Are you a seasoned laundry pro? Or a newbie? No matter what your answer is, check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn how to do laundry at Midd and how to do it the most sustainable way possible!

Q: Where is the laundry room? 

A: 

In Stewart, it is on the first floor. There are two stairwells, the Proctor side and the Mccullough side. The laundry room is on the Mccullough side stairwell. If you walk past the Pit (the yellow room) you walk through the doors (towards the dorm rooms) it will be the first 2 doors on your right. 

In Hepburn, the laundry room is in the basement. The stairs are located to the left of the elevator (alternatively you can take the elevator to the basement). After walking down the stairs, turn right, (go through some doors) and then left (you will see a door leading outside, if you go through it, you’ve gone too far!). There are two laundry rooms in hepburn (although they are right next to each other). You can use either! 

Q: How do I do laundry? 

A: 

  1. Purchase a laundry card Middlebury uses a pay system where you can purchase a card at the bookstore. It comes with enough money on it that you can do one load of washing and drying.  
  2. Add value to your card You can add-value to the card at the following locations: the entrance to Ross Dining Hall, Forest Hall laundry room, Atwater Hall A laundry room and McCullough (next to the ATM). 
  3. Scan the card to pay In the laundry rooms, there will be a machine that you can use to pay with your card. You may have to identify the number on your laundry machine and plug this into the machine. Make sure the machine you plan to use is empty because you cannot receive your money back. 
  4. Put your laundry in the machine We recommend waiting to do laundry when it is a “full load” because this is more sustainable. A full load means that the machine is ~¾ full. Do not overfill! 
  5. Add detergents and/or fabric softeners 
    1. Liquid The lid to most bottles serves as a measuring cup and will indicate how much you need (typically ¼ c. liquid detergent is used per load). There is a drawer that you pull out (top left of washer) and insert your detergent and/or liquid fabric softeners. 
    2. Pods Add one or two pods directly to the washer drum with your clothes 
    3. Laundry Beads Add directly to the drum 
  6. Select cycle We recommend that you use “brights”. This cycle uses cold water which is better for your clothes and the environment. Putting mixed colors or whites in a cold temperature wash will not affect clothing.
  7. Set a timer! (Usually 40 minutes is good) There are a limited number of washers and dryers and we want to remember to be courteous to our peers. Don’t be that person who always leaves their clothes in the laundry room. Also, after a few hours, your clothes will begin to develop odors from sitting in a wet washer (and will need to be rewashed) so you should immediately dry them. 
  8. Move your clothes to a dryer Depending on how large your load was, you can oftentimes dry two laundry loads in one dryer (especially in Stewart!) Don’t forget to take out items of clothing that are supposed to be air dried. 
  9. Add dryer balls or sheets We recommend using dryer balls because it is more sustainable and can even be cheaper. Most wool dryer balls have natural fabric softener, are hypoallergenic, help reduce wrinkles, and shorten drying time. 
  10. Clean the lint trap Before starting the dryer cycle, remember to clean the lint trap. Theoretically, the person before you should have cleaned it when they were done but it’s good to check. A full lint trap can lead to clothes taking longer to dry and even become a fire hazard.  
  11. Dry clothes on low heat While the low heat setting takes more time, it is still more efficient. Dryers use more energy on heat than on tumbling, so reducing heat will save more energy than reducing tumbling. This is also better for your clothes! 
  12. Clean the lint trap Before leaving, clean the trap so that it is ready for the next user
  13.  Fold clothes If you fold your clothes while they are still warm, this reduces wrinkling! 

Q: What kind of detergents should I use? 

HE Detergent

While it is not mandatory, it is recommended that you use High Efficiency (HE) detergents. These detergents need less water because their formula has low sudsing and quick dispersing. They are equally effective as other detergents and most name brands (eg.Tide) offer HE detergents (in liquid and pod form).  

Pods vs Liquid 

This is personal preference. However, we recommend that you use liquid detergent for the following reasons: (1) the pods have microplastics which are bad for our oceans and marine friends (2) sometimes the pods do not “melt” completely and leave a sticky residue on your clothes.  

Q: Do I need fabric softeners or dryer sheets? 

A: This is also personal preference. To be more sustainable (and it’s cheaper), we recommend purchasing wool dryer balls (~$7). They have natural fabric softener, are hypoallergenic, help reduce wrinkles, and shorten drying time. 

Q: How often should I do laundry? 

A: Check out our graphic! Most students do their laundry weekly or bi-weekly (every two weeks) but it’s up to you. 

Q: How can I do more sustainable laundry?