I didn’t have much experience doing my own laundry before I started college, since I hadn’t been exposed to Expanded Core Curriculum lessons (ECC) as a student with low vision and I had trouble navigating the laundry room at home. I wasn’t the only one who was inexperienced in doing laundry though, as many other students in my dorm also hadn’t done their own laundry before starting college, with some joking about waiting until the end of the semester to do laundry back at home. In the four years that I lived in the dorms, I learned several tips and strategies for doing laundry in college with low vision, including ideas I would share with my sighted friends and dorm laundry hacks that we all benefitted from. Here are my favorite tips for doing laundry in college, from a student with low vision.
Sort items into baskets or containers
In my freshman dorm, I had a three-sectioned hamper that I could use to sort items for different laundry cycles, with some sections that filled up more quickly than others. I would take the entire three-section hamper in the elevator with me to the laundry room, and would sort out items once I got to the laundry room. While having specific sections is helpful, I found that the three-section hamper created an unwanted “focal point” in my dorm, was prone to overflowing, and honestly was super frustrating to carry.
Before the new school year began, the three-section hamper found a new purpose in the laundry room at home, and I switched to having 2-3 smaller hampers/bins with handles in my dorm, which I could store under my bed or in the closet. This was much easier for sorting, as I didn’t have to carry all of my laundry at once or reach in and grab items from one narrow section before running a load of laundry. As another bonus, I didn’t have to deal with overflowing sections and the narrower design made it easier to keep dirty laundry from becoming the focal point of my room.
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Label clothing with assistive technology
For students with visual impairments, labeling clothing or adding labels for care instructions that can be accessed with assistive technology is a helpful tool for doing laundry independently or aiding with clothing identification. These can range from simple options like writing on clothes labels with a waterproof marker to high-tech options like RFID labels that provide detailed information about clothing. In college, I went the no-tech/low-tech route as my mom wrote labels with a Sharpie Rub-a-Dub marker to indicate laundry instructions:
- Warm water (W)
- Cold water (C)
- Hang to dry (H)
- Wash separately (S)
To learn more about options for labeling clothing with assistive technology, I have an entire post about dressing aids linked below that provides more details for different strategies.
Related links
- Sharpie Rub-A-Dub Laundry Marker, Fine Point | Sharpie
- Assistive Technology and Dressing Aids For Low Vision
Carry items in an oversized tote or use a handcart
While I don’t always bring my blindness cane with me to the laundry room if it’s a short distance away, I still prefer to have at least one hand free so I can open doors or avoid blocking my line of sight. When carrying items to the laundry room, I like to transfer items from a bin into an oversized Ikea bag, or use my handcart to carry the laundry bin itself. This also makes it easier to open doors and navigate narrow walkways to machines.
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Use pre-measured detergent pods compatible with washing machines
My university uses high-efficiency (HE) washing machines, so I purchase pre-measured detergent pods that are compatible with the washing machines. Before I leave my dorm, I throw 2-3 detergent pods (depending on the size of the cycle) into the bag or bin with the dirty clothes so that they are on the bottom of the machine. Since the washing machine doors lock once the washing cycle begins, it’s important to make sure the detergent pods are added before turning on the washing machine!
Some colleges do not allow students to use detergent pods because they don’t break down or can melt on the edges of clothing. In these situations, I recommend pre-measuring liquid laundry detergent in the dorm, which can have better lighting than the laundry room, and covering the measuring cup for transport to the laundry room. One way to do this is by buying a silicone lid that can be stretched over a cap or small container, and then removed before pouring the detergent into the machine. Another option is to dissolve the pods in hot water first before adding clothes.
Enlarge or listen to button labels with virtual assistance apps
The washing machine and dryer buttons are flat, black-and-white buttons with green lights that indicate cycle settings. I learned to navigate these buttons with motor memory after a while, but for the first few trips I would enlarge the button labels with a video magnifier or use a visual assistance app to read the buttons out loud and select which ones I would need to use for a specific cycle.
