A Yeshiva Bocher’s Guide to Laundry: What You Actually Need to Know

If you're heading to yeshiva, let’s face it, you're going to be doing your own laundry whether you want to or not. For many guys (and girls too…), this is a first. That’s why we wrote this Yeshiva Bocher’s guide to laundry. It covers the basics—what you need, what to avoid, and how to keep your clothing in reasonable shape while keeping the whole thing simple.

1. What You Really Need to Own AKA Why one set of towels and sheets isn’t enough

A common mistake when packing for your GAP year is thinking that just one towel and one set of sheets are enough. No one uses more than one set at a time, so why would you possibly need more than one? Unfortunately, this thought doesn’t work well in a dorm setting. There are always more people than laundry machines, so doing laundry can take more time than you would think. In fact, it can take hours, and even days. In order to avoid having to sleep on a dirty mattress with no sheet or dry yourself with an already damp towel (ew), here’s what I recommend:

Towels

As I wrote earlier, nobody wants to dry off with an already damp towel. In addition, rotating between towels keeps them fresher and cleaner longer. In order to do this:

• Bring at least two bath towels (you may also want hand towels but that’s up to you).
• Also bring beach towels (they can be old and worn) for places you may not want your nicer towels to travel, such as tiyulim, the beach, the mikvah etc.

Linens

We’ll leave it to your mom to tell you how often to change your sheets, but having a spare set of sheets lets you make a clean bed without waiting when you throw the old set into the hamper. As I wrote earlier, doing laundry in a dorm can take more time than you would think, and having that second set saves you from sleeping on just a (disgusting) mattress.

Bring at least two full sets of bedding, including fitted sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers, or flat sheets.

2. Understand Your Yeshiva’s Laundry Setup

Before you pack, ask someone who’s been there

Laundry isn’t the same at every yeshiva. Some places have washers and dryers in the building. Some don’t have dryers. Some don’t have either. The best way to prepare is to ask a guy from last year or the administration what the laundry setup is.

Here’s what to find out:

• Are there machines on-site?
• Is there a dryer, or do people hang their laundry to dry?
• Are the laundry machines free or do you need to pay?
• Is there a nearby laundromat that you can send your laundry to be washed, dried and folded?

Knowing what to expect will help you pack and purchase the right laundry gear and avoid surprises.

3. How to Separate Laundry Properly (and Why)

Avoid white Shabbos shirts turning pink and other preventable disasters

One of the most important parts of doing laundry is separating your clothing before washing.

Whites vs. Colors

• Always wash white items (Shabbos shirts, undershirts) separately from colored clothing.
• Red and dark blue items should be washed on their own the first few times, as these colors tend to bleed. For those of you who thought bleeding only comes from your body…Dye leaking out of garments is also called bleeding.
• If you want to launder colors and white items together, wash in cold water to reduce bleeding.
• For white items only, you can run a separate bleach cycle to keep them bright—just follow the instructions on the bleach carefully.

Bleach is called Economica in Israel - אקונומיקה.

Shabbos Shirts

• Wash white shirts with other whites only. Once a shirt has been “bled” on and turns pink, it is very hard to fix. (See above).
• When deciding whether to toss your shirt in the dryer, check the care label — not all items can go in the dryer.
• Not sure? Ask your mom. She is waiting to hear from you anyway.

4. Using detergent, dryer sheets and other laundry products

It may be super confusing to shop for laundry detergent if you have never done so before - it comes in many shapes and forms including powder, liquid, sheets and pods. I recommend buying laundry pods - you toss one pod in with each load and forget about it. No hunting around for a measuring cup or even having to think how much to put in.

Same thing goes for the dryer - you don’t need to put anything into the dryer with your laundry but some people like to put in a laundry sheet - these come in a box and are used one at a time. They keep your laundry smelling good and static-free.

Other laundry products exist such as stain remover stick or wipes, fabric softener and more. As a beginner, you may want to start with just the basics.

5. Tzitzis: Keep Them White, Long, and Untangled

Tzitzis need a little extra care. If you throw them in loose, the strings will get tangled or ruined.

Use a Mesh Bag or Tzitzis Holder

• Always wash tzitzis in a mesh laundry bag or special tzitzis holder.
• You can wash them together with other whites — just keep them protected.

Hang Dry Only

• The dryer can shrink or curl the strings. To avoid this, hang up the tzitzis to dry either on a hanger or over a chair.
• While they’re damp, smooth out the strings so they dry neat.

Clean, straight tzitzis say a lot — and yes, people do notice.

6. Your Laundry Starter Kit

The Basics Every Bochur Should Bring or Buy

You don’t need to shlep a full laundry room from America - you can either bring or buy just a few essentials that make things much easier:

• ✅ Mesh laundry bag (for tzitzis or delicates)
• ✅ Detergent pods (no measuring, no mess)
• ✅ Dryer sheets (reduce static and add a fresh scent)
• ✅ Stain remover stick or wipes (for spills before they set)
• ✅ Collapsible hamper or laundry tote
• ✅ Drying rack or clips (especially if there’s no dryer)

Bonus: Common Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

• DO NOT leave wet laundry in the washer overnight (smells bad)
• DO NOT overload the dryer (your stuff won’t dry)
• DO NOT use too much detergent (more soap ≠ cleaner clothes)
• DO NOT wash everything on hot (your clothes will shrink and fade)
• DO NOT telling yourself “I’ll fold it and put it away later” (you won’t — just do it now)

One Last Tip to Avoid Wrinkled Clothes:

Take your clothes out of the dryer as soon as the dryer is done. Shake them out, and then fold or hang them right away. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and energy on ironing.

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About the Author

Moshe Beiss is a former yeshiva bochur who can now do his laundry all by himself (his mom is very proud!) He made aliya after his year in Israel, along with his parents and brother.