Laundry question for the ladies

[disneysteve]

Okay ladies, I have a question for you. My wife does most of the laundry and although all of my clothes go in the dryer, she doesn't machine dry most of hers and our daughter's. She hangs them on the line (or around the house). She says that most women's clothing shouldn't go in the dryer. I don't know if that's true or not but she's the one doing it so I let her do whatever she prefers.

Here's the problem and question. Our daughter will be heading off to college next year and will need to do her own laundry of course. She can't do things the way my wife does them. She isn't going to have her own private laundry room or be able to hang things on a line to dry. She's doing to have to do laundry the same way I do laundry - washer and dryer.

Is that really such a big problem? Is she going to be wrecking clothing? Do you put your clothes in the dryer? I'm looking for a little perspective here.

[MonkeyMama]

Two things:

1 - It depends on the clothing. I don't put any of my professional clothing in the dryer (nor bathing suits). Just anything more delicate shouldn't go in the dryer, and regardless - even things that *can* go in the dryer will probably last longer if you don't use the dryer.

That said, in college I don't remember wearing much but t-shirts and jeans - which are fine in the dryer.

2 - Will she need quarters to use dryer? When I first moved out on my own I invested in a dryer rack (we had a washer but not a dryer). Folds up small and works well in small spaces. I still use mine to this day. Might save her some quarters anyway.

Just something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Moerman-Laundry-Solutions-Y-Airer-Folding/dp/B002KAOOXM/ref=lp_695488011_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1379683738&sr=1-18

[ReiMichiko]

Most Ladies clothes are (more) delicate than mens clothes thats why. But just like MonkeyMama said since its just collage its just t-shirt and jeans. So its fine. I've been doing my laundry for a while now and i just dryer everything, some tend to get worn out more than others though. Just my experience.

[bjl584]

Get her a laundry rack or two. She can se them up in her dorm room.

[BuckyBadger]

Some things can go in the dryer but will last longer if not put there. Some things should NOT go in the dryer. Most things can go in without any trouble.

Everyone I knew in college had a drying rack (myself included) for bras, sweaters, and anything that was truly delicate. The vast majority of clothes will do just fine in the dryer. Jeans, cords, chinos, leggings (what else would she wear) will be fine. Cotton t-shirts and shirts, sweatshirts, button downs will be fine. I prefer my clothes to go through the dryer (on moderate heat, of course) because I like the way they feel after tumbling with dryer sheets. I hate the crunchy feel of air dried clothes.

[disneysteve]

Thanks all. Drying rack it is. I hope her room is big enough for that. Some of the dorm rooms we've seen so far would have been tough to set up a drying rack and still be able to move around, especially if both girls have one up at the same time.

[Like2Plan]

Most of the time I use the delicate wash setting and then I hang most of my clothes on hangers (spaced out) in the laundry room to dry. I will even hang up some of my favorite Disney tees to dry. This keeps the fabric from fading and pilling up. I dry jeans in the dryer (with fabric sheets).

[Like2Plan]

It is good to find out if the laundry machines take quarters or tokens or cards or codes or ??. You could end up collecting zillions of quarters only to find out the machines don't take quarters...

[MonkeyMama]

Yeah, you can always just hang things up to dry in closet. I do that a lot too. Our air is very dry so it only takes a few hours to dry in closet or on a rack.

I am sure these are all things they figure out quickly (what is most efficient and space saving, given their situation).

[Bob B.]

When I was in college, it cost or $2.00 or $2.50 to wash clothes? I don't remember for sure, it was 20 years ago. But, the dryers were free to use.

A handful of years before I was there, there was a cost to use the dryers. Many students were hanging their clothes to dry in their dorm room (paying for washing but not drying). So, the university increased the cost to wash, and dropped the cost to dry.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Regarding quarters or tokens-- In 2006 the laundry at my son's school required the combination school ID/debit card. The debit card was used for all kinds of things--a share of paper on the school printers, food in the cafeteria, library fines, convenience store, photocopies, I think something in the gyms, etc. Not much need for cash on campus.

His dorm room was tiny-- could only have set a small drying rack on top of his own bed (which was a stacked bunkbed.

[riverwed070707]

Guess I'm in the minority here. I dry everything, including dress clothes. I don't iron, and if something sits long enough to get wrinkly, it goes back to the dryer to dewrinkle...

[KrystalTaylor]

Dry everything outside on a open rack here too! SAVINGS!

[moneybags]

Yeah, you can always just hang things up to dry in closet.

Probably not in a dorm room closet , too small.

A drying rack will take up too much space. Here's a bit of advice for your when you start your college shopping - start off with less. DD is 800 miles away at school, so travel is by plane. We started off with less items and told her to see if she could get by without them. Your DD can always get a drying rack later if she needs it. It's better on the budget that way too.

DD hangs her jeans to dry and many of her tops (per label instructions, if it says it can dry, it goes in the dryer). She just hangs them on hangers around her room, no rack.

[MonkeyMama]

Probably not in a dorm room closet , too small.

I regularly dry most my clothes in about 5 inches of closet space. *shrugs*