The Laundry Process

Essay by Juan Delgado

There is a very vital process students must learn about before coming to the English Language Institute at Texas A & M. One of the most frightening things for a young student leaving the comforts of his home has to do with doing the laundry. Another piece of bad news for you guys is that it is something that has to be done, and drycleaners in the U.S. are very expensive. Therefore, we need to do it by ourselves. Calm down, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, for I will help you with a few tips that I have learned with practice during the first five months.

The first thing to do is practice at least one time at home prior to your travel. Check out what kinds of products are used at your home and check if they are similar to the ones sold in the U.S. Try to ask for tricks and memorize them because once you are by yourself, they will be very useful. Secondly, after being in College Station, search for the nearest washing machine and dryer. In my case, I am very lucky to have them in my apartment which helps me keep my clothes safe. I am not worried about washing room opening hours in case there is one.

Third, buy liquid soap because it treats clothing with delicacy. Do not forget to purchase a softener because otherwise the texture of your apparel will be different from the one that you are accustomed to. Fourth, before putting the clothes in the washing machine, remind yourself of separating it into two groups with colors and whites, this is a suggestion to prevent colors from mixing up with whites. After that, put the first of the two groups in the washing machine, be careful about the amount of soap you add in proportion to the clothes you threw into the machine, pay attention to the inside part of the cap on soap container, for it might help you with an illustration of how much soap is needed. It will take approximately one hour. After that, take out the wet cloth as soon as possible and place them in the dryer adding the softener to the machine.

Finally, if you do not know how to use an iron are you are not familiar with the technique, I would recommend that you read my last tip carefully. Remove the apparel from the dryer right after the machine stops. This will help you to avoid awkward wrinkles, and also fold your shirts immediately. This will allow you to look like if you were back home. If you follow these easy steps, you will succeed I have.