Laundry Room etiquette

Take them out and wash your clothes.

Take them out and wash your clothes.

This. It will help your neighbors remember to be a little more considerate next time.

I don't know if it's proper etiquette or not, but I'd take them out and put mine in. Then, I'd fold theirs and set them aside.

Time is too valuable to waste.

When I lived in apartment I always waited. It was only a complex of eight so it never took that long for the machines to become available. But one time my clothes were washing and someone was in such a hurry that they took my clothes out mid-cycle (yes suds and all) and tossed their clothes in and mine on the counter. I don't know why they wouldn't think I would notice but they probably didn't care if I did. I assume they didn't have the money to do their own washing and drying so they jacked my washing money. Oh apartment living...

I don't know if it's proper etiquette or not, but I'd take them out and put mine in. Then, I'd fold theirs and set them aside.

Time is too valuable to waste.

Fold theirs?!?! Haha no way!

I used to live in a building where a quarter of the residents were twenties/thirties, working full time, and the rest were retirees (often widows). They were really good at folding ... the few times that I fell asleep with my clothes in the dryer. They did theirs during the day, while the younger set were evenings/weekends.

Have the apartment manager put up a sign that states to remove you clothes promply. Now, as far as waiting if there is available dryer put them in the dryer, if they left their laundry basket put them inside their basket and start your laundry.

I don't think I want to fold peoples underwear...sorry.

Haha ... you don't have to be sorry. There is no right or wrong answer.

By the looks of things, I'm old enough to be your mother. I've had two children and have taught elementary school for 26 years. For those two reasons alone, I've seen and done many things that make others hurl.

Folding the clean underwear of someone I don't know doesn't even fall in the Top 100 Things That Make Me Cringe.

My husband and I manage an apartment complex with one dryer and washer for 8 units..We have one tenant who hogs up the washer and dryer, but everyone knows that they cannot leave their laundry unattended for more than 1 hour, (thats how long the dryer takes), or someone else is going to remove their stuff and do their own laundry.

I once had someone stop the dryer in the middle of my load of laundry...never figured out who it was or why...

I have lived in many apartment buildings, and well there was a reason why I used to drive to the laundrymat instead!
But aside from that, I have no problem taking someones stuff out of the dryer and into their laundry basket. I will fold tops and pants, but I draw the line at panties and socks.

Taking clothes out the washer is a bit more, and I have to be reaaaly annoyed to do it. I will remove them and place them on top of the dryer, but I will not put them in the dryer. I often wash stuff that does not get dried and I would be furious if someone put them in the dryer.

I don't think I want to fold peoples underwear...sorry.

I wouldnt be folding other peoples laundry either. My time is too valuable and I'm not wasting it doing everyone elses laundry!

I'd take the laundry out and set it aside. maybe leave a note saying "sorry, but you were taking too long to get your laundry" or something. its better then leaving the laundry in the machines for who knows how much longer. wet clothes start to stink!

When I was in first year at Uni I lived in Halls. We had one laundry for 3 buildings: we started the year with about 10 washers and 10 dryers for somewhere in the region of 300 people. By the end of the year we were down to 9 washers and 7 dryers. Nightmare doesn't even come into it.

The rule I tried to stick to was if any machine was nearly done or actually finished I'd wait around a while. I didn't want people to think I was being rude or snotty by taking their stuff out and dumping it. But once it'd been left for like 15-30 minutes then I think that's fair enough. I'd try to find somewhere reasonably clean looking to pile the clothes in. To me, they've been in a big heap inside the machine so the owner shouldn't have a problem with them being in a big heap outside the machine :laugh:

Towards the end of the year I had one episode that left me absolutely raging. I *always* made sure I knew when my wash was ready to end so I'd be down there 5 minutes early so I wasn't being rude by holding up the machine. I'd put my stuff in a dryer and left it drying, and an hour later went down to check it. Sometimes that was enough time, others it needed to go back on. So I got down there, and the door was standing open. My stuff was still inside, still dripping. Clearly someone had opened it within minutes of me leaving and not even bothered to shut the door. Rude or what? So I shut it, put it back on, and head out. An hour later go back. The door's standing open. My stuff is still soaked. Raging now. I bang the door, put it back on, stomp out. An hour later, I go back, guess what? Raging doesn't even cover it. Seriously, this happened THREE TIMES. So I sat waiting with it for the next hour. During that hour, someone opened the machine "to check whether it was done". And didn't bother to shut the d*** door. I actually nearly punched him! I felt like screaming "IF YOU SHUT THE D*** DOOR THE MACHINE WOULD'VE BEEN FREE 3 F******* HOURS AGO!!!!"

Wow. Rant over Sorry for hijacking

I lived in an apartment where there was a laundry room for every floor. On my floor my apartment was right next to the laundry room so I could hear when the washer was done. I was always very quick to get my clothes out, because I hate it when people touch my clothes. It's just one of my irks. I would always check to see if it was going since it was, you know, right next door.

One day, the washer had *just* finished spinning and I was walking in to get my clothes out when the click from the lid release went off, and this person started pulling them out and putting them on the counter that was dirty. I was so angry, I said "Um excuse me" they responded that they couldn't have waited. It wasn't like they were left there, they had just finished.

I never removed anybody's laundry, unless I really had to get it done for work.