We have an apartment in a building (5 apartments) with 1 communal washing machine and dryer. There are no allocated days. This afternoon we badly needed to do laundry (as it not allowed on a Sunday). There was clean but wet washing in the washing machine for an hour. So we removed it and put it in the dryer (but didn't turn it on in case some items were delicate).
When we went back there was a VERY angry note on the machine telling us that laundry was "PRIVATE!!" and should not be removed.
Our question - have we broken a Swiss rule?! As far as my experience in North America goes this would be very acceptable laundry room etiquette....
If there isn't a sign-up sheet where the person had already declared use for that specific time frame (when you put their clothes in the dryer), then I personally think you had every right to take their clothes out if, in fact, the clothes had sat in the machine (in off mode) for an hour.
Your neighbors need to understand that they're not the only ones who need to use the machines. It sounds like maybe they were just angry that they weren't able to put in another load because you had beat them to it.
If there currently is not a sign-up sheet for your building, you might want to talk to the landlord or maintenance guy about getting one... and perhaps stressing on it that people need to remove their clothes ASAP.
Thanks, there is definitely no sign up sheet (it's a holiday property in a ski resort).
I was wondering if this was a Swiss rule that I was not aware of. Generally we have been very careful to check what is acceptable in apartment buildings here!
Did you try on the panties? Is it a single old man who lives there and the laundry had ladies secret things in there? Is it a lady who doesn't want you to know she wears huge 'granny panties' ?
It's probably that simple, somebody doesn't like others handling their knickers.. But if they can't be bothered to take it out when finished tough excrement.
Oh how many times did I wait for my neighbour to take out her freaking clothes out of the machine or drier! And we have a washing plan that comes every year from the Genossenchaft!
And she puts the drying machine on, for 3 T-Shirts that are dry as a fart and the machine is still on. I have a ton of patience but I think one day I will snap.
On a happy note- my husband forgot once to take the dry clothes out of the drying room, a looot of clothes. And the lady that had the washing days after us, folded our clothes nicely and put them on the table in the washing room. I was so embarassed that she even had to do that for us, she is older, but boy it is nice to have nice neighbours.
Maybe you can talk to the neighbours and come up with a plan? Either every day someone washes a bit or every X days someone washes.
It's weird that some places don't allow washing on Sunday's. Have a scheduled day during the week with Saturday and Sunday on a first come first serve basis.
My wife grew up here and she doesn't even know what the big deal is. If it needs to get done it needs to get done.
I agree. If someone leaves their clothes in the washing machine after their time has ended then out they come! I understand that people forget about them sometimes, or they have to go somewhere and are not back in time. It happens. Thats why i always have a bag in front of the machine in case it happens to me!
I didn't want to be too rude so left a note in return saying (in french)
"We are very sorry to have upset you. Please feel free to remove our laundry if ever it is taking up the machine. We understand that it is difficult for everyone to do laundry with just one machine and that it is necessary to compromise"
My building has no plan either and I am now utterly indifferent to removing people's washing from the washing machine and sticking it in the dryer, or removing it from the dryer and putting it on top of the machine. Some people in my building put their stuff in and literally leave it there all day, so as far as I am concerned it is perfectly reasonable to take it out so I can do my own stuff, and if they have a problem I am more than happy to discuss with them. I don't even think twice about it any more.
I also take peoples washing out and put it in their bag, and they do the same for me. Who knows, they may have been called away or were stuck in traffic or fell asleep.
I wouldn't put their stuff in the dryer and turn it on. There may be some stuff they don't want to shrink.
We did have one cow that would just dump whoevers washing on the floor even if it was not her hours on the agenda. I did nothing about it, but a neighbour went down one day and did the same to her, not a peep afterwards.
Sometimes these washing day wars have to be sorted out amongst the people who actually use the machines without going through all the shebang with owners or regies.
Finding a pair of my knickers hanging off the door handle will live with me for the rest of my life - i had left them in the dryer. But another time, a rather elderly lady had left her stuff in the dryer, i folded it all up nice for her. I got a smile and a thank you.
Normally I would say that you were correct in moving the washing, but given that it was a holiday property, are you sure you were permitted to use the washing facilities? It could be that the washing facilities were only intended for permanent residents (or the caretaker) and that you inadvertently stepped on some toes by using something you weren't entitled to.
Yes absolutely sure we are entitled to use the laundry - we own the apartment, we just happen to use it for holidays, as do most (possibly all) of the other residents
I've done that only once; left a note saying that I waited for 3 hours and needed to do my laundry as well. Never heard anything back so I guess my neighbour was fine with it.
Ah the delights of a communale washing machine. In the apartment block where we used to live the "Portuguese mafia" had decided the machine was theirs, even though we had a rota. I frequently found other peoples stuff in when it was my turn. I took it out & folded it. We ended up buying a Kenwood mini washing machine - not plumbed in, with a pipe that hooked over the bath. One day when I was doing a load of bedding in the communal machine, one f the women had a go at me - even though it was my allotted time. Once I said I'd had a baby all was right with the world again. It would appear giving birth gives you adequate rights to use the machine.
In your case the reply would be don't leave your stuff in the machine once it has finished if you don't want someone touching it. If it happens regularly, is there a concierge you can talk to about putting up a notice telling people to respect the machines finishing times?
Hahaaaa sorry but this is funny, the way you say it. Luckily it never happened for someone to find my underwear...I check inside the machine to make sure there is nothing left. But it happened to forget a sock or a belt or a necessaire...(I wake up at 6 to clear the drying room when the my neighbour's washing day is on) on the drying line and I found them on the table in the drying room. Now you just make me paranoid about someone touching or finding my underwear. No biggie though.... as Long as they are clean and not very old .
It was the fact that now my neighbours know that i only buy Marks and Sparks underwear and not three for the price of two in the Migros!!
Luckily, my very expensive pink ones were safely in their drawer.
But seriously, you do find some odd things when you take your neighbours stuff out of the machine, and then look at them in a different way at the post boxes.
Honestly I find most of the laundry stories in CH to be tame compared to my college days. It was not uncommon to pull out my washing and find someone else had "topped up" my load (that I paid for with my hard-earned money) with their stuff. Happened with both washers and dryers, and with male and female clothes.
A friend always had someone using his washing slot despite numerous notes.. The machine had a strange 'once started can't be switched off' system. The time thief stopped when my friend started to relieve himself in the detergent drawer right at the end of the spin cycle.