Follow these easy do's and don'ts for bright, clean clothes every time. Learning to do your own laundry is a rite of passage for every college student and young adult. Be a friendly neighbor and practice proper laundry room etiquette. Otherwise, you might end up with your wet clothes on top of the dryer (or worse—the floor). 

 

Laundry Do's	Laundry Don'ts
Step 1: Get the right laundry supplies. Gather supplies ahead of time. Don't start the washing machine before realizing you're out of detergent or dryer sheets. Make sure to read and follow manufacturer directions. Here's what you need: Laundry Detergent - Required for washing clothes. Fabric Softener- Optional, used during the wash cycle to keep fabrics soft and smelling great. Do not use on athletic sportswear or towels, over time softeners may reduce the absorbtion rate. Dryer Sheets - Optional, reduces static cling and helps clothes smell great. Stain Fighters Laundry basket or bag Iron Lint Remover	Don’t be a bum. Ask your roommate before borrowing any laundry supplies. If you're sharing, be sure to restock when it's your turn.    Tip: Don’t use bleach or fabric softener to wash your clothes, use detergent—laundry detergent.
Step 2: Use a stain fighter. Keep clothes looking new and pretreat any stains with stain fighting detergent—especially if you save up laundry to do on the weekends.	Don’t use bleach on anything you don’t want to turn white.   Tip: Dishwashing soap works great to keep stains from setting. Pour a little soap over stain and rub into fabric. This helps to pull any oils out of the fabric.
Step 3: Separate your laundry. Whites and Bleachable If clothes are stained or dirty, pre-soak them with a bit of laundry detergent in the sink.  Light Colors- Pastels, greys and whites with prints. Dark Colors- Jeans, blues, reds, greens and purples. Towels Linens Delicates- Place in a mesh bag to avoid snags.	Don’t throw a red or purple shirt (or sock) in with whites. We don't have to tell you what might happen—this could result in pink undies.   Tip: Keep your clothes in great condition by reading care labels and following directions, i.e. don’t put wool in the dryer or it will shrink.
Step 4: Use the correct washer & dryer settings. Hot - Whites, linens, towels, or anything really dirty. Cold - Anything you don’t want to shrink or fade, and dark colors. Permanent Press - Minimizes wrinkles, washes in warm and rinses in cold water.	Don’t overload the washer. Fill 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full. Any more, and your clothes won’t really be clean (or dry).   Tip: If you’re unsure of the settings, use ‘Normal’ or 'Regular'.
Step 5: Do laundry when you have time to spare. Fold and put away your clothes right away to avoid wrinkles and unnecessary ironing. Iron button-up shirts and dress clothes before hanging them in the closet. 30 minutes per load to wash. 35-45 minutes per load to dry.	Don’t leave wet laundry in the washing machine.   Tip: Be thoughtful of your neighbors, set an alarm to remember to move your clothes from the washer to the dryer. This prevents mildew and bad odors too.    Tip: Laundry rooms are less busy late at night and early in the morning. If you're up late studying or getting up early, it's a great time to throw in a load or two.