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Laundry!

My kids went to camp, so of course, name labels were in every piece of clothing they'd wear. I doubt they do this in college, or do they?

How many towels are did you/are you sending with your child? Sheets? These are bulky and take up room, so curious to know how many you are planning on sending them up with. Blankets?

Laundry service - any idea of the approx cost of doing it like this. My son will probably do his but JUST in case...

Any other thoughts or tips?

By Marite (Marite) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 09:06 am: Edit

Debelli:

Actually, in a number of camps, campers are responsible for doing their own laundry. This is particularly true if the camps are situated on college campuses where there are laundry facilities in every dorm. My younger S did not need clothing labels for this reason.

In most colleges, students are responsible for laundering their clothes and beddings. A very few offer laundry service for bedsheets and towels (my old college used to do this, but not anymore).

Some colleges have laundry cards (in some cases, the ID card functions as a laundry card. I believe this is true of Yale). Other colleges are more old-fashioned and use coin-operated machines, so students need to stock up on quarters. I believe you put money onto the laundry card, adding more as needed (some colleges have photocopying cards that function on the same principle). Students also need to get their own laundry powder and anti-static film or liquid. We found that the individually wrapped bars of laundry powder are very convenient for dorm living. They're less messy to use than loose powder or liquid.

We sent my S off to college with two sets of bedsheets and three sets of towels, plus a blanket. The first year, we sent gave him a comforter, but it turned out to be too hot as dorm rooms tend to be well heated (to put it mildly). An alternative would be a couple of lightweight blankets to use together or singly depending on the weather.

By Debelli (Debelli) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 09:21 am: Edit

Thanks Marite. I did think of the tabs, def. better than liquid and the mess it could cause.

I figured 2 sets of bedding, just bought him a really cool quilt on Ebay - he wanted something bright as everyone said it helps to have bright boost your mood? Only 3 towels? Guess my son will FINALLY realize he can hang up a towel and use it again-something maybe college can help do something I've been unable to all these years!

He does his own laundry here at home all the time, so he knows how, the problem he has is he leaves it in the dryer and well, everything is wrinkled. Maybe not being able to do this in college will help him to look less schlumpy - but then again, I have to remember what his bedroom floor looks like, or looked like, haven't seen it under the piles of clothes, both clean and dirty any time recently! Hope there's hope for him in this dept!!!!

Thanks for your insight!

By Elleneast (Elleneast) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 09:38 am: Edit

It is funny that you started this topic because my daughter (who is finishing up her first year away) asked me the other day with a bit of chagrin in her voice, "How often do most people wash their sheets anyway, Mom?" I asked her how often she had been doing it thus far and she replied around once a semester. She was mightily amused at my disgust as I am a world-renowned clean freak and she certainly wasn't set that example at home. I actually think that she was pleased not to be demonstrating the OC qualities of her mother. I suspect that she asked the question because the sheets on her bed at school were starting to crunch from debris and dirt.

I don't think that there is a laundry service at her school but I would not pay for it if there were....she should be able to do her own laundry.

My daughter went off with one set of sheets (considering her track record, she should have taken two... ) , a comforter (no blanket), three bath towels, three hand towels and a couple of face cloths. After winter break she took back a couple of beach towels that she uses when sitting out on the lawn at school or to supplement her towel stock. She swims for exercise so the extra towels have come in handy.

We are in a position to drive our D to school with her stockpile of supplies but for those who can't, I know that Bed, Bath and Beyond will help put an order together for you and send it to the student. Also, many bookstores are well stocked with dorm items. You can always buy some extras when you get there.

Nothing went off to school with a label and the ID/laundry card function mentioned in Marite's post also applies at my daughter's school (Columbia).

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 10:12 am: Edit

Well, I am not a college parent, YET. But a couple comments anyway....

First, let me say that I MET my husband doing the laundry in Hill Hall at Tufts University. Of course that was the last time I ever saw him do any!

My girls also have gone away every summer for years to overnight camps where the laundry is sent out. I have name taped every single thing they own every summer. My kids have hardly ever done laundry (though know how to do it) cause they are barely ever home cause of full schedules and when they are it is for homework basically. Sending laundry out like at camp was helpful though not like doing your own. I am the type who does not put any of their shirts or pants in the dryer but hangs them to dry to keep them looking nice. Of course camp puts everything in the dryer.

