Laundry etiquette

[WVURunner]

We usually cruise longer cruises and therefore do a lot of laundry. I have allergies and can't use dryer sheets and only one kind of soap. We normally don't dry our clothes are home because a lot of our clothes is workout clothes. We purposely bring old workout clothes with us on these cruises knowing we will dry them. We are anal about being on time for our laundry and set our watches and phones 5 min early but if something were to happen and we were late, it is our fault and therefore, we can't be mad if people move our things or put it in the dryer or use dryer sheets. We were the ones being rude. It is now our problem to deal with. I give about 15 min before I take action and move the clothes to the table, wet or dry. (I'm not wasting my money on the person, even if it is only $2). If we can be responsible and set a timer, so can other people.

Why don't people make little magnets to put on the machine stating who they belong to (room number) so that if that does happen at least the ship or hotel knows who to contact? This is what we did in college- if we had to wait more than 10 minutes we told the person in charge of the floor and they dealt with it. Then IF the laundry was moved by someone trying to be a good citizen then the person who forgot about their laundry knew where it was.

We bring post-it notes with us and put it on the washer/dryer with our expected return time and our wave phone #, just incase we fail to return because of some crazy situation/emergencies. No one has ever had to call. Every time we return and someone is in the laundry room, they say, "why didn't we think of that!" Simple solution.

 

[brianvdb]

I don't get this perception that people would "mess" with your clothes and underwear?
Once they have taken them from the washer or dryer, do you think they try them on, take turns running around the hallway with them on their head and take pictures?

Oh... hmm... well, this is awkward. Clearly I misunderstood the 15-minute-rule.

So many great things you can learn here on the DIS!

 

[Bella29]

I avoid the laundry room whenever possible but when it's necessary, I am not going to spend even ten minutes of my vacation standing in the laundry room waiting to use a machine because someone else was too busy enjoying their vacation to come get their clothes. I will remove wet or dry clothes and pile them on the counter within 5 minutes of the machine finishing. I certainly wouldn't put them in the dryer as that often ruins clothes, about half of my family's laundry gets hung up to dry. I realize the OP had good intentions and have little sympathy for the person who left their clothes tying up the machine. I show up early before my machines are finished so I can deal with my own stuff.

However as I said, I avoid the laundry room as much as possible as that place is sheer misery. Hot, steamy, crowded and more than a few crabby folks. I might do one load mid week if necessary, hopefully during off hours.

As for the guy ironing a week's worth of clothes at once - what a sad waste of time. We send anything wrinkled out to be pressed the first day, it's such a bargain especially when you compare it to the value of an hour or two of your vacation!

 

[turtle27]

I guess this goes back to dorm etiquette. You know how long the wash should take. Everyone does. You should be there within about 15-30 minutes of it going off, it was less if you knew others were waiting. I had a small dorm, so the rule was if you missed your window, no putting clothes on the floor, you put them on the folding table. For the dryer, same rule, out it comes. We had 2 washers and 2 dryers for about 60 of us, I think, we made it work, with very little drama. If someone was really nice, they would fold it for you, otherwise, piled on the table for wrinkles to set in.

I get that people lose track of time, etc. And I would never do this if there were washers/dryers available. Heck, even if I needed more than what were available, I would wait a bit before moving someone's clothes. But move them I would, in what world has it become ok for my convenience to be held to a greater importance than yours? I would want someone to move my clothes in order for them to utilize the machine. I would feel horribly that I was not there on time to do so myself. This is especially true if you are doing laundry during a bus time, I am sure that everyone can recognize there are times where the laundry room is hopping more than others. My time is just as valuable as yours and I want to not be doing laundry just as much as you don't, so let's all get through this together and keep the laundry cycles moving.

I think you were nice to dry the clothing, because who is washing something in industrial washers that cannot be dried? I would be washing those items by hand in my room or having it done for me... I know there are exceptions to this, but if you are that AR about laundry, I am guessing you will be there to get your stuff on time. Within 5 minutes of that timer going off. Just sayin'.

I think it very appropriate to move laundry after the timer has gone off. Be reasonable about it. If the other person isn't, I would just pretend to not speak their language. Give them a blank stare and don't respond.

