You come back from class, exhausted from the exams you had to take that day. As you are about to take a nap, you realize that your laundry hamper is almost full. You begrudgingly take your full, heavy hamper down a flight of stairs to the laundry room, when suddenly you realize every washer is full and that there are several people waiting to wash their clothes as well.

Most students at NC State are all too familiar with this scenario. The only time when the washers and dryers seem to be available is when students are in class or late at night.

In addition, it seems like there is always a washer or dryer broken. I always hear students in my hall complain about how one of the washers or dryers are broken at least once a month. Although the maintenance staff tries their best to fix these appliances, they will always break sooner or later. Not only does this limit the number of washers and dryers available, but it also creates a backflow, making it harder for students to wash their clothes.

Clearly, University Housing needs to improve the infrastructure so students can do their laundry. Fortunately, there are many ways to make laundry less of a hassle for those living on campus.

One way that NC State can improve laundry is by adding more washers and dryers. Because there are a lot of students living in residence halls, there needs to be more washers and dryers to accommodate them. For example, around 157 students currently live in Bagwell, most of whom are required to live on campus; however, there are only four washers and dryers.

Furthermore, there are usually only one or two floors dedicated to laundry. This is a big issue for students who live in suite-style residence halls, such as Sullivan and Lee, who have to travel just to get to a washer that probably isn’t even available. NC State could remedy this inconvenience by having a laundry room on each floor, giving students easier access to wash their clothes.

The last thing that NC State could do to make laundry easier is to replace their washers and dryers. As stated before, there is always a washer or dryer that breaks down at least once a month, and it is usually the same one. Instead of sending the maintenance staff to fix it, it would be wise to replace the malfunctioning washer and dryer. By doing so, it prevents backflow from being created, allowing students an opportunity to wash their clothes.

Overall, doing your laundry can be a big hassle at NC State. Often, the washers and dryers are full and are usually empty at times that are inconvenient for students; people will have to travel down a couple of flights of stairs carrying their heavy laundry; and usually there is a washer or dryer that is broken, which creates a backflow, making it even more difficult for students to wash their clothes.

What NC State housing needs to do to solve this issue is to add more washers and dryers, have a laundry room on each floor, and replace any appliances that repeatedly break. Laundry is already a chore, and students don’t need the added stress of finding an available washer. After all, since students spend over 6,000 dollars a year to live on campus, NC State housing should make it easier and convenient for them to do their laundry.