Laundry in college: How to be efficient?

I know this might sound silly, but I've never done laundry before and I'm moving to college soon where I'll have to manage it myself. What's the most efficient way to do laundry in college without letting it take over my life?

Understanding how laundry works doesn't sound silly at all - managing your time effectively in college is crucial, and every task counts. Here are some strategies and tips to consider for efficient laundry management:

1. Consolidate Your Loads: First, I recommend figuring out when your laundry room is least busy—it could be early in the morning, late at night, or even a specific day during the week. By doing your laundry then, you can use multiple machines simultaneously and cut down the time you spend in the laundry room.

2. Sort Ahead of Time: To save time and also protect your clothing, sort your laundry into light and dark loads before you arrive at the laundry room. You could use a divided hamper or separate laundry bags to make this easier.

3. Double Up Tasks: While you wait for your laundry to finish, use that time to study, catch up on reading, or other tasks. That way, you're not losing valuable study time.

4. Set a Weekly Schedule: Designate a specific day of the week as laundry day and stick to it. This will help you avoid the "laundry mountain" and turning your laundry chores into an all-day event.

5. Don't Overload the Wash: This might be tempting, especially when you're short on time. But stuffing the washer too full can lead to ineffective cleaning and can also cause damage to the machine.

Remember that this is a learning process - everyone makes mistakes at first, like shrinking a favorite t-shirt or turning a load of clothes pink because of a rogue red sock. But, soon enough, doing your laundry will become second nature!