This seems more like a college freshman's guide to doing laundry. Anyone who has been living in an apartment for at least a few months already does these things.

I re-sort my laundry after it comes out of the washer. I separate it by drying time so I dont have to spend more than I need to. Underwear takes less time to dry than jeans, so I put all the jeans in one dryer, t-shirts in another, ect. I never waste quarters trying to fully dry a half-dry, half wet load.

I switched to a powdered detergent to a) save money and b) make easier portions for individual loads. I have 3 Ziplocs that are reserved for individual measured loads. I put my fabric softener in Downy balls, which can also be portioned out beforehand.

I'm sorry, I can't get past the bruising or discoloration on that woman's ankle.

I'm actually quite happy using our buildings big old laundry room, rather than a washer and dryer in my apartment. First, I don't have to give up space in my place. Second, I can go down to the laundry early on a Saturday and throw 3-4 loads in the machines at once and be done with laundry in a fraction of the time it would take to run multiple loads in a single machine.

I carry reduced volume liquid detergent with me. When I travel, though, I put a few of those new 3-in-1 detergent/softener/dryer sheet combos in a ziplock in my suitcase. Cheaper and easier than buying detergent from a hotel convenience store if I need to do some laundry while I'm on the road. They work great.

No washer/dryer equals drop-off at the Wash -and-Fold for me. One of the real luxuries I've always indulged, even when I was a student and broke!

Damn, was all excited for some good tips. What a let down.

suzy8track you read my mind!!!

This is the most depressing photo I've ever seen.

Obviously, none of this is rocket science. I'm lucky enough to have machines in my building (though on a different floor), which means I don't have to travel far, though it's certainly not as convenient as having machines in my condo.

My two tips:
1. Figure out exactly how much time the washer and the dryer take. If you know this, you're not stuck in the laundry room/laundromat. Also, if you do leave, others will appreciate if you return as soon as your clothes are reach to be removed from the machine. (I set a timer.)

2. Multitask! If you know how long your clothes will be in the washer or dryer, then you can do something else during that time. For example, I almost always go for a half-hour jog while my clothes are in the washer.
1.

When I lived somewhere without any laundry facilities in the building, I would use my large, internal frame backpack to carry my clothes in - usually with a big sack made from my sheets too. Basically meant I could carry twice as much as I normally could.

even though there's laundry in my building (in the basement), there is only one washer & one dryer for 10 suites. i WISH i could drop three loads in at once like Terry. i don't mind doing laundry, i just hate having to take it out of my aparment.

My biggest laundry room pet peeve is when people leave their laundry in a washer or dryer long after their time is up. A few minutes is fine, but don't leave your clothes in the machine for several hours.

I have a laundry room down the hall in my condo. I use the large paper bags with handles that I get with take out to ferry clothes up and down the hall.

Presorting is a given, and then I pack a sandwich bag with the right kind and amount of laundry detergent in each bag. I bought the smallest Woolite container available, to refill from the large one, and tuck it into the proper bag.

Ziploc Big Bags are great. They come in three sizes, and are enormous. They are good for wet items, coming or going.

A bag of Charlie's Soap and a couple of dryer balls are all I need to do laundry: get the best quality soap you can find, and you won't need to use stuff like fabric softener and bleach, which are bad for fabrics anyway.

Big blue Ikea bags are my favourite for transporting clothes, because you can fit a lot in them, and they have flat bottoms, so you can stack the folded clean ones and carry them back without everything getting messed up.

I have to say, though, don't use multiple machines at once unless you KNOW it's a time when no one else uses them. There are few things more irritating about a communal laundry room than coming down to find someone has filled all the washers or dryers at once. You may save time, but you run the risk of pissing off your neighbors, causing them to dump your wet or clean clothes on the floor.

Also, no one likes people who leave their clothes for extended periods of time, or for that matter, having their clothes dumped out/handled by a stranger. Bring a timer to sync with your machine so you can come back in a timely manner, particularly if there is a high demand for the machines.

And yeah, these are the things I learned from the college laundry room. I'm happy to have machines in unit now. XD

Reusable IKEA blue bags.They fit everything when clothes are all dirty and jumbled in a big ball, then the flat bottom and large size opening make it super nice for carrying folded laundry back home.

Always always if you're leaving your clothes get back at the right time. People are forgiving up to five or ten minutes - but are not going to let your clothes sit and eat up their time to do laundry while you are off watching TV or blogging.

It's not always quicker to premeasure all the detergents - you got to consider the fact it also takes time to open the jar/ziploc bag and try to get all the detergent out and since neither were really made for pouring, you're gonna make a mess you'll also need to clean.

Yah i have to agree, especially when you are using apartment building washer/dryers- find out how long each takes and set an alarm! I know exactly how long a full load takes, i time all the washers to end at the same time and the dryers too. that way it 1- doesnt take all day, and 2- doesnt keep the machines occupied longer than necessary. Have a little courtesy people! on the other hand, if the dryer/washer JUST stops, give people a few minutes to come back down and get their clothes! i've had stuff taken out right when it ends and since i'm pretty anal about taking my stuff out on time, give me a minute to use the SLOW elevator to get downstairs. yeesh!

and to all you people who can't get past her leg - seriously? you've never seen anyone with circulation problems?

Thanks for this, moving to a new place in February with no laundry on site!

If you can, pretreat those persistent stains before you actually do laundry. Some people (like me) wait a week or so to do laundry and that ketchup stain turns into a major battle to remove...
Also, don't throw your shoes in the dryer...nothing is more irritating than hearing someone's old funky sneakers bouncing around in a dryer. They aren't supposed to be dried that way, and it can annoy or scare people who like some of us, wait in the laundry area for their clothes.