Both my girls are opposites when it comes to being responsible about this kind of thing. Older one at camp kept everything totally organized, knew which things also not to put in camp laundry that would get wrecked. Younger one, on parent weekends, would find hardly any clothing in the drawers but I could not see the floor (clean and dirty clothes all over it) or the bed, and if she was made to clean up, she would take everything and I mean everything and put it in her laundry bag quickly so there would be belts, jackets, you name it in that bag! Also she would lose a LOT. She just got back at 3 AM from Europe and I have not unpacked anything but she claimed proudly that she has not lost anything (she knew I was concerned on that front) so maybe she grew up some on this trip.

Anyway, I likely will not name tape for college cause my child will be doing her own laundry. She already has name tapes on many items cause of the past. While I have not yet thought of packing her up yet, my guess is that as far as linens, it might be similar to camp. There, I sent three sets of towels (six bath), some hand towels, some beach towels (maybe less of these for the school year), two sets of sheets, quilt, blanket. Actually, for her 18th birthday which is RIGHT before she leaves for college, we are buying her all this stuff to use for the next phase of her life, as I do not want to send the old kind of stuff I sent to camp, nor use what she currently uses in her room. I am thinking of getting a down comforter/duvet/blanket and then a decorative duvet cover and a thinner blanket as well. I figure the duvet cover can be washed and also she will have the down comforter for years and can always change the look by changing the cover. That is not what she has now....now my kids have handmade quilts. A thinner blanket adds warmth but also is an alternative if not needing the down comforter.

Your post caught my eye cause I just got back from some open houses at colleges and at one of them (I forget if it was Brown or Tufts, might have been Brown), I saw this notice that you can pay for a laundry service! I am not going to be doing that but I was really surprised to see that they have it. I told my D and she said yeah, they wash it and it even all comes back folded! Sounds like camp!

But, she is going to have to do her own. And who knows? She may find her husband in the laundry room too!

Susan

PS, can't wait til the younger one has to do her own. She tends to put clean unworn clothes in the laundry bucket when she is asked to pick up in her room, just to be lazy and I refuse to wash unworn clothes. Am sure she will change out of necessity when in college!

By Marite (Marite) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 10:18 am: Edit

Debelli:

If your S leaves things in the dryer, he will need name labels! People are ruthless when it comes to emptying dryers so that they can dry their own clothes. And they are not over-nice about where they dump them!

By Elleneast (Elleneast) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 10:26 am: Edit

Good point, Marite.

By Mominva (Mominva) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 11:07 am: Edit

Just a note on the laundry powder tabs. My child has had to rewash more than one load of laundry because the tablet got caught in a twist or fold of fabric and didn't totally disolve. What came out of the washer was a gooey mess. So warn yours to disolve the tab in the wash water BEFORE adding the clothing! Mine switched back to liquid.

By Zenmom (Zenmom) on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 01:27 pm: Edit

Debelli, Yale has a laundry service for kids. Multiple options. I don't remember the details because we didn't go that route. D does her own laundry. You will get the info. in the student handbook that arrives during the summer. I have a list of things that we bought for D last year. I shall post it sometime in May after I talk with her about how she would do things differently. He will need Xtra long sheets.

By Rhonda63 (Rhonda63) on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 02:12 pm: Edit

Kids should do their own laundry in college. They should not think that chores like that are things they can just "send out" and have someone else do. Sorry, but that's my opinion.

At worst, your son will just wear clothes that aren't so clean. My D (at Brown) does her own laundry. At home, she used to wash her jeans after one wearing, now she wears them 2-3 times before washing, at least in winter. Also, send him w/lots of underwear -- in winter his clothes really won't smell that bad if they're not freshly laundered, but you do want clean underwear!

Sheets -- I sent D with two fitted sheets, plus one additional flannel fitted sheet which she did not use (room was hot in winter). And a pillowcase for each sheet. She doesn't use a flat sheet, although she took I think 3 blankets, including a down comforter. I have no idea how often she washes her sheets and towels.

