Laundry is an essential part of life. You wear clothes, they get dirty, and you have to wash them.

But it's still a huge hassle.

So whats a college kid to do? Laundry machines are either floors away, or non-existent, and the options are numerous and sometimes incredibly expensive.

But no worries! Your back to school sherpa (me) is going to take you through your laundry paces with some tips, tricks, hacks and downright spendthriftery (I just made this word up.) So break open a bottle of Tide and read along.

Detergent!

• Speaking of Tide, go ahead and buy a hige economy size jug of laundry detergent. Detergent is one of those things that you will always need, so buy it in bulk.
• You don't have to buy name brand expensive detergent. At the end of the day, you're putting it in a big tub with hot water. It aint that important, yo.
• You almost never have to use the recommended amount of detergent. Try using less and see if your clothes seem any less fresh.

Clothes

• Not to be gross, but there are clothes that you can get more than one wash out of (provided that you bathe on a regular basis).  Pretty much all outerwear will give you more than one wear if you roll deep with my good friend, deodorant.
• Buy undershirts. They are super cheap and they'll extend the life of your clothes and the amount of times you have to wash them. Ask your mama about it.
• Build up a an extensive library of underwear and socks. Because I lived on campus for four years, I learned that you had to wash clothes less often when you have more. An additional pack of underwear and socks will give you one more week before you have to wash.
• I'm gonna say it again: Bathe and wear deoderant. Often. It'll keep you smelling fresh.

Using Machines

• Most machines (if you have some in your building) are about $1.00 - $1.50. If its in your building this will be the easiest option.
• Try to schedule a time when people won't be there - weekends are mad busy. Find sometime in the middle of the day, during the week, and make it happen.
• A lot of people tell you to watch your clothing while they are being washed, but believe me - any person who wants to snatch your dirty drawers out of a washing machine mid cycle probably has more problems than theft. If your machine has a timer, put your clothes in and return 5 minutes before your cycle is done. This will ensure that people won't toss your clothes out when you're done and the people looking to steal your undergarments won't have much of a choice.
• If there is a campus laundry service that offers to wash and fold your clothes, don't do it unless you are a millionaire and you feel like throwing away money. The hour it takes to wash your clothes for $3.00  is much less than the hundreds of dollars it will cost per semester for them to wash and fold your clothes.

Fabric Sheets

• Use these. They will make your clothes smell inherently fresh and clean. They also have thousands of other uses, and if you stash them around your room near vents and fans, they will make the air fresh all the time.

Got any more tips and suggestions? Please, leave them in the comment section! Remember, we're giving away a $50 iTunes gift card this month!

DeAndre'

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