How to do laundry
When you run out of clean clothes to wear, it is time to do
laundry. Sometimes half the day is gone just doing what little
laundry you have since you have to do everything yourself in a
new city. Just remember, by using the inside out method
(wearing your underwear and socks inside out on the second
day of use) works only once per article of clothing.
Here is the list of places where you can do laundry:
Friend’s place: The best place to do laundry is at a friend’s
place. They may have laundry facilities on location and you
would do best to take advantage of this. You don’t have to
worry about leaving your laundry drying out in the open
where anyone could walk up to it.
Hand wash: All you need is to invest in a box of detergent
and a clothes line. All hostels have sinks that can be used for
washing your clothes. My first time doing this, it took me over
three hours of washing, re-washing, and a third wash until the
water turned a more or less clear color. After being satisfied
that I got most of the dirt out of the clothes, I had to squeeze
and wring out the water by hand. Depending on where you
are, how ventilated the place is and how warm it is, it may
take your laundry a day, to a day and a half to dry. There are
times when I used the hand dryer at a local restroom to dry
some clothes that I needed right away.
Laundromat: These are the second least expensive and a
good way to get your clothes cleaned and dried in one place.
After hand washing clothes for a month or so, take everything
to the laundry mat to have them washed well. Many
Laundromat’s will provide you with soap and fabric softener
for a small fee.
Hostel or hotel service: Be careful of using this service. It is
fast, convenient and relatively safe, but you are going to pay
for that extra service. There have been times where some
articles are missing or delayed in getting back to you. Most
times it is charged by weight. Make sure that you take the time
to do the math to see how much it is going to cost you.
Dry cleaners: I avoid them. They provide you with the full
service for a price. You give them your dirty clothes and
within a couple hours they come back neatly folded and ironed
in a bag, they even match up your socks. Convenient, but you
are going to pay for that service.