Sock it to Me

I've got a college-bound high-school senior, so it's time for me to give up my monopoly on the laundry and teach the older kids how to work the washing machine. My second-grader still isn't tall enough to reach into the tub of the washing machine, so he'll have to wait until he grows a foot or so.

(For the record, the reason my teenagers don't know how to do laundry is that I'd much rather do laundry than clean the bathtub and take out the trash. I delegate the chores I hate the most. That's my privilege as a mom, because I said so.)

Besides teaching the kids the ins and outs of how to turn on a washer and dryer and how important it is to separate the whites from the reds, there are a few other things that will help them along on the path to independence and clean clothes:

Don't wash socks in the same load as your sheets. The pockets of fitted sheets will catch small items and roll them up, and you'll wind up with wet, knotted socks in the corners of the sheets.
If you didn't pay attention to the first rule, always check the pockets of the sheets when you're missing a sock.
Separate "fuzz-makers" from "fuzz-catchers." Fuzz-makers include fleece, terrycloth, and whatever that weird stuff is in those colorful socks. Fuzz-catchers include corduroy, microfiber and polar fleece.
If you spill pizza on your white T-shirt, don't put it in the dryer. Instead, dry the shirt in the sun, even if you still see a red stain on it. Chances are, the stain will disappear after a day on the clothesline. But once you put it in the dryer, that stain is forever.
Check your pockets. Do you know how much money I've made this year because you don't? Do you want to leave that behind for some stranger in your dorm?

I hope these laundry tips will help other college-bound students out there. Keep your quarters handy and remember that white vinegar is a great (and cheap) fabric softener. 1/4 cup in the rinse cycle will do it!

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