirt is buried at the bottom of a hamper. Just make sure to extend your roomie the same courtesy if she comes to you with her own outfit emergency.
7. Really Desperate? Hit the Mall!
If you truly despise the laundry room and have cash to spare, you can always put off your chores a few days more by heading to the shops and picking up a few new pieces to get you through the week. Hey, Victoria’s Secret does have 7 for $27 sales on underwear…
And if everything else fails, you can always just avoid the laundry struggle all together by never changing out of your pajamas!