 

[AngelDisney]

As for the guy ironing a week's worth of clothes at once - what a sad waste of time. We send anything wrinkled out to be pressed the first day, it's such a bargain especially when you compare it to the value of an hour or two of your vacation!

Totally agree! This is what I am planning to do this time. After checking out the ironing prices, I would let Mickey do his magic!

 

[Flossbolna]

I just heard that at WDW there is a new system where the laundry machines send you a text when they are done! That would be great!

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/laundry-services/

If you click on the link in the middle of that page, you can even see whether there are any machines available. Would be nice if they could integrate this into the cruise app!

 

[lisamarie12]

If someone took my laundry out of the washer or dryer after it was finished, I would be a little annoyed, but I would also know that it was completely my fault for not being back there in time. I get that you don't want to stand in the tiny room (only imagining its tiny based upon experiences on another cruise line and the fact that space is at a premium) and watch your clothes tumble. So set a timer, go for a walk, have a drink, deliver fish extender gifts, go to your room and read a book or whatever you can do in a short period of time. If you don't have 30 minutes or an hour to sit around on standby waiting for your timer to go off, then don't do laundry at that time. Its not that difficult. Maybe there is some sort of emergency (or more likely you thought you had enough time to do something and then it took longer than expected) and that happens, but you have to take responsibility for your choices.

I do think out of courtesy people should wait 10-15 minutes before removing stuff, not sit there and wait for the dryer to stop and immediately take stuff out. But by the same token, if my stuff is in the washer and all the dryers have clothes in them, I have nowhere to put my stuff when its done. So now I am hogging a washer that I don't need unless I want to stand there with a pile of wet clothes. So Mr or Ms. "I'm too busy having fun to deal with my laundry" is not only keeping me from using the dryer, but possibly someone else from using a washer.

 

[paddles]

My time is just as valuable as yours and I want to not be doing laundry just as much as you don't, so let's all get through this together and keep the laundry cycles moving.

Completely agree - I think this is what it comes down to. My time and vacation are just as valuable to me as yours are to you, and I would not hesitate to move clothes if there was a wait for washers/dryers. If someone can't be bothered to set a timer or be back on time, then don't use public laundry facilities and complain if clothes are moved.

 

[ludari]

I typically only do laundry on longer cruises. To avoid the crowds and not to mess with anyone's stuff I usually try to do laundry when most people are not evening thinking about it.

 

[mab2012]

I so do not get what the big deal is - either way. They're just clothes. I do try to move my laundry promptly, but if I'm a bit late and someone takes my stuff out of the machine, so what? I would prefer they didn't dump them on the floor, but if I left my stuff unattended in a public place, well, such is life. I'd also prefer that they didn't put them in dryer for me, because I do have some things that I air dry. But again, if I've left my stuff unattended, I suppose I'm accepting the risk that some well-meaning individual might dry them for me.

On the flip side, I wouldn't think twice about taking someone else's stuff out of a machine, if it had clearly been sitting for awhile. I'd probably visit other nearby laundry rooms first, but if they're all busy, clothes will be moved. They won't be folded, or even laid out neatly. All I need is a reasonably clean bit of counter or bench, and the owners can deal with the rest when they eventually return. If they want to get all bent out of shape about it, so be it.

 

[JW9DVC]

Tampering with anyone's personal items is still not right. You could personally be held liable. Even with the most good intentions, tampering can include moving to a dryer and not starting, touching in general, drying, drying wrong from what is your standard, placing on a folding table (Could be dirty, causing clean clothes to now be dirty.) This is all Devils Advocate here.

Best course would be to call guest services. Let an employee of Disney take care of the situation. Let it be up to the company and customer to work it out. You may have given 15 minutes because that's what you think it should be. People are on Vacation!

 

[Twinprincesses]

Sorry it is a 10 min rule to me. In my old apartment complex if you did not have your clothes out someone would remove them for you and sit them out wet or dry.

 

[Twinprincesses]

Tampering with anyone's personal items is still not right. You could personally be held liable. Even with the most good intentions, tampering can include moving to a dryer and not starting, touching in general, drying, drying wrong from what is your standard, placing on a folding table (Could be dirty, causing clean clothes to now be dirty.) This is all Devils Advocate here.

Best course would be to call guest services. Let an employee of Disney take care of the situation. Let it be up to the company and customer to work it out. You may have given 15 minutes because that's what you think it should be. People are on Vacation!

