You asked:

I’m really behind on my packing and thought I’d just take some of my clothes home straight from the dirty laundry hamper and just wash them later. Is that gross?

The short answer is … no. Go for it. By the time exams are over and it’s time to go home, everyone’s standards have pretty much dropped so don’t sweat the small stuff. And anyway, laundry is cheaper at home, so you might as well save those last few dollars for a “Yay, it's summer!” candy bar or something. Here are some tips for packing dirty laundry:

• Leave the top of your hamper open in the days before leaving to keep dirty laundry from smelling musty. Or simply throw them in a laundry basket.
• Don’t take anything that is damp. It will get mildewed so be sure to hang any wet clothes to dry before tossing onto the dirty laundry pile.
• Keep clean clothes separate from dirty laundry. Last summer, I took home dirty laundry and clean clothes separated by bags but couldn't remember which were which, so I had to wash all of it. Not a fun way to start vacation.
• Wear some clothes more than once as the school year ends so you don’t have as much dirty laundry. As long as it doesn't smell bad or have stains on it, it’s fine. Just be sure to put clothes on hangers between wears to air them out and avoid wrinkles.
• Trash or donate clothes (and any other items) you no longer want instead of hauling home stuff you don’t even wear. My college lets The Salvation Army park trucks on campus near residence halls during busy move-out hours to collect donations. If you’re donating clothing, however, be sure it’s clean.

Name: Liz Cruger
School: College of William and Mary
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology and English lit
Her deal: This is Liz’s second year as an R.A. for freshmen. She is also involved in several campus activities, including pep band and the belly dance club.

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