By Taylor Combs > University of Missouri > Journalism

College is the first time many students do their own laundry, and even for old pros, sorting whites from colors isn’t the only thing one needs to learn in order to navigate doing laundry in a community setting.

Many dorms have community laundry rooms and students who live off campus may trek to the local laundromat to take care of their grungy garments. Doing laundry in public exposes some intimate sides of people.

“I think it’s weird how girls act awkward when they move their clothes and it has their underwear and stuff in it,” University of Missouri sophomore Dustin Steller said.

Sophomore Merit Meyers doesn’t mind awkward underwear moments when they are his.  “I think it’s kind of nice when a girl picks up your boxers,” he said. “Keeps things spicy.”

Using machines that others use can also lead to some interesting surprises.  Laundromat-goers often find things in the machine that the previous user left behind.

“You sometimes find underwear that isn’t yours,” University of Missouri freshman Mira Barasch said. “You could hang them somewhere and leave a sign saying ‘Did you lose these underwear?’”

Leaving things in the washer or dryer can be an issue for the owner of the item too, especially if the item is of special importance. Myers lost an Australian flag hooded towel that was a gift from his friends while he was in Australia.

“When I got back to check my clothes, they were done, but my towel was the only thing missing,” Myers said. “ I was confused and a little pissed because that towel means a lot to me.”

Myers used a little creativity to help find his missing memento: he posted flyers explaining what had happened and included a picture of the towel and his room number. It was returned to him sometime the next day.

Although it can be a great place to meet people while watching your clothes spin, laundry rooms do have some downsides.

“I hate spending five dollars to do laundry every two weeks,” Barasch said. “It’s a dollar to wash and a dollar to dry.”

She gets around this annoyance by using up the time left on the dryer when other people take their clothes out early. Other times, if she needs a small load cleaned, Barasch will combine it with a friend.

Another problem while doing laundry is waiting for a machine. Often when it is convenient for you to be doing laundry, it’s convenient for others.

“Say you’re going out and your big crush is going to be there,” Myers said.  “Well, as last minute as us men tend to be, during peak hours, getting that special shirt or underwear can be a bit of a wait.”

When you are in a hurry, waiting for a machine to open up can be the biggest laundry room dilemma. You must face the difficult decision of when it is appropriate to take someone else’s clothes out. Barasch has a rule of 30 minutes after the timer expires.

Whatever you face in the laundry room, knowing that everyone else is adapting too can help. 

“It’s a communal experience, as all dorm life is, and made better with the fragrances of detergents and dryer sheets,” Myers said.