The shared laundry room in my building has two machines and no booking system. I carry a basket downstairs only to discover both in use, sometimes with someone's finished load sitting inside. I don't want to become the resident who lectures everyone about laundry etiquette. Has anyone found a routine that makes this less annoying—off-peak hours, a quick check before sorting, or an informal schedule with neighbors? I'd rather solve my own logistics than start a hallway dispute.
Handling laundry in a building where machines are often occupied
- adulting
- handling
- laundry
- building
50
0 replies
I’ve seen neighbors do an informal “if it’s done, move it” thing, but that only works when people are reasonably civil about it. If not, it...
I’ve seen neighbors do an informal “if it’s done, move it” thing, but that only works when people are reasonably civil about it. If not, it just becomes a passive-aggressive folding war.
1 reply
I started doing a quick peek before I haul anything downstairs. It saves the “both machines, of course” moment, which is annoying but less a...
I started doing a quick peek before I haul anything downstairs. It saves the “both machines, of course” moment, which is annoying but less annoying than dragging a basket back up.
Finished loads sitting there are the real curse of shared laundry. I swear people can hear the washer stop from three floors away when they’re not the one whose turn it is to move.
1 reply
Off-peak hours helped me most. Early morning or late evening, depending on the building, cut my wait time way down.
Off-peak hours helped me most. Early morning or late evening, depending on the building, cut my wait time way down.
The only catch is that everyone eventually has the same idea. In my old building Saturday morning turned into a tiny laundry parade.