LAUNDRY BASICS (for the soon-to-be college freshman...)
1) Don’t ever wash new red items with anything else. Old, faded red items are not completely trustworthy either. If you wash new red with white, you may have pretty pale pink tee shirts, streaks, or spots. (“Bleaching” - #14.)
2) All soap is not created equal. If you put laundry soap, dishwashing detergent, or Dawn where it shouldn’t be, prepare for more bubbles than you ever thought possible.
3) Damp towel with laundry = mildew spots. Usually only on your best shirts, though.
4) Check your pockets. Pens do not launder well. Paper can and will shred into tiny pieces and cover everything in the load. Gum and candy are fun, too.
5) If you allow several days to pass between washing your laundry and drying it, you may get an unwelcome surprise. Although the items often do not smell funny at first, you will definitely notice a “funk” after starting to sweat a little. The funk is only alleviated by washing whatever it is again (sometimes twice), and using a dryer sheet when you promptly (this time) dry it. Ironically, this probably won’t happen to you except when you least need it to (on a date, long car ride, when you are exhausted and are looking forward to your clean sheets, or a weekend trip when you brought no appropriate extra clothes.)
6) Money will survive both the wash and dry cycles. However, it tends to come out of your pockets in the wash, and is often collected by the next person using the machine (who is probably moving your clothes to the dryer to use the machine).
7) Water temperature basics:
a. Hot is for white clothes only. Sheets, white towels, drawers, sport socks, tee shirts.
b. Warm is for medium colors (EXCEPT RED which was discussed in #1.) Regular tee shirts, khakis, most boxers, some colored towels. (You can wash these on cold, though.)
c. Cold is traditionally for darks. Jeans, dark socks, dark pants, dark towels, navy, black or RED stuff. (Or just wash red alone.)
d. Nice shirts (church/date clothes) that are 100% cotton can be washed on cold to reduce the likelihood of shrinking. (Hang them up to dry.)
e. If you absolutely must mix things in a load–limit it to things that you know aren’t likely to fade onto something lighter because they’ve been washed about 20 times or more – and use COLD.
8) You may want to review your labels before washing your clothes. If you see the term “Dry Clean Only” – it means “DON’T WASH THIS YOURSELF.” “Hand wash only” means “THIS NEEDS TO GO HOME TO YOUR MAMA.”
9) If the washing machine is making a horrendous racket and moving during the spin cycle, you should stop the machine, rearrange the towels or jeans (the most common offenders) to more evenly distribute the weight, and restart the machine (pull the button back out, don’t start all over.) In extreme cases, you will have to remove some of the clothes.
10) A stain stick works well for small spills on your clothes. BUT, they have to be treated fairly quickly. You don’t have to wash the item you have “stainsticked” immediately…but you will want to do so within 24 hours.
11) You may want to hang up items after washing that you don’t want to shrink instead of throwing them into the dryer. Yes, when dry, they will be stiff. To rectify the situation, put them in the dryer for about 10 minutes with a fabric sheet and/or a damp (NOT WET) towel. An added benefit in doing this is that you will probably be able to avoid the iron as well.
12) Anything with spandex in it doesn’t get dried, and may require the gentle cycle for washing on cold (regardless of color).
13) Use plastic hangers on wet clothes you are hanging up. The wire ones can rust and stain your clothes.
14) Bleach information (for the advanced or desperate). An important tip…read the bleach container for valuable information.
a. Bleach white stuff only.
b. Some fabrics can’t be bleached well – read your clothing label (unless you have cut it out.)
c. Bleach works best with the HOT water temperature.
d. Measure how much bleach you are using. Guessing is not a good idea. (Generally 1 to 1 ½ cups per load.)
e. Bleach goes in at a specific point in the wash cycle (after the washing machine has filled) and sometimes in a specific place on the machine. It does not get poured in with the detergent. Believe it or not, there are usually instructions on the lid of the washing machine, and the place to put the bleach is normally labeled.
f. It would be best to use a measuring cup that you aren’t going to be using for cooking (for obvious reasons) – and keep it in the laundry room.
g. If you spill it, be careful getting it up as it can seriously irritate your skin and eyes.
15) Depending on what you can stand…your sheets and pillowcase(s) need to be washed at least every two weeks.
16) Towels can make it for about 4 days if you hang them up. If not – one day. “Hanging them up” means on a rack in the bathroom, or over the bar of the shower curtain – not the doorknob or on your bed.
17) If you hang up your clothes when the dryer stops, there will be fewer wrinkles to iron out later.
18) The lint trap in the dryer should be located, and cleaned out after every load is dried.
19) Liquid detergent is easier to manage as the powdered kind can clump up and leave white places on your clothes if you overload the washer. If you see this, just rewash the items.