She took two face towels, plus one superfastdrying hair towel (recommended for kids w/long hair who don't blow-dry, btw), plus a very nice terrycloth robe (also recommended, although I don't know if boys use them). She just gets out of the shower and puts her robe on, wraps her hair in the hair towel. So she really only needs towels for drying her face when she washes it.

I have no idea how often she does laundry, but presumably she manages. I don't think parents should worry about it too much -- there are plento of more important things to worry about! The repercussions of failing to do your laundry often enough really aren't that severe!!

BTW, Brown allows you to use your ID card, on which you can load $$, for using the washing machines and dryers, so you don't need to worry about having enough quarters.

By Rhonda63 (Rhonda63) on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 02:14 pm: Edit

x-long sheets -- I forgot to mention that these usually go on sale at places like Target in August. However, I have found excellent quality xl sheets at some of the catalog websites -- try llbean and lands end, which have them all year. The quality is better, and if you can find them on sale, they are not expensive. You can also buy separate sheets, so if your kid doesn't need a flat sheet, you don't have to buy it. And if you don't need pillowcases, you don't have to buy them either. And the quality is better than what I've seen at Target (although I am definitely a Target fan for many many other things!)

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 06:01 pm: Edit

Penney's has cheap xl sheets. I do not buy flat sheets and I buy cheap comforters that can be popped in the wash. Sometimes in a dorm the bed becomes a sofa and people spill things on it. I have known occaisions where kids have vomited on a bed. A couple of cheap twin quilts are also a nice addition in case it gets cold and layering is necessary or an extra cover is needed for a guest.

My S probably changes his sheets once a semester. His freshman year, the middle of his sheet actual had a stain that represented his entire body-body oils, I believe. I was horrified and incredulous that he had not changed his sheets that year. So now he does once in a blue moon.

For guys especially, too many clothes can be a problem. They put off the wash too long and then are overwhelmed. Better to streamline things and tell them to wash at least once a week.

My brother never learned to do the wash. My mother always did all of the wash, folded the clothes and put them away for us. God help any of us if we messed up the drawers pulling out clothes and there was no privacy in our household. When he went to college, he used a laundry service even though he was on financial aid. He still uses a laundry service even when he is down and out.

My kids do not do much wash because there is so much to do I am never caught up. There is always something in the washer, drier, needing to be folded, needing to be put away, needing to go into the wash. I just fill a hamper for each kid as I fold his clothes and it's his responsibility to get it to his room and into his dressers. Everything is labeled--not the clothes but the hampers and drawers so that even an idiot can put things away. They screw up all of the time just the same.

By Tabby (Tabby) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 06:15 pm: Edit

Bed, Bath, and Beyond has very nice XL sheets made of Egyptian cotton. S likes them b/c they were already soft. We only bought the fitted ones. Most twin beds do fine w/ regular twin top sheets. S took vintage, retro gold-stripe ones that his grandparents were getting rid of. 100% cotton and "already soft" like the XLs. You need two sets.
Bought inexpensive white bath towels at Dollar General and 2 dozen wash cloths. If they get lost (and some have), you won't care - unlike if you lose $4 wash cloths..
Send tons of quarters.

By Caseyatthebat (Caseyatthebat) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 06:40 pm: Edit

"He still uses a laundry service even when he is down and out." "Everything is labeled--not the clothes but the hampers and drawers so that even an idiot can put things away. They screw up all of the time just the same."


jamimom: Do you realize how hilarious some of your lines are? I hope I'm not the only one who laughs out loud at some of them. I'm thinking its the "clip" at which these lines seem to roll right off the screen at us. Everything is informative, to be sure, but some of it is a hoot to read!

By Voronwe (Voronwe) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 06:40 pm: Edit

Rhonda, I completely respect your opinion, but people pick and choose which chores they want others to do and which they will do themselves, from shoveling snow to changing the oil in the car to mowing the lawn to altering clothes that don't fit. None of us does EVERY chore himself or herself, and I don't really judge as to which chores I think other people should or should not do (hey, my sister thinks I am crazy for not baking my own bread!).

