House Elf question?

[The Eighth Weasley]

No: HPFGUIDX 131307

Brent wrote:

> Who or what cleans the student clothing if the elves can't even touch
it without being freed?  Hermione put elf hats and socks out and they
would not even clean the common room anymore so I can't see them going
to get them to be cleaned.  It is never mentioned that Harry or anyone
else cleans them while at school that I remember.  Mrs. Weasley cleans
them a couple times but not while at school.  They don't go home for
months.  Unless they use spells to clean them.  But what about the
younger students like the 1st years.  Unless that is a prefects job. <

Eighth writes:

"Please note that all students' clothes must carry name tags." That's
on Harry's Hogwarts letter.

I believe that this labeling of the clothes as someone else's prevents
the house elves from being freed whenever they pick up the laundry. I
think the name tags are more than to just prevent mixups of clothes;
they're to prevent house-elves from accidentally being freed.

Another option is something I've seen in a fanfic, where a house-elf
was handling laundry with a set of tongs. *g*

Eighth