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So I just encountered the grammar "te aru" and according to Japanesetest4you it means that something has been done. They provide the following sentence as an example:
君の靴下も全部洗濯してある。
Kimi no kutsushita mo zenbu sentaku shite aru.
'All your socks have also been washed.'
Would it be wrong of me to just say:
君の靴下も全部洗濯した。
Kimi no kutsushita mo zenbu sentaku shita.
Would there be a big difference in meaning?
The difference is like the difference between "they have been washed" and "(someone) washed them".
君{きみ}の靴下{くつした}も全部{ぜんぶ}洗濯{せんたく}してある
All of your socks have also been washed
Your socks have all been washed as well
君の靴下も全部洗濯した
(I have) washed all of your socks as well
(She has) washed all of your socks as well
(He has) washed all of your socks as well
