Laundrymat Etiquette

[MamaLema]

Yesterday I went to the LaundryMat with my kids. When it was time to put the clothes in the dryer all the dryers were full. 2 of the dryers had finished but nobody was taking the clothes out and that person wasn't there. 20 minutes go by and still no one has come to take out the clothes.

The kids were getting antsy so I did something I never thought I would do. I took out the person's clothes, but them aside and put my clothes in By the time the person had come for their clothes, it was another 15-20 min. They weren't too happy with me but I thought it was extremly rude to leave their clothes in the dryer for at least 35-40 min when it's busy.

What would you have done? I welcome opinions but don't need personal attacks.

 

[N.Bailey]

I'm with you!

 

[golfgal]

I would have folded them after I took them out but I would have taken them out.

 

[scrump]

I probably wouldn't have waited 20 minutes.

We definitely take clothes out. People are usually pretty good about it where we live (NYC). People pick up on time, and usually don't have a problem when their stuff gets taken out, especially when it's busy.

Maybe I'm still in a dorm mentality, but when you share laundry machines, you need to be considerate of other people's time (40 minutes is a LOONG time, you can get a lot done). If you want to leave your clothes in there for 40 minutes, you need to get your own machine.

 

[Beth76]

I wouldn't have waited 20 minutes either. Sorry, but you know how long the cycles are. If you can't get back in time expect someone else to be touching your things. And I wouldn't have folded them either. You're too nice golfgal.

 

[munchkin bunchkin]

I would have taken them out also-some days just aren't long enough for all I have to do!

 

[curiouser]

No way would I have waited 20 minutes. I give 5 minutes, max. But then again I live in an apartment complex with 12 apartments and one set of washer and dryer.

It's a cutthroat world, laundry is... if we don't get down there to put in the next load as soon as our first load finishes someone will come and take our stuff out, wet or dry, and put their stuff in.

Sheesh, in college I had people take my stuff out of the dryer 5 minutes in, put their stuff in and use my dryer time!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I would have waited 10 minutes max. It isn't rude to remove the clothes, it is rude to show up long after your dryer time has ended.

When I was in college, there were 12 washers and 12 dryers. But there were 400 beds! If you couldn't get to the laundry room on time, you would find your stuff on the table. One time someone took up 10 washers. One of the two empty ones was broken. Well, out came their clothes. Those clothes sat in the washers and on the table for a week! Yes, someone washed their clothes, left them sopping wet in the washers for a week! How gross! Sorry, I wasn't waiting a week for them to get their act together.

 

[azgal81]

I probably would have only waited a few minutes! What you did wasn't rude at all they were clueless for leaving them in there for an hour. Who does that?

 

[jennyl772003]

When I lived in an apartment with communal washers and dryers, I usually gave them 15 minutes to remove their items. After that, I took them out.

I managed to figure out how long the cycle lasted (there was a sign taped to the machines!), I am sure they could have too.

 

[jgmklmhem]

Might have waited a few minutes tops, but then taken the clothes out. My philosophy is their time is up when the machine stops running...not when they get around to taking their stuff out.

 

[mudnuri]

Happened here last week

Where I go to the laundrymat, there is an attendant there. When I arrived, a lady was filling up 6 of the 40lb washers (thats equal to 4 loads EACH)...Her washers stopped just prior to mine. Now, I'm a laundry snob, call it like it is..dont care...BUT I use 8 dryers EVERY time I do laundry. I know how much and what goes in each dryer- and they are ALWAYS the same loads.

My 1st washer stopped, and I knew hers were stopped, but low and behold...she had left...stupid her! I took the 1st load, and spread it into the 8 I needed, and turned each one on. 5 of them had only 1 item in them...BUT I paid my 25 cents to turn them on regardless.

About 5 minutes later, I had 5 of them full, and the other 3 were waiting for the last washer, a woman is there waiting for the 40lb washers- the attendant took out the laundry and let the new lady use the washers..she had been waiting for almost the entire wash time, as she arrived just after me.

By the time the lady returned, she had her choice of 3 dryers, and was LivID that the attendtant took her laundry out of the washers, then proceeded to make snide remakrs about "that lady who only puts 1 thing in a dryer"...to which of course I replied "my 25 cents turned it on, I can put whatever i want in the dryer"...she made another under her breath comment to which I replied....listen, you left, what you get is what you get, I was here when my washers stopped therefore I got the dryers. If you dont like it, dont leave"...

She then told the attendant that she had better not touch her clothes again, she has a problem with people touching her clothes...the attendant quickly replied.....

"oh dont worry, I have an issue with it too, thats why I put on rubber gloves when i removed yours"...

MUHAHAHAH!

Brandy

 

[mickeyfan2]

I feel you waited a resonable amount of time. I would have done the same thing.

 

[robinb]

I thinkit's rude to take the clothes out, but ruder to leave them sit for at least 40 minutes while others need the dryer. I would have taken them out!

 

[LK03]

I would have done the same. That's very rude and inconsiderate. If one is too impatient to stay at the laundromat while they wash their clothes then they better make it back in time. I know in college some people would be kind enough to move the wet clothes to a drier, but hey, those were a commodity as well, so if they didn't show up, out the wet clothes went onto a table.

 

[DisnyMama]

This happened to us last trip to WDW. We were staying at AS Sports and our washers finished and all the dryers were full except for two of them had stopped. I waited about 10 minutes and finally took the clothes out and put them on the table and put mine in. We went and sat outside. The lady who the dry clothes belonged to finally showed up about 30 minutes later and we could tell she was asking people who took her clothes out because they were all pointing at us. OH WELL!!!!

 

[eeyoreiscool]

I would have taken them out earlier as well. In college you had to make sure you were close by after the dryers stopped or you just might lose all your cloths.