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Laundry Room Etiquette

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.

 

 

  Now that you’re in college, a lot of things have become a major staple in your life. You eat Oreos for breakfast, you’re not in bed until at least 3am, and you now have come to the realization that you have to do your own laundry. For most, this is an essential part of college life, and pretty much life from now on, but whether you’re a freshman or a senior, there are some rules of etiquette to abide by when in the laundry room.

  These tips should always be in the back of your head when doing laundry, and going without them could cause more harm than good. And really, who wants to get into a fight about washing clothes?

  Don’t do laundry on Sundays

  The laundry room always seems to be bustling on Sundays, people coming in and going out with giant mounds of clothes in their hands. You’ll be lucky to find a machine open on your first trip. To save time and energy, try doing laundry on a Friday or Saturday when people aren’t as likely to do laundry. It could also prevent you from losing your clothes and getting into a fight about who saw that dryer first.

  Don’t fold your clothes if someone’s waiting for the machine

  We all like clean, folded clothes. But when the laundry room is in full swing and every machine is being used, don’t be the person that is sitting in front of the dryer taking your clothes out item by item and folding them in front of another person who clearly has an armful of wet clothes that need that very dryer. Get in, get out, and you’ll be problem-free.

  Don’t let your laundry sit in the machine

  We all know that these machines are unpredictable, and Laundry View never gives us the accurate times for when our clothes will be ready. But it’s always good to arrive too early than too late. Other people are trying to do laundry just like you are, and the faster you get down to empty your machine, the closer you’ll be to dumping out all your just-dried clothes onto your bed and rolling in their warmth. 

  Give people time to take out their laundry

  If a machine just finished and the owner isn’t there waiting for it, don’t be the person who immediately takes out their clothes and throws them on top of the machine. We all want to get our laundry done, but give them at least 10 minutes to realize their clothes are ready. Because think about it, would you really want anybody else manhandling your clothes?

  Don’t fold anybody else’s laundry

  It may be tempting to fold another person’s clothes as they just sit there in a giant pile on top of the machine. Maybe you’re thinking that it’s a nice thing to do, you’re being kind, helping them out. But more times than not, it’s just down right weird. If you wouldn’t want other people touching your clothes, why would you touch other peoples, let alone fold every article of clothing that they may or may not want people to see? Just leave the clothes be and let them fold on their own time.

  Following these simple guidelines could make the process of doing your laundry ten times easier. You can get in, wash your clothes, and get out with ease. Respect other people’s clothes, and be courteous to each other and you’ll have the best laundry room etiquette around!

 

All images via Google

Erin is now a senior at Emerson College in Boston, MA pursuing a degree in Print & Multimedia journalism. Originally from West Orange, New Jersey, Erin enjoys fashion, baking, hiking, traveling, and sharks. She is currently Co-Campus Correspondent of Emerson's Her Campus branch, and recently worked as an Editorial/Web Production intern and freelancer for Details.com at Conde Nast in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @appenzo.