20) The load size dial on the washing machine is fairly important. If you put it on “small load” (or if the person before you does) and then put a large load in the machine, the water level might be off enough to not fully wash your clothes. Couple that with powdered detergent…and you have a mess.
21) If you have a bathmat in your bathroom, you will need to wash it eventually. You may want to wash it alone so that the fuzz doesn’t get on everything (if it is a standard bathmat.) If it has a rubber backing, after washing it, you can either let it dry by hanging it up, or put it in the dryer for a few minutes (10-15). (Just remember that as you remove it from the dryer, the rubber backing will be as hot as Hades, so be careful.)
Recap:
1. Sort your clothes by color/water temperature. Check the clothing labels of anything new or questionable.
2. Pretreat stains (stain stick.)
3. Check the water level and adjust it for the load of clothes you are washing.
4. Set the water temperature appropriately.
5. Start machine and put in detergent. Add clothes. (Or add clothes, put in detergent, start machine. Whatever.) Do not overload the machine.
6. Most often you will turn the dial to “normal wash” and pull the dial toward you to start the machine.
7. Add bleach in the cycle when necessary, if applicable.
8. When load is finished, go to washer, remove anything that you are not drying and hang the items on plastic hangers.
9. Clean out the lint trap in the dryer.
10. Move the remaining clothes to the dryer. If something is wadded up…unwad it. Find stray money and pocket it if it is yours (return it if it isn’t.) If there are bits of stuff like paper, ink, or Chapstick, find the source and remove it.
11. Put in a dryer sheet.
12. Start dryer.
13. When buzzer goes off, get up, fold your clothes, hang up whatever needs to be hung up, and put the clothes away. The “put them away” part you are hopefully familiar with from home. (If you skip this, you will eventually put dirty clothes on top of clean ones and will have to redo everything because you aren’t sure what is what. It’s a vicious cycle.)
PRACTICAL ADVICE
1. Learn how to balance a checkbook. Of course, this will not mean squat if you don’t write down your ATM withdrawals and debit card usage.
2. If people want to send/give you money, cook for you, do your laundry, or anything for you, be grateful. Everyone expects college students to be broke. This is the only time in your life that people will just hand you money without strings because they think you might need it. Enjoy it.
3. Go to church. Not only will this increase your chances of keeping your head straight and your heart right, but you will also have a stronger incentive not to be stupid on Saturday night.
4. Go to class…even if the professor speaks very little English, tests directly from the book (lectures cover everything BUT), 240 people are in there, and/or you are cheating because you have copies of all the tests from upperclassmen. It is the discipline of being where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, that is more important than anything else you will learn. It is something that you’ll need when you find a job. It is called a “work ethic.”
5. Get some exercise. You’ve heard about the “Freshman Fifteen?” It’s true. [Guys: If you are gaining weight and it isn’t due to late night pizza consumption, it is likely that you are finally completing puberty with a final growth spurt. Congratulations.]
6. Do not borrow anything without express permission, and don’t borrow anything that you aren’t willing to replace when/if you break it.
7. Don’t lend money unless you are prepared to never see it again.
8. Don’t expect your roommate to do “his/her share” of the housework or straightening up the room/apartment. Either do it yourself without an attitude, or learn to live with it. (That’s what your parents did…isn’t payback fun?)
9. Keep your place free of anything you wouldn’t want your parents to walk in on and you don’t want to have to try to explain. (Overnight guests, beer can pyramids, ashtrays.)
10. Bathrooms have to be cleaned. Invest in flushable wipes, a toilet brush, and some Soft Scrub.
11. Girls:
• Never take an open drink from anyone.
• Never assume that someone can or will take care of you.
• Don’t lower your standards.
12. Guys:
• Remember that every girl is someone’s daughter or sister.
• Treat girls the way you hope someone is treating your sister or future wife.
• Respect yourself enough to leave the “low hanging fruit” alone.
13. Call your Mother. She misses you.
14. When at home, respect the house rules. While you are old enough to make decisions and be held responsible for them, until you are independent of your parents (ie: tuition, car insurance, clothing, spending money) you need to get over yourself and consider their wishes on the few things that they require of you. You are getting a lot of the benefits of adulthood without the headaches.
15. Find a proofreader for your papers, a counselor or two to talk things over with, people to call in a jam, and a good typist. You’ll need them.
16. Learn all you can and do as well as you are able. It can be confusing in that the social and extracurricular activities are what everyone appears focused on. The truth is that you are there to get an education.
17. Be a person of integrity. Do what you say that you are going to do. If you say, “I’ll call you later”…then call. If you promise to help…show up.
