Here we are, Wake Forest collegiettes, the first few days into October. We’ve finally gotten into the swing of things; we know the food that is safe to eat at the Pit (well, for the most part), we have mastered the perfect time to leave our dorm room in order to get to our 9 AM classes on time, and we even have (a few!) friends. But there’s one thing I still can’t seem to get down: laundry.
Don’t get me wrong. I did various loads of laundry while living at home. I know how to separate my clothes (sort of) to prevent my whites from turning ‘Old Gold and Black.’ I thought I understood the correct detergent to clothes ratio. I was sure I knew the correct cycle to choose for each type of load. And don’t even get me started on how to remove stains. Shout stain remover used to be my thing.
Little did I know, my life has been a lie up to this point. No matter how long I keep my clothes in the washing machine or how much detergent I put in the little box, my clothes are NEVER wet enough at the end of the cycle! And I have to say it’s definitely a weird feeling finding your clothes post-wash cycle only slightly damp.
Photo from Huffingtonpost.com.
I’ve now gone through a series of steps to improve this. I’ve tried smaller loads, thinking, maybe these washers just can’t accommodate the same amount my washer at home can. I’ve tried changing the cycles. I’ve even sat in the laundry room.
On top of all of this stress, there is also the judgmental looks and aggression in the laundry room that only further my anxiety. Whether its entering 30 seconds after my load is finished and finding my “wet” and “clean” clothes strewn across the grimy floor (ugh), or the tapping foot of my impatient peers waiting for me to remove them on my own, my emotional state can’t handle it. Not only that, but also the fact that random hands are grasping my freshly cleaned underwear (kind of weird that anybody wants to touch that in the first place). In this new transition, where a large portion of students even pay to get their laundry washed for them, it seems to me we could all use to have a bit more courtesy and support in that stressful room.
Image from drheckle.net.
Coming to Wake, I thought my hardest obstacle would most definitely be my classes. But no matter how hard I try, it seems laundry is the one feat I cannot conquer. And with the pressures of having to make good first impressions on new friends, it feels like the one thing I should have is clean clothes.