Yes people are on vacation but that does not give them the right to just put their clothing in the washer and leave it there for hours. There is a limited amount of space to do laundry on the ship and does not give them the right to monopolize a machine for the day. Others should not have to spend their vacation waiting for a person to decide when they are ready to finish their load in a timely manner.


It is like reserving a pool chair you might use at some point during the day. Either use it or don't.

 

[JW9DVC]

Moving a towel is one thing to save a chair. I would hate to be the other person on the end of someone that is having a bad day. Personal items are still personal items. Do so at your own risk. Risk involved in a multitude of ways.

 

[C6PT7]

Tampering with anyone's personal items is still not right. You could personally be held liable. Even with the most good intentions, tampering can include moving to a dryer and not starting, touching in general, drying, drying wrong from what is your standard, placing on a folding table (Could be dirty, causing clean clothes to now be dirty.) This is all Devils Advocate here.

Best course would be to call guest services. Let an employee of Disney take care of the situation. Let it be up to the company and customer to work it out. You may have given 15 minutes because that's what you think it should be. People are on Vacation!

Moving a towel is one thing to save a chair. I would hate to be the other person on the end of someone that is having a bad day. Personal items are still personal items. Do so at your own risk. Risk involved in a multitude of ways.

Everyone is on vacation on the cruise (CM's excepted) so as posted by others above, My time and vacation are just as valuable to me as yours are to you.
If you pull someone else clothes from a washer and dry and respectfully just put them on the table, what on earth could you be liable for?
At max you could be asked for a $2 wash cycle!

And to be at the other end of an ignorant, selfish persons verbal abuse? I've got broad shoulders that it would just slide right off, if I were in a good mood. Or maybe they would get it right back at them, and be educated in the meaning of the words curtesy and respect, and taught about their self entitlement.

If someone were to make it physical, well then they would be in a whole other category of liability.
Creased clothes vs. Assault. I wonder how that one would work out......

Unfortunately as society drifts ever forward towards it's all about me, unless people stand up for what is socially right, we are encouraging this behavior by just looking the other way.

 

[Bella29]

tampering.... lol. I am not afraid of a lawsuit for removing some tardy fool's laundry from the washer. I would not like to be on the receiving end of a verbal tirade from someone having a bad day, but that's the most I would except and I certainly am not afraid of such idiocy.

 

[MelSpees]

Moving a towel is one thing to save a chair. I would hate to be the other person on the end of someone that is having a bad day. Personal items are still personal items. Do so at your own risk. Risk involved in a multitude of ways.

The items are personal, but they are in a public space. I don't get the big deal with someone touching your clothing. Do you think you'll get cooties? We're not in grade school anymore.

 

[princessnicchia]

Clearly, people are crazy about their laundry. The truth is, I would never want to touch someone else's laundry because I do NOT want to touch a stranger's underthings (which is the real reason, I suspect, that people are so freaked out by the OP doing the drying/folding of the laundry, NO ONE wants someone else to touch their unders). And that is a good reason NOT to use the public laundry if you aren't going to move your stuff timely.

But I am 100% willing to admit that I am weird, and that if you want to argue that underwear are just another piece of cloth, I totally get it. But it's still gross to me.

 

[C6PT7]

But I am 100% willing to admit that I am weird, and that if you want to argue that underwear are just another piece of cloth, I totally get it. But it's still gross to me.

It's just been washed!
And if it's cotton, it's been picked and handled by so many people before it was cloth!

I've been saving this, but.....
Do you use the ships or hotels towels to dry yourself?
They have been touched by others before you many times. Just cloth to dry yourself in intimate places, but socially acceptable to pretty much everyone?

 

[Runnergal]

I live in an apartment building. We aren't allowed to have washers/dryers in our apartments so there is a laundry room in the basement. I have 4 dc and do a lot of laundry. Sometimes I will throw a load of laundry in and then run out to pick a kid up at school or the grocery store and don't get back exactly when the cycle is finished. I understand that other people need to do their laundry too and have no problem if they take my stuff out of the machine. I wish they would put it in the dryer for me and save me a trip! And I will take theirs out if there is no other machine available. Like a previous poster said, it is clean. So many other more important things to worry about imo.