The laundry room in my building seems to have fairly relaxed rules - compared to what I've read on here and heard from friends. There is a slot from 7:00 - 14:00, and another slot from 14:00 - 22:00. Despite the fact that there are 15 flats in the building and only 14 slots, there are 4 slots which are not 'taken', and can therefore be used by anyone who needs to squeeze in an extra wash. Washing can be left in the drying room (we don't have a tumble dryer) for seemingly as long as you want. If your items are dry and the space is needed, someone will take your items down and fold them up neatly. Often the room has more dry items waiting to be picked up than wet items on the lines! And I take advantage of this flexibility as much as anyone else. ̈
However, we are supposed to clean out the soap dish and filter on the machine, wipe the floor (the machine tends to leak) and, with 4 free slots, not use another person's laundry time.
My laundry slot is Thursday afternoon/evening. Thursday morning is a free slot, so anyone who needs to do a wