Campus Laundry Tutorial

Put a whole new spin on your College Career! The Absolute Bare Minimum Information you Should Know Before Being Left Alone With A Loaded Washer and Dryer!

Now that you're a college student, your life has changed a lot. Plus, there's this little detail; probably no one mentioned that laundry would be part of college. Maybe someone used to take care of your laundry for you, but now you're on your own. That may seem like a big deal, or it may not, but if you take a few minutes to read this little section, doing your laundry at school will go smoother, and maybe even a little cleaner. It's easy; here's how:

Sort your stuff!
Follow care directions on clothing labels!
Choose the right cycle and water temperature!
Don't overload!
Put detergent, bleach & softener into the automatic dispenser
The cycle is done when "time remaining" on your machine display reaches 00 minutes
Select the appropriate drying cycle for your clothing
Remember (you've heard this one already) don't overload!

Now, for more details:

Sort It! Before you head for the laundry room, sort your clothing by color (light and dark) and fabric content. It also helps to keep heavy stuff like sweats and jeans separate from light-weight synthetics. Really delicate things, like stockings and underwear, should be washed separately. The same with red-colored articles of clothing - they tend to run, no matter what. You'll notice there's a special setting on your washer for delicates; use it to avoid damaging your fine washables.

Load It! There is no benefit to overloading a washer! Too big of a load means your clothes don't get clean and you risk the possibility of damaging your clothing. One wash load equals one dryer load. That's it.

The Complicated Stuff…Not! Pick the right wash cycle and water temperature following the "care instructions" label that's sewn into most pants, shirts, and sweaters. Because your school has chosen Speed Queen washers and dryers for your laundry room, you have three different wash cycles to choose from and three different water temperature options. The touchpad on your Speed Queen washer tells the whole story. The "Normal" cycle plus "Hot" or "Warm" water is a good choice for soiled and heavier clothing or non delicate whites. The "Normal" cycle plus "Cold" water is best for dark clothes like the red-colored things we mentioned earlier that are quite soiled but also might "run" - a situation that arises when dye in one piece of clothing discolors another while in the wash.

The "Permanent Press" cycle plus "Warm" or "Cold" is a good choice for pants, skirts, shirts, and 100% cotton clothing that is specially treated to resist wrinkling. Finally, fine washables should be washed by selecting the "Delicate" cycle and selecting either the "Warm" or "Cold" water setting. Heavy towels and sweats should be washed on the "Normal" setting, with warm or cold water. The touchpad display on your Speed Queen washer makes it easy to select the proper fabric type and wash water temperature. Got a bad stain? Click here for a guide!

REFERENCE GUIDE FOR BASIC MACHINE SETTINGS

Type of Stuff	Cycle	Water Temp	Dryer Setting
Whites	Regular	Hot	Normal
Colors	Regular	Warm/Cold	Normal
Permanent Press	Perm. Press	Cold	Permanent Press
Delicates	Delicates	Cold	Delicates
Wool	Delicates	Cold	Tumble-No Heat

The "Scoop" On Detergents & Fabric Softeners - Basically what you're doing when you add soap, bleach, and fabric softener to wash water is standard Chem 101 stuff. Just like when you're in the lab, proper use leads to good results. Remember to use only 1/4 cup of detergent per load as recommended on the washer!

Here are some pictures of how to operate our machines

Click picture to enlarge.

All right, Let's Work Up Some Suds! - Whichever selection you decide is right for you, press down firmly (but not too hard) on the panel area of your washing machine until you hear a "beep" and a small light goes on beside your selection(s). Choosing your wash cycle and temperature in this way will help ensure your clothes get cleaner and look better. Also, remember to close the door before you pay and then press the green “START” button to activate the washer - your washer won't start unless you do. And remember, once you press the “START” button, you will no longer be able to change your selections so choose wisely.

Your Laundry & The Environment - Your wash (and the wash being done by millions of other college students across the USA) has an impact on the environment. Use only 1/4 cup of soap and you lessen the chemical volume in the waste water generated by laundry use. You also diminish the chances damaging your clothing.

Before You Reach For The Bleach – Chlorine bleach is one of the most effective stain removers there is; however make sure to carefully read the washing instructions on the label of your clothing to make sure the use of chlorine bleach is permitted before you load it into the into the automatic dispenser. One other thing about bleach; chlorine bleach works best with white (and in a hot or warm wash), and "all purpose bleach" can perk-up darks when used sparingly (Like you're into being "perky", right?). But when you're doing darks, take it easy! Colored dyes and bleach do not easily go together.

How Dry Can You Get?

Read the care labels on your clothes again; you'll find drying instructions there right along with washing suggestions; typically clothes that can be washed together can be dried together. Don’t dry “lint-givers”( cottons) and “lint-receivers” ( synthetics) in the same load
Please do not overload the dryer as this condition slows drying action, and can extend the drying time. Overloading the dryer will also cause excessive wrinkling of your clothing and potentially damage your clothing.
Remember to always clean the lint filter before starting the dryer, if you don’t the exhaust airflow can be impeded which can reduce the dryers efficiency.
Make your cycle selection, pay and then press the green “START” button.
Do not dry rubberized or plastic materials.

Dryer touchpad settings are easy to understand. “HIGH TEMP” is the best all around setting for drying large loads, “MED TEMP” is best suited for synthetic fabrics and cotton fabrics which have been specially treated to resist wrinkling, "LOW TEMP" is for delicate fabrics and "NO HEAT" is excellent for drying fine washables. Don't forget to press the "START" button after you pay to turn the dryer on and whenever you open the dryer door during the drying cycle you must press the green “START” button to restart the machine.

The Grand Finale! - Fold 'em; stack'em; and put 'em away! Do this once a week and your social life will improve; your grades will get better...well, maybe not completely...Anyway, now you've got a whole new spin on college!

Good Luck!

You may also download this file as a PDF - click here to download.