Many of us are reeling from having our summer freedom snatched away, and now we are focused on getting into the swing of college life once more. That means stressing about reading assignments, freaking out over pop quizzes and trying to get through the semester unscathed.

On this laundry list of worries, laundry itself is not a top priority for most students. Nevertheless, it is a sudsy fact of life that does not disappear once you get to campus, and is a part of fashion that is often overlooked.

Granted, since the advent of the washing machine, we no longer have to seek out a clean, flowing stream and some decent sized rocks to wash our clothes with. But, laundry can still be an arduous task.

Almost everyone has to deal with dorm laundry machines, even I. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree at University of California, Santa Barbara, I did all of my laundry in a dorm laundry room. I happened to live on the fourth floor of a building that had an unreliable elevator, so I often had to lug my hamper down four flights of stairs to get the job done every week.

There were two washing machines and four dryers for roughly 80 residents. Needless to say, I always felt like I had won the lottery when I walked into the laundry room to find that the machines were free. I am well aware that I am not the only student who has had to contend with a less-than-ideal laundry situation, and to those still embroiled in the struggle, I extend my deepest sympathies. I would also like to impart a few tips to get you through it.

For starters, try to do your laundry at odd times, be it during the wee hours of the morning or late at night, because most people are not willing to change up their routines to do laundry.

Secondly, always — I repeat, always — check the machines thoroughly before you load your clothes. Every time I neglected to perform this vital step, I was horrified to find that my clothes had somehow been washed with a thong that did not belong to me, or some guy’s putrid gym socks had been wedged in the rubber lip of the machine.

I also recommend that both guys and girls invest in some sturdy, washable mesh bags that zipper shut. These bags are wonderful if you need to wash delicate unmentionables. Or, the bags are great if you don’t want the buttons on a nice dress shirt or the gorgeous rhinestones on your favorite blouse to be torn off by an overzealous spin cycle.

Further, while detergent and softener are musts, I am a strong supporter of Downy Wrinkle Releaser and Shout stain remover. The Wrinkle Releaser, in my humble opinion, works more rapidly and just as well as an iron. And the Shout product is effective and can save your favorite stained shirt from being unwearable.

It is also important to wash all of your new clothing purchases before wearing them. This particular tip, like the ones that precede it, may seem like common sense, but I would argue that doing laundry in a dorm defies all logic and the rudiments of mathematics, so bear with me. I acknowledge that doing laundry after every new clothing purchase is not the easiest thing to do while living in the dorms, but it is worth it when you take the time to consider how many people tried on clothing before you bought it.

In sum, doing laundry can be a pain, but it is a necessary evil and an integral part of making a positive fashion statement. 

Jenna Belmonte is a magazine, newspaper and online journalism graduate student. Her fashion column appears every Monday in Pulp. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on September 9, 2013 at 1:13 am