During my freshman year of college, I lived in a co-ed dorm: Nye Hall 
. It wasn't my first choice of dormitories, but it was my first year away from home, which meant anything was going to be the bomb-diggity.
I experienced all of the typical stuff—Kraft Easy Mac® , cinder block bed props, 3:00 a.m. fire drills, community bathrooms, and a noisy roommate (no really, she played the trumpet in the school marching band). Believe it or not, I found all of this manageable. The major challenge I faced was the dorm laundry situation.
Nye Hall had a laundry center in the basement. A scary, poorly lit, moldy-smelling basement. You never knew if it was safe to leave your load unattended and go back up to your room. Most of us did. The other option was sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair for two hours in really bad fluorescent lighting, attempting to get through a chapter of Biology while dismissing the peculiar noises that spewed from the building pipes and walls.
I tried a few creative ideas to avoid actually doing laundry, such as spraying Febreze® on my clothes to get another wear out of them. Yeah, I know—it was a little gross. I definitely do not recommend this as a daily practice.
As I look back on my college years, and the many loads of laundry that ensued, let me offer one piece of advice: Remember your quarters.
Remember your quarters not only when hauling your clothing to a laundry facility, but also when planning your monthly or weekly budget. I understand the whole laundry situation may prove to be unique only to us out-of-state college kids. Maybe you are living close to your parents and can do your laundry at their house on the weekend. Or maybe you have a friend with a washer and dryer who will let you do your laundry in exchange for pizza.
The point is to consider how quickly these types of minor expenses add up. As a card I once received read:
"You're living on your own for the very first time!
Have fun spending money on things like toilet paper."
What secrets do you have for making the chore of laundry more manageable?
Editor's note: We're excited to introduce the lovely and talented Rachel as the newest member of the Student LoanDown blog team!
Welcome, Rachel!
Hey, I see you have Woody on your desk. Does Woody have a prominent place in your home now or did he go the way of some of the toys in the movie (into a box or garage sale)?
I remember the days of coin laundry. Man did I hate it. Two secrets - 1) the washer spins clothes into little balls. Shake the clothes out so the dryer doesn't have to do the job. They'll dry faster. 2) Halfway through the cycle, remove items that are dry. Bulkier items, like jeans, will dry faster if you do this.
These will help you keep a little more change in your pocket. Or if you're really desparate, wear you clothes in the shower to clean them. Shampoo works the same as detergent (saving you money) and you're multi-tasking (an invaluable skill to have once you start working). :-}
Eagle Eye Lorry - You are absolutely right. That's Woody in the photo! I had a friend who worked at a toy store through college who gave me Woody as a gift.
To be honest, I have no idea where he is now. I fear he may have been a victim of one of my many “feng shui attacks” in my later college years.
Thanks for your tips. You are one creative woman! I just found out, a lot of college students now have the option of using "card cash" on their student ID card for laundry. How cool is that? Maybe someday they will even discover a way to email or text message you when your load is done.
Thank you lady
I think that an excellent small business would be a laundry business. Although that person would have to sign a confidentiality agreement for your unmentionables, I bet many students would accept a stand in mom. Just don't sue if your whites are a little pink. ;0)