Number one tip: try and wait for a just available dryer so you can feel how hot it is. Or just get the attendants to clean out the dang lint trap.

For the past 6 months, someone in our building has been using bleach in the machines...as evidenced by the clothes (my favorite dress!) and towels with big pale spots on them. I try to wash a load of sheets or towels before clothes now, but sometimes I'm lazy and fill up both machines at once so I don't have to spend all night doing laundry.

Mostly I fantasize about 1) having my own washer (not easy to get an apt. with this in NYC) or 2) finding out who has been using bleach, waiting for him/her to put in a dark load and then adding loads of bleach. Sometimes I also imagine filling all the pockets of his/her clothes with shrimp. Bad washer-sharer.

It took me a long, long time to be ok with leaving my stuff with the laundry and letting them do it. Now I am addicted! Everything comes back folded PERFECTLY and I am a bit of a perfectionist. Of course, this means I have to give up anything that can be washed, but not put in the dryer. I figure that is what the dry cleaners is for.

You all have just made me retroactively grateful for having a washer and dryer. After I lived in a place where I could have a washer, I was looking for a new apartment. Found a gorgeous little Victorian with the bed in a turret room. It was darling. EXCEPT... not enough water pressure for me to have a washer/dryer. I said, "No."

My friend, who looked at the apartment with me, chastised me. She didn't understand the allure of having a washer - she used the laundromat all the time. I tried to explain that it wasn't the washer that was the thrill - it was getting back one full leisure morning a week that had been heretofore dedicated to laundromat duty.

When I get a big pile of used magazines, I always think, "I'll bring them to the laundromat, for those poor souls who still have to sit there waiting."

I've been using my huge old rolling suitcase to take my clothes to the laundromat. I was all ready to get rid of it after I moved, since I am a light packer and hadn't used it in years, but then I realized it's just the thing for taking a 2-3 loads over to the Washing Well.

I bring hangers with me to the laundromat and hang the clothes as I go. We also do all of our folding while there so putting away clothes is a snap. We sort our whites during the week by putting them in a separate hamper. My husband and I also have one hamper each for colors. One white load, one husband's colors, one wife's colors, one jeans, and one sheets/towels load and we're done. It usually fits in three laundry hampers which can easily fit in my hatchback. I buy giant bottles of Tide and Downy but I have two smaller bottles that I refill from the big ones so I don't have to carry the heavy containers. Generally, they stay in the car so I won't forget. I wash and dry, then call the hubby to come fold his stuff. I really want in-suite laundry, but it's nice to know I can get it all done in three hours every two weeks.

nice to know that in a post regarding DOING LAUNDRY, there will always be a few jerks commenting on the woman in the picture. stay classy, you guys.

that said, thanks for this. in college i shared laundry and now i live in a place that has its own, but if i ever get back to chicago, i may need these tips. doing laundry at a laundromat is something ive never done

Always unroll/unball/de-tangle anything that might have bunched up during the washing cycle. Balled up clothing never dries!

When my 3 kids were little, laundry would sometimes get out of hand so I'd head to the laundromat to have a marathon wash--leaving the kids with Daddy.

I'd take everything I needed...and a book.
aaahhhh....

i've never felt compelled to comment here before but after reading these posts feel the need to say that if i'm ever on a quest to find the snarkiest blog readers on the web, i'll look no further than apartment therapy. people actually take time out of their day to say something as lame as "these tips aren't that good"? if you're a laundry genius maybe don't click on this particular article. just a thought! happy laundering

While I echo the sentiment that people should not leave clothes for hours after they're done, I'm equally if not more annoyed by people who take my clothes out of a machine and pile it on a table when I'm only five minutes late to get it. It seems that, no matter how many loads of sheets, towels and jeans I have, they always manage to unload the underwear. :(

I'm sooo glad that I didn't have to do the laundromat thing. It was looking sad for a while there during renting (there's very few places to rent that have laundry nearby) but luckily bypassed it.

I can just imagine how unpleasant it would be. And expensive. It would have cost me $8 a load. ugh. My condolences.

Thankfully we have laundry access in the building, which isn't perfect but better than dragging stuff on the bus.

But I don't really get the whole "sorting" thing. I've never really had a reason for it. Same with fabric softener?

After years of communal laundry ( I used to drive to my Mom's from Detroit to Buffalo to do laundry once a month) I can only say that the biggest luxury in life is being able to do laundry during a time of leisure. Beg, borrow, steal, kill to have an ensuite laundry room in your home. I have an incredible all-new kitchen in my home but it's the laundry in the bedroom that visitors get so excited about.

i take my clothes to the laundromat in a suitcase.

i just cant lug it the 4 blocks away that it is and it just makes my life easier.

i try to go during the week early in the day to avoid crowds.

and i NEVER fold my clothes and stack them on the tables. it just seems like such a waste of time. i fold and pack.

oh and erinlynn i agree 100%.

i am always curious as to why people think that by leaving negative and essentially unnecessary comments adds to anything.

doing so doesn't me you look clever or interesting

if a post doesn't appeal to me, i move on but i don't feel a need to insult someones work.

Create less dirty laundry!

Wear things two or three times before washing (use your own judgement).

Use thin towels, smaller towels....they're easier to drag to the laundromat. I use a larger, but thin, hair towel all week, and dry off with a hand towel.

Hand-wash. I actually don't mind doing this. By hand-washing my tops, that's several fewer items to schlep around town.

ohjodi - This is where a lot of people draw the line. Wear the same shirt/pants more than once - oh no. LOL. I try to wear pants two-three times and a shirt twice before it hits laundry - I use the top of my shoe organizer as a shelf for these clothes. I just hate washing things til they need it since it wears them out faster - and I own a washer/dryer.

Interesting article -- http://www.geekosystem.com/guy-wears-jeans-for-15-months/