Laundry Facility Etiquette

(probably the best way to find the old thread is to search for 'wtf you crazy americans don't have washing machines in your houses')

Actually, I'm really hesitant about taking out someone else's laundry, 'cause last time I did that (after waiting for an hour and half!) I started feeling guilty and so I folded the young lady's clothes. She walked into the laundry room when I was about 3/4 done with the folding and when she saw what I was doing she burst into tears. I don't know which of us felt worse at that moment.

For A) - if people are thoughtless enough to leave their stuff in the machine for 20 - 30 minutes, you can take it out, leaving it somewhere that's not the floor, but you're not obligated to dry it.

For B) - Hm. If it's dry, I'd say just take it out, no folding. If they've left it, they don't care about creases. If it's still damp, it might depend on how badly I needed mine to finish. I'd probably put some quarters in and finish it drying, then remove it to someplace not the floor.

As to what to do with a wet pile of someone else's money - I debated leaving it at the front desk, but in the end just flattened it underneath the wet clothes on the table. The pile was still there when mine finished nearly 2 hours later.

As a general rule I think it's ok to take someone's laundry out if they leave it - as a courtesy I try to wait maybe 10-15 minutes and see if another one opens first or if they come back, but the real laundry etiquette question is whether it's rude to leave your clothes in the laundromat in the first place, and it is, very much so - you're depriving other customers of their time and you're depriving the laundromat owner of money.

Then, this morning (er, closer to this afternoon, really), I was walking by the laundry room and saw that someone else had taken the clothes out of those dryers and piled them - AGAIN. And as of about 2AM the clothing's still there. So someone really forgot or got called away on an emergency or something. I'm glad I didn't wait.

And you're right - I shouldn't have called the person(s) an idiot - I was just frustrated as hell. Actually, I live with someone who's always forgetting that they've laundry going and just expects that someone else will pile it somewhere if they need to use the machines. So I can see it from both sides, but I still feel odd about touching someone elses clean clothes - it's this level of intimacy with a stranger that just makes me feel uncomfortable - not wrong or dirty, just uncomfortable.

Jaq - how long are you going to be in So Cal?

Agreeance. I am usually on top of these things, but if I get distracted and don't make it downstairs to change over the laundry in time, I am totally okay with someone else moving my clothes over (either into the dryer or on top of it but yeah, please not on the floor, that's just vindictive). The few times someone has folded my laundry, I've wanted to find them so I could kiss them in gratitude. I'm thinking that Ms. Laura's crying woman had other issues that day.

Then again, in less reputable laundry facilities, your basket gets stolen.

And if I have to leave mine in a washer/dryer and go somewhere, I perfectly expect someone to do the same.

Although I have to admit it's kinda weird if it's a girl's stuff w/ like underwear in it, and I'm always scared she'll walk in in the 10 seconds it takes me to move it, and I'll look like a total asshole.

Then, put the offending party's damp clothes back into the stopped dryers.

buy a clothes horse, dry in the air of your apartment, save money, energy and rage

I remember laundry hassles in halls at uni. I remember one bloke slagging off someone's pyjamas, and I thoroughly embarrased him when I told him that they were mine. I did end up getting a clothes horse in the end.

* the only way this is impossible is if there was a malfunction with the dryer and it turned off during your cycle somehow.

Anyway, when the woman who works there brought out a mop, should I have volunteereed to do the mopping? I just stood there awkardly, watching her do it.

Laundry Room Overflow!

Fucking laundry room.

I wore a pair of jeans for like 5 years w/o ever having them touch soap, just airing them out once in awhile. Couldn't get away with that for shirts, tho.