How to Do Laundry at Uni (or College) for the First Time
Here's how to do laundry at uni in one go: sort your clothes into darks, lights and towels, load the machine about three-quarters full, add one measured dose of detergent, pick a 30°C (cold) normal cycle, and get everything out and drying the moment it finishes. That's it. The first wash feels like a boss fight, but it's really just five decisions.
If half your laundry is stuff you packed for uni and haven't actually worn since freshers' week, WORN is being built to show you what you really wear: Start my outfit diary
What you need before your first wash
Quick vocab so this works wherever you are:
- UK: uni, halls (or student accommodation), a laundry room, often paid by app or card.
- US: college, dorm or residence hall, laundry room, often paid with a campus card, app or coins.
- Canada: university or college, residence ("res"), laundry room, usually card or app.
The first-year laundry checklist
- Laundry basket or a big bag with handles. You'll carry it down corridors and stairs.
- Detergent. Pods are easiest for beginners because you can't over-pour. Liquid or powder works too; just measure.
- A mesh wash bag for socks, underwear and anything delicate.
- A drying rack (clothes airer). Non-negotiable in the UK, where lots of halls have limited dryers.
- Hangers for shirts you don't want to iron.
- Stain remover (a pen or small spray).
- Payment set up. Download the laundry app your accommodation uses or load up your campus card before you're standing in the laundry room with a full basket.
How much is laundry at university?
It depends completely on where you live. Some halls include laundry in rent, many charge per wash and per dry through an app or card, and US dorms sometimes still take coins. Check your accommodation's welcome pack or website, or ask your RA (US) or residence staff, and budget for roughly one or two washes a week.
How to sort and load
How to sort laundry (the three-pile system)
- Darks: black, navy, gray, dark jeans, dark hoodies.
- Lights: whites, pale colors, light gray.
- Towels and bedding: they're heavy, linty and need a longer, warmer wash.
Got something bright red or brand-new and dark? Wash it separately for the first couple of washes. New dye runs. That's how the classic pink-socks moment happens.
Before it goes in
- Empty every pocket. Tissues shred into a million pieces. Lip balm melts. AirPods do not survive.
- Zip zips, button buttons, unroll socks.
- Turn jeans, hoodies, printed tees and anything dark inside out.
- Put small stuff in the mesh bag.
How full should the machine be?
About three-quarters full, loosely. You should be able to fit your hand on top. Stuff it to the brim and clothes don't get clean and come out creased.
Settings: what to pick
This is the bit that looks scary. It's mostly just two knobs: temperature and cycle.
| What you're washing | Temperature | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday clothes, darks | 30°C / cold | Normal, cotton or "mixed" |
| Whites and lights | 30 to 40°C / warm | Normal or cotton |
| Towels and bedding | 40 to 60°C / warm to hot | Cotton or heavy |
| Gym kit | 30 to 40°C / cold to warm | Sports or synthetics |
| Delicates, knits | 30°C / cold | Delicate or wool |
How much detergent to use
Less than you think. One pod per normal load (two for a very big load, if the pack says so). With liquid, fill to the line on the cap. More detergent doesn't mean cleaner; it means residue and stiff towels.
Pods go where?
Straight into the empty drum, before the clothes. Not in the drawer. Liquid and powder go in the drawer (the main compartment, usually marked "II" on UK machines) or, in top loaders, into the drum first.
Drying in halls or a dorm
How to dry clothes in halls without a dryer
- Shake each item out hard as it comes out of the machine. It really cuts down creases.
- Hang shirts on hangers, lay knits flat on the airer.
- Space things out so air moves.
- Open the window a bit, or run the extractor fan. A room full of wet laundry gets damp fast, and damp rooms can get mold.
- Don't dry stuff directly on a radiator. It can scorch fabric and makes the room steamy.
Using a tumble dryer
Low or medium heat for most clothes, high heat only for towels and bedding. Keep jeans and hoodies on low (or out entirely) unless you want them smaller. If that's exactly the plan, see how to shrink a hoodie without ruining it. Clean the lint filter before you start. It's polite and it makes the dryer work better.
Shared laundry room etiquette
Shared machines are a social contract. Break it and your flat group chat will know.
- Set a timer on your phone. Collect your stuff the minute it finishes.
- Found someone's finished load? Give them a few minutes. Then move it neatly onto the top of the machine or a clean surface. Never onto the floor.
- Don't open a machine that's running to throw in "one more sock."
- Clean the lint filter. Every time.
- Wipe up spilled detergent.
- Don't hog three machines at peak time (Sunday evening is peak everywhere).
Here's the hidden laundry problem at uni: you pack way more clothes than you wear, then wash the same few things on repeat and still feel like you've got nothing clean. Figuring out what you actually live in is the hard bit, because you'd have to remember every outfit. WORN is planned as a one-photo-a-day outfit diary, no tagging, that would show you after a month the four things you really wear and the twelve you never touch. Start my outfit diary
The laundry mistakes everyone makes
- The rogue red sock in a white wash.
- Too much detergent. Your clothes come out stiff or slightly slimy.
- Leaving wet laundry in the machine overnight. It will smell. Rewash it.
- Washing everything hot. Faded colors, shrunk jumpers.
- Washing after every single wear. Jeans and hoodies don't need it. See how often should you wash a hoodie.
- Waiting until you have zero clean underwear. Then it becomes a three-load emergency.
- Forgetting the dryer eats socks. It doesn't, they're stuck in your duvet cover.
Want a routine for how often to actually do this? It's all in how often to do laundry in college.
That's the whole guide on how to do laundry at uni, college or in res: sort, load, pick 30°C, measure, collect on time, dry with air around it.
Pack less, wash less, wear what you love
The fewer clothes you actually rotate, the lighter every laundry day gets. WORN, by Viral Inc, is a waitlist for a planned outfit diary: one photo a day, one tap, and it remembers your outfits instead of scoring them. It isn't ready yet. Add your email and you'll get one message when it opens.
FAQ
How do you do laundry in a college dorm for the first time?
Sort darks, lights and towels, load the machine three-quarters full, add one detergent pod or a measured cap of liquid, pick a cold normal cycle, and pay with your campus card or app. Set a phone timer and collect everything as soon as it's done.
What temperature should I wash clothes at uni?
30°C (cold) works for almost everything and protects colors. Use 40°C for whites and gym kit if they're grubby, and 60°C for towels and bedding.
How do I dry clothes in halls if there's no dryer?
Use a clothes airer, shake everything out first, space it out and keep a window cracked or a fan running so the room doesn't get damp. Avoid drying directly on radiators.
What does Reddit say about how to do laundry in college?
The top Reddit tips for college laundry are: set a timer, never leave loads sitting, use pods, wash in cold, and don't overfill. People also warn against touching someone else's laundry unless it's been sitting a while, and then to move it carefully.
How much laundry detergent should I use?
One pod per normal load, or liquid up to the marked line on the cap. Overdosing leaves residue that makes clothes stiff and can make them smell.