Laundry facilities are conveniently located in each residential building. A step-by-step process is posted on “Helpful Laundry Hints” signs in each laundry room. A wash cycle is $1.65 and each dry cycle is free. In addition, phones are available in the laundry room to connect students to the Work Request Office when a machine is broken. The machines operate on Huskie Bucks, so make sure you have your NIU OneCard with you.
When washing laundry in the residence halls, the following tips may be helpful:
Because these are efficiency washers, half the usual amount of detergent is recommended. More soap does not make clothes cleaner. It makes them sudsier and does not allow them to rinse properly.
While powder detergent will work, the best results are produced by liquid detergent. It is recommended for these types of machines.
Clothing with dark dyes can stain other clothing. Sometimes new blue jeans can do this as well. Students are encouraged to wash clothes with like colors and to be mindful of water temperature.
Loose items can be lost in the wash or can cause damage to clothing and machines. Open hooks and zippers can latch on other clothing and cause your clothes to tear. Heavily soiled spots and stains should be treated with liquid detergent or a pre-treatment stain remover to prevent them from permanently remaining on clothing.
Clothing should be placed loosely in the machine and only within the designated capacity. Damage can be caused to clothing and the machines if they are overloaded. Packing clothing tightly can result in clothes not being properly washed.
Laundry equipment located within the residence halls is owned and operated by an outside vendor, Family Pride. They are responsible for all maintenance, repairs and issues related to operation of the laundry equipment. As a liaison between residents and Family Pride, the Work Request Office works diligently to process the service requests reported by residents.
We hope this information has been helpful. If you have any other questions, call the Work Request Office at (815) 753-4948.