18. Don’t drink. Every year at college, some go way too far in the name of “partying,” and die of alcohol poisoning or in car accidents. For the majority, you won’t see the damage until later. Stupid decisions really do affect the rest of your life. It just takes awhile to register (sometimes only nine months.) You’ve heard all of this before, and you’ve probably already made your decision. If you do drink, do not under any circumstances drive.
19. No drugs. No tobacco. Period. (Unless, of course, you want to spend the rest of your life trying to kick these habits after causing damage/pain to yourself and to those around you.)
20. Before you choose a major, spend some time asking God to guide you toward what He wants you to do. Then pay attention to the people that He brings into your life to help direct you. If you are totally clueless, and aren’t getting a strong indication, look at what your personal strengths are and head out in that direction. If you aren’t supposed to go there…you’ll find that out soon enough.
21. Don’t date anyone that you wouldn’t introduce to your parents without hesitation.
22. Start taking on more of the details of your life. Make your own doctor and dental appointments, do your taxes (the E-Z form isn’t hard), learn simple car maintenance, send cards, learn to cook, iron, sew on buttons, find a job, and check in with people (like grandparents) that you care about without being prompted.
23. Do not wait until the last minute to begin your term papers or projects. They always know and grade accordingly.
24. Want a tattoo? Find someone about 25 years older than you and picture that person with the tattoo you are considering. Yosemite Sam at 80 just doesn't have the same pizazz.
25. When you see other people (who you never thought would be doing things that they are doing) and you are tempted to just do what “everybody else is doing” remember that it is all an illusion. You are only seeing part of the picture. If you base your decisions on what “everybody else is doing” instead of what is right, you will regret it. Part of the illusion is that the others are all getting away with it. For right now…they may be. It won’t last forever...and therapy is expensive.
26. Although e-mail and the phone are much easier, every once in a while, write a note or letter instead. There is something about the written word – in your handwriting – that is special. People who love you don’t really care if you can spell, if it is neat, or if the wording is perfect. What they will cherish is that you cared enough about them to take the time to write – because in this day and age, time is very valuable, and written correspondence is very rare. Those letters will be treasured, kept, and reread.
27. Keep $20 hidden somewhere in your room so that you know you can get home if you need to. (My suggestion for a hiding place would be in an envelope in your Bible.)
28. Do not under any circumstances take Visa, Sears, Victoria’s Secret, etc. up on their offer for a credit card. If you want to establish credit, borrow money from a bank to buy a car…and then pay it off early. It is too easy to spend money you don’t have. Besides, you’ll be paying for your “new ride” and student loans once you graduate.
29. Be willing to do without. Part of the “college experience” is managing limited resources. By doing without, you learn to appreciate what you have. Then when someone sends you a care package, unexpected money, or gives you a free place to stay at the beach, it will actually mean something to you.
30. Maturity is a mixture of experience and wisdom. Experience is a result of making decisions…learning from bad ones, and growing through good ones. Wisdom is largely appreciation. The wisest people have strong appreciation for their blessings.
The final thing is to just figure out where you stand or at least which direction you are headed on three major points:
• God
• Relationships and Family
• Vocation
Of all of these, your relationship with God is most important. Some people turn from their faith during these years because they don’t want to go to church during college, or because they don’t see the point. Some find their way back later…some never do.
You will likely meet your spouse, realize that your parents have suddenly become more intelligent, develop closeness with your siblings, and know how to have and be a true friend during these years. You will see people wreck their lives with stupidity. You will know yourself better, discover and appreciate your unique gifts, and welcome people in your life who complement you instead of only those who are just like you.
What you choose to do will determine the quantity of stuff in your life, where you will live, how many more years of school you have left to go, and what sacrifices you must be willing to make to achieve whatever it is you are being led to do.
Obviously, these choices are all pretty overwhelming now if you think about them with your present skill set. But, it won’t be long before you will be there, and trust me, time flies when you are having fun.
If I have been preaching to the choir – and it is entirely possible that I have – I hope that you will know that you have a number of people who obviously care about you. You came from a good family, you have friends who care about you, and there is a family of four in Montgomery whose lives you’ve touched in one way or another in the time we have had occasion to know you…and for that we are blessed.
As you go through the next four years, know that you are welcome to stop by for a visit, that we’re a backup resource for proofreading, food, advice or conversation, and that we’ll have you in our prayers. There will be times when you will have more fun than you can imagine, and other times you will be more baffled than you thought possible. The pressures of managing the details of your life overwhelm some and strengthen others. You’ll probably overdraw your checking account, forget to call home, or get a parking ticket on campus, but you’ll also learn from each experience. We have faith in you, and have no doubt that you’ll be successful in this phase of your life.
Keep in touch!
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