How To Adult: I'm Out of Clean Clothes

Do you think your top/pants/socks could stand by themselves because they're so dirty?
Are your friends avoiding you because you smell?
Does an article of clothing look like it's changed color, when in fact it's just dirt?

You're going to have to wash some clothes.


If you haven't before, never fear: We can walk you through it....


First, sort the clothes into separate piles: Whites, light colors, dark colors, and hand washables. Hand washables include fabrics that may snag when thrown in with others, 'fancy' fabrics such as those with trims like sequins or delicate designs, or items that might 'bleed.' These items you can wash in the sink and dry carefully separate from the clothes you put in the dryer.


Why separate them? Mostly because colors can fade ('bleed') into whites and make the whites look more gray. There's no hard and fast rule about this; sometimes you'll just want to throw all of it in one load, and it will likely be OK. Just be aware that over time, the whites will look less white and the light colors will also look faded or discolored. They pick up small amounts of dyes, as well as tiny bits of lint or thread from each other, thus causing the colors to be less bright.

Red sock + white sheets=pink sheets

If you wash all the darker colors together, then even if they do 'bleed,' it won't be as noticeable. You may have an item that's never been washed. If it is red, black, or any dark color,  you might want to wash those separately and notice if they do bleed. Even a black or dark color may bleed--any color can, because fabrics are many times over-dyed--frequently blue jeans are over-dyed.


See a stain on something? There are products to 'pretreat' stains, but a simple way is to pour some detergent directly on the stain. You can also try bar soap or dish detergent. Ink sometimes comes out by using hair spray. Sweat stains can come out using lemon juice. Vinegar also takes out some stains. Try to catch stains as soon as possible, and remember, once you've put the item in the dryer, the stain won't come out anymore.

You may also want to separate towels from clothes because they take longer to dry.


To the Washer!!
Cold, Warm, or Hot water? The washer may suggest different temperatures for different fabrics, but clothes get just as clean in cold water as they do in warm or hot. Plus, the heat of the dryer helps kill any bacteria that may be present in the clothes; so, feel free to use cold water to wash clothes. The washer will have a dial that lets you choose what size load you are washing. If you don't have a lot, you can choose 'small' or 'medium'. This will determine how much water will fill in the machine. If you have a big load, then be sure to choose 'large,' because if clothes are crowded in the washer with not enough water, they won't get as clean.


Take a look at the tags on your clothes for washing instructions, too, as well as fiber content. Generally, most fabrics are washable.

Add detergent:  Follow the directions on the detergent. Usually a washer will say to add detergent, then put the clothes in. If you don't do it that way, don't worry. Either way works. Don't add more detergent than indicated. Too much soap will not be rinsed out completely, and your clothes will feel scratchy when they're done.


The washer will do this: Fill, Wash, Drain out, Spin, Fill again for rinse, Rinse, Drain out, and then Spin out the water again. A load of laundry usually takes about 20-30 minutes to complete.

Get the clothes out as soon as you can: in the spin cycle, clothes are flattened against the wall of the washer and if you ignore them, they'll stay wrinkled even after they've been dried.


*Note: It's not good to forget your clothes in the washer. In short order, they'll smell even worse than when you threw them in to be washed.

In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, the wringer washer was the 'top of the line' in washing machines. You filled the tub using a hose attached to the water faucet. The machine agitated the water around. When you thought the clothes were clean enough (no timers or buzzers), then you put the clothes through the wringer (the white thing on top of the washer) to squeeze out the water (you cranked it to squeeze clothes through it). Wash water was re-used for the next loads. You would have to repeat the process for a rinse. When you were done, you pulled the plug to drain out the water. into a floor drain. Some people did the wash outside so the water could be drained onto the ground. There were no dryers as we know them until about the mid 1960s. Rainy day? No washing, unless you had clotheslines set up in the house to hang up your wet clothes. Imagine washing diapers this way. But, it was better than scrubbing clothes on a washboard!

To the Dryer!!!
Some clothes shrink the dryer, both in length and width. If you have any clothes you think may shrink, then don't put them in a dryer. Find a space with some circulation and hang them up to dry. It will probably take overnight.