I have no problem at all with my son sending his laundry out, as long as he pays for it. Between classes, homework, projects, community service, weekend sports trips, sports after classes on weekdays, and a slew of activities, there is little time. His LAC has a deal where the laundry picks up once a week, then you get it all back the next day. I was there once when he picked up - it was very well done, all sorted and folded and totally clean. He knows how to do laundry and does it himself when he's home. Maybe I don't mind because I had such a horrible time in college - if I left, the stuff was pulled out and dumped if someone else needed a washing machine; stuff was stolen; I had to run back and then wait for a dryer, and people fought over them; it was such a pain. But I repeat, he pays for the service himself, and he does his own at home.

By Boysmom (Boysmom) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 06:41 pm: Edit

This is what I bought when my sons went off to college: one x=long fitted sheet. And only because we didn't already own xlong sheets. They took the old towels, pillow cases and comforters we had laying around. They don't need a spare set of sheets, they take the one set off, wash it and put it back. They did have enough socks and underwear to last about two weeks. After that they either wash, or I don't want to know what else. They've done their own laundry since they were about 14 (started high school) so it wasn't an issue. They had more important things to be traumatized about their first year away than how to wash clothes.

By Ticklemepink (Ticklemepink) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 07:12 pm: Edit

Laundry on my own last summer at Brown was... interesting. Since there was a washer and dryer for each hall (in Pembroke quad), there was enough for all of us to deal with them at different times. Because those things are FAST (20 minutes for washer, 35 for dtyer), I usually just sit in the kitchenette and do some reading while my laundry was being done.

I begging you all parents and college students... be respectful of your roommate!!!! My roommate did NOT do her laundry for 3 weeks straight (because she had SO much clothes) and did it right before her parents came up to visit. It was purely disgusting to look at her side of the room and see dirty clothes spilling out of her closet and basket. GROSS! If she had left them that way for another week, I would've called up my RA!

I did my laundry once a week... changed sheets every two weeks... Brought (and plan to for fall) two sets, 3-4 bath towels, bathrobe, 3 hand towels and 1 face cloth (easily thrown in with my clothes). Those super-absorbent hair towels are fantastic! I take it everywhere with me now!

By Sillystring7 (Sillystring7) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 08:18 pm: Edit

I saw something interesting at Penney's online. It was an "inseperable" sheet set that comes in extra long. Somehow the top sheet is connected to the fitted sheet (works sort of like a sleeping bag, I guess). Anyway, because most dorm beds have one side pushed up against the wall, they are hard to make up. With these inseperable sheets, the side against the wall is permanently in place. Sort of novel.

By Tropicanabanana (Tropicanabanana) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 10:39 pm: Edit

Man, I wish my mom would still do my laundry!

By Tsdad (Tsdad) on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 11:23 pm: Edit

Here's a hint I learned from from freshman year at Rutgers: Don't wash your scarlet gym shirt and and your whites together in hot water unless you like pink underwear. Also don't put liquid bleach directly on your pick underwear unless you like holes in your pink underwear.

By Rhonda63 (Rhonda63) on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 09:09 am: Edit

A couple of other things -- laundry tabs, bad.

Also, definitely make sure everything is washable including the comforter. Even if they never wash them.

And quarters -- your kid may not need them. Brown for example allows you to load $$ on your ID card that you can then swipe for laundry (and copy machines and various other things I can't remember).

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 01:26 pm: Edit

I brought two sets of sheets (normal length that did fit on extra-long beds) and two or three towels. I have very long hair and need an extra one for my hair. It was also nice to have a swimming towel - I just don't want to dry myself off after a shower with a chlorinated towel!

Washed sheets every two weeks. Senior year, I picked up a set of soft flannel sheets in addition to the other two sets. Probably a mistake, not from a storage perspective but from a comfort perspective. Thankfully had a friend who took notes for me during the first few minutes of morning class!

I also had two normal pillows, a husband pillow, and three decorative pillows. Ran short of pillowcases sometimes - not enough for one set to be in the laundry and one set to be on the bed.

I probably did laundry every 10 days when I lived in the dorms and once a week when I lived in an apartment with free laundry. Used Tide for the first few years, then switched to Woolite to extend the life of all my clothes.

In retrospect, really wish I had a drying rack. Just never got around to getting one. During the winter, they are great: the dorms get so dry that the extra humidity is wonderful to have.