Related links
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- How I Use My Phone As Assistive Technology In Class
Use phone apps to start laundry cycles
My university started using a mobile application called Speed Queen for viewing available washers/dryers and starting cycles by pressing a button within the app. On both my Android phone and iPad tablet, I can use the Speed Queen app with large print or with a screen reader, though I still need to configure cycle settings or note the machine number before turning on the machine from the app. I can also check the cycle status and get an alert when the cycle is finished so I can go retrieve my clothes.
Each college has their own instructions for registering with mobile apps like Speed Queen, including college codes and/or building codes. Students can select which building they are using for laundry, before selecting which laundry room and machine they would like to use. Only available machines are shown when starting a new load, and students can turn on the machine once they close the door for a machine and press start from their device.
Below, I have shared screenshots of what the Speed Queen app looks like on my Android phone with Big Font/high contrast font, as well as on my iPad with Dynamic Text enabled. While I updated these screenshots to show the app interface in 2024, I don’t live in this building anymore and can’t share any “action shots” of what the machines look like. It’s also worth noting that laundry is included with housing costs, so an arbitrary value for a balance and price are displayed in the app.
Related links
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
- Creating Accessible Bulletin Boards For College Dorms
- How To Create Dorm Door Signs and Decorations For Low Vision
Add a magnet to the washing machine/dryer door for identification
Which washing machine is mine again? To serve as a visual landmark, I would add a colorful magnet to the front of the washing machine or dryer door that I could easily identify, which was helpful when I couldn’t see the numbers on the machine from a distance. Before removing laundry from a machine, I would put the magnet in a pocket or place it in the bin/bag so I didn’t forget it.
Related links
- How To Make Refrigerators Accessible For Visual Impairment
- Organizing A Dorm Mini Fridge With Low Vision
“Sweep” the inside of a machine to check for items
Before I add my own clothes to a machine or finish removing them, I would do a sweeping motion with my arms and/or use my phone flashlight to make sure that I grabbed all of my items, or to make sure there weren’t other items that weren’t mine before I started the machine. If there was an item inside the machine that wasn’t mine, I would either set it on top of the machine (if it was something small like a sock), or use a different machine that was empty.
Set a timer and note the machine number used
In the event the mobile application stopped working or wasn’t working as expected, I would always set my own timer and note which machine number I used in the Notes app of my phone so that I could locate it later. I would also choose machines that were on a corner so that I didn’t accidentally hit someone with a door when opening the laundry door. While this wasn’t always possible, I tried to use the same number washing machine/dryer whenever I could just so it was easier to remember.
Fold clothes in the dorm
Even though I would take my clothes out of the dryer immediately after the cycle finished, the harsh lighting, loud noises, and overly perfumed environment of the laundry room made it difficult for me to focus on folding clothes or other visual tasks. Instead, I would put everything in a handcart bin or in a bag and take clothes back to my dorm for folding, or drape hang-dry items over my arm and place them on a rack when I got back. I have several posts on clothes organization options linked below that are great for dorms and organizing dorm storage.
Related links
- Organizing A Bedroom Closet For Vision Loss
- Organizing Dresser Drawers With Vision Loss
- Organizing Hanging Storage With Vision Loss
- Organizing Shoes With Vision Loss
More tips for doing laundry in college with low vision
- Laundry is free/no extra charge at my college, though some colleges may require students to pay for machines. Laundry funds may be reloaded either through a campus account, or students may be required to use coins/change for laundry. When I lived in intern housing that had coin-powered machines, I would place exact change in a small jewelry bag and carry that in my pocket to the laundry room.
- For getting rid of stains, I love the Puracy stain remover spray for removing stains from clothing or targeting specific areas. This isn’t an affiliate link, I just really like this product! Puracy Natural Laundry Stain Remover
- To get an idea of what items are in the laundry bin, I can check my Stylebook application for outfits I have worn recently and indicate if an item is in the laundry bin. Learn more in How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision
Published February 16, 2017. Updated November 2025