For machine-drying clothes, find the lint trap on your dryer. Pull it out, take the lint off, and re-insert the filter. Look at the dryer and see which cycle applies to your clothes. At this point, if you want, you can throw in a dryer sheet. The purpose of the dryer sheet is to eliminate 'static cling' in your clothes once they are dry. Otherwise they'll stick to each other, to you, and generally drive you crazy. It's even worse in the winter when the air is very dry.


*Helpful fact: If you cut dryer sheets in half, they will work just as well as a whole sheet.


The dryer will beep or somehow signal when the cycle is done. Some dryers will toss the clothes around every 10 minutes until you come and get them, others do not. If your clothes aren't dry yet, repeat the dryer cycle. If they are just a little damp, you can lay them somewhere to finish drying.


Some clothes will definitely shrink with the heat of the dryer. That's another reason not to throw everything into the dryer and keep drying till they are completely dry.


Some clothes do well with just a few minutes in the dryer to get the wrinkles out, then you remove them and hang or drape them somewhere. You can hang shirts on hangers to dry, too.

Ever seen one of these? It's a clothes drying rack. They hold a surprising amount of clothes, and  fold up when not in use.

Towels take a long time to dry. Be patient.
If you have the opportunity, dry your clothes outside: They get softer and smell heavenly once they're dry. Sunshine will also help brighten clothes and fade stains.

You're almost done!! Time to fold.


You may have items you don't care to fold, such as underwear or socks. But, if you at least attempt to fold shirts and pants, or put them on hangers, they'll look a lot better when you go to put them on.


You just washed and dried your clothes! Much better. Notice your friends don't mind sitting close to you now. You're welcome.

You're Not That Lost

Often, a student sees our office and rather tentatively pokes her head in, or a toe, or a shoulder, and asks for directions. We don't mind: when you're new to a building, it always seems like a maze.

Today, a young woman stopped in, looking totally confused, and timidly said: "I know this sounds stupid, but I'm so lost. I need to find the Testing Center." She didn't realize how close she was: just a hallway and a turn to the right, and she'd be there. I said to her: You're not that lost. I showed her the way, and off she went. As I sometimes do, I watched her to make sure she headed the right way, and she did. And no, her question didn't sound stupid at all.


Some of you are off to new adventures: In the fall, you'll start college. Or, you'll be taking different classes with different instructors than last year.

Or, you're graduating and heading out into the world.


And you might be feeling a little lost. All the familiar things are now removed, with or without ceremony, and while it's invigorating and exciting, it's also intimidating to have to start all over again. You really want to take it on yourself, but you're torn between "I can do this on my own" and "Help! I'm so clueless!"

As you've grown, I hope you've learned two things: One, that you are usually very capable of figuring things out for yourself, and Two, it's sometimes necessary to ask for help.


Sure, a lot of navigating in your new world involves geography.: where on earth is Room 423-B???You may need to find the location of an interview, or you may be starting a new job. Finding your way around an unfamiliar place is quite a challenge at first, but you'll get the hang of it. .

When you look at the whole picture to see where it is you want to go, and how to get there-academically, career-wise, and in your life, there are lots of paths to take. Maybe you feel overwhelmed, as if it's too much for you. But try not to panic: Friends, parents, advisors, counselors, all can help. Whatever you can figure out for yourself, bravo. And when you find yourself a little lost, it's ok to ask directions. You're not weak or stupid to ask; in fact, it's a sign of wisdom and courage to realize you need some assistance.


Mr. Rogers once said, "Look for the helpers." Everyone needs to seek out a helper from time to time, and we're out here waiting for you to ask.


You might be just a little lost.


And you might find that you were closer to your goal than you thought you were.

If My Balance is $25 I'm Doing Fine, and Other Financial Myths

What do you know about money? Here are things you need to know as you begin living as an adult:

• If you have a checking account, You need to know how to go online and check your balance, and see what's going on with your account. It will show you all of your transactions. A transaction is either something you purchase/a debit (buy) or a credit (such as your paycheck being deposited).
• What do pending or posted mean??

-Pending means the bank knows you spent that amount and they'll take it out soon. Posted means they've taken it out. See if the balance includes pending amounts.


-When you bank (or buy anything) online, be sure to check that the URL (address at the top of the screen) has a padlock on it, that means the website is as secure as possible. Consider not banking using your phone, because phones get stolen or lost. Be constantly aware of being private when doing online transactions. Also, when you use a cash machine (ATM) be sure it's one your bank uses, or you will pay a fee for getting cash out. And that's how banks make money.

• What's an overdraft?

-An overdraft means you wrote a check or used a check card for an amount more than was in your account. For example, you have $50 in your account, but you write a check or swipe your card for $75. It may not reject this immediately, but fairly soon after you've tried that, the bank will notice.... and ironically, the punishment is typically a $30-$35 charge you pay the bank, plus the amount of the transaction or withdrawal. Yes, they are charging you money you obviously don't have. It's nonsense and it's how banks make money.

• What's a 'Stop Payment?'

-If you wrote a check for something and that check gets lost, or if you have a dispute with the place you wrote the check to, you can go to the bank and tell it to stop payment on that check. They'll refuse to pay it if the person or place tries to cash it. They will also charge you at least $30 to do that Stop Payment--they won't care what the situation is. And that's how banks make money.

• Do you know if your account has a minimum balance?

-Some do, some do not: Find out, and if there is a minimum, be sure you always leave that in the account or you will be charged a fee. And that's how banks make money.

• What is principal? What is interest?

-The principal is the basic amount of a loan you take out. If you take out a loan for $1,000, that's the principal. The interest is the fee you are using to 'use' the principal, and that's how banks make money.

• What is compound interest?

-Compound interest means you earn interest on your interest. If you put money in the bank and the account pays interest, you continue to gain (or accrue) interest on not only the main amount but the interest, too. This is how you make money, not the bank.

• Why should I pay more than my required payments on my loans (or credit cards)?

-When you take out a loan, any kind of loan including a student loan, the lender will charge you interest, that's their fee for your 'using' the money. You'll be paying on the interest before the principal (the amount of your loan). And so, it takes while to really start to chip away at the loan amount. Paying even a little bit more every month adds up: If you pay another $5 a month, that's $60 a year, plus it reduces your loan and helps you pay more and more of the principal and less interest.

• Why is it so hard to get out of credit card debt?

-Your credit card company charges you to use money you don't have (interest or finance charge) just like any other loan. If you charge something that cost $50 and their finance charge is 20%, then you're actually going to pay another $10 for that item, a total of $60. Once you repeat this with lots of purchases, you're paying a lot more for your total. Still, for some people, it's so easy to hand over a credit card to get something they want right now, until the bill comes and they realize they charged more than they thought. If you make the minimum payment, it will take a long time to pay it off because a chunk of your payments are going to that finance charge and not paying off the items (The 'principal'-see above). The credit card company is happy; you, not so much. You're paying interest on the whole amount you owe. You need to pay more than the minimum, or pay it off every month if it's possible.


Just for education purposes, look at a credit card offer you get in the mail before you rip it up and toss it: Read the fine print telling you what the interest rate is, what the late charges are, and what the annual fee is. These are not negotiable (you can't make them sympathize with you if you goof up). It's not uncommon to see a 28-30% interest rate, especially if you miss a payment.


Want to figure out how long it's going to take you to pay off an amount? Enter your numbers here and get a surprise:  https://www.credit.com/tools/credit-card-payoff-calculator/

• What is a budget, anyway?

-A budget just means that you write down how much money comes in and what goes out (is spent). If your paycheck is $500 every other week, you take home $1000 per month. What are your monthly expenses? These include food, house or apartment payment, car payment, school loans. Write them all down and add them up, and subtract from that $1000 income. What's left over is what you have in what's called discretionary spending-it's at your discretion how it's spent. You can spend it or save it or do part of each. And that's your budget.


If you see that you're spending more on something than you might need to, maybe you can find a way to cut down. How thrifty are you with food buying? Gift giving? Nights out on the town? That snack you like to pick up at the gas station? Remember how hard you work for your money when you're thinking of buying something. Think in terms of "want" vs. "need." It's a good idea to save money even if you don't need it right now: Cars break down, things need repair, and lots of other things happen that require money. It's nice to have a 'cushion' set aside in case that happens. Or, you may want to save for a big-ticket item such as a new computer or a down payment on a better car. There's an old term: Pay Yourself First. In other words, always take some of your pay and set it aside for your use.

Do You Know How To Fry An Egg?

You probably aced most of your classes in high school, and now you're ready for The Great Adventure aka college. You're learning how to navigate Financial Aid, purchase your textbooks, and get your housing set up.


But, what about the practical side of life? Before you leave home, here are some things that are really helpful to know when there's no parent to help, aka Adulting 101:

• Could you make your own doctor or dentist appointment? Do you know who to call? Do you know how to get a prescription filled? There is often an on-campus clinic; otherwise, you'll have to find somewhere nearby that you can be seen. Check with your parent about what clinic or doctor is covered by your medical insurance, and how that will work. You can't generally just go anywhere you choose, because your medical insurance won't pay for it. Make a list of clinics that work with your insurance.

• Do you have a place where all your passwords for important stuff is kept? There should be another place besides your phone: Phones run out of battery just when you need them, they break, and they get lost. One good idea is to write your passwords down but have a friend keep them.
• Can you check the oil level in your car? Check the tire pressure? Can you change a tire? Would you know what to do if your car conks out? Have a parent or someone show you how to do basic maintenance, and seek out a mechanic that might be a possibility if you need one, close to campus.

BONUS: NEWS FLASH: Did you know you might be able to save on your insurance premiums if you are not bringing a car with you to campus? You don't need full coverage if you won't be driving it, and you can put coverage back on if you go home on break. There can also be reduced premiums if you're going to have your car, but will live in a more rural area (not in the Twin Cities). Ask your insurance agent about these potential savings.

• Can you use an ATM?

• Do you know how to check your bank balance online? Do you keep track of your purchases?
• What would you do in an emergency? For example, if you had a car accident-Do you know where your insurance company's number is? You should have an insurance card in your wallet or in your car. What about a medical emergency? Or, what would you do, or where would you go, if your dorm was unavailable because the water main broke? Or if the power went out?
• Do you know how to do a load of laundry? How to sort colors and whites? How much detergent to use? How to dry clothes? How to fold them? Have someone show you how before you find yourself with no clean clothes.

• Can you make simple food, such as eggs? Mac and cheese from a box? Cook a burger? Follow a recipe? Also, could you make a grocery list to get the stuff to make something? Do you know how to store leftovers safely?  Have someone show you how to do these things. Some 3-ingredient recipes:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/genius-three-ingredient-recipes?utm_term=.ttpp7ZgwR#.asPKALvP7

• Do you know what items constitute healthy or healthier eating? Why should you not eat pizza seven days a week? Remember your basic food groups? Have. Some. Fruit. And. Vegetables.

• Can you sew on a button that's loose or has fallen off? It's not hard!!
• Do you know how to clean a bathroom?
• Can you tie a tie? Here's how: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+tie+a+tie&&view=detail&mid=B1000A43D8489DFCB1ACB1000A43D8489DFCB1AC&FORM=VRDGAR
• Can you change the sheets on your bed?
• How will you get up in the morning? Do you have an alarm clock? Or are you going to use your phone? Is it loud enough to make you wake up?

• How does your college communicate important news to you (like campus is closed due to weather, the most hoped-for news): Is it through your campus e-mail? Check it every day!
• If there is public transportation near you, do you know how to use it? How do you get a bus token or pass, and where does the bus take you? How long will it take to get where you're going? Is there a shuttle bus that can take you to and from campus? How does that work?

These are things you might want to consider as you move into adulting: you can do it, and what you don't know, you can learn. Because those that came before you, learned how to adult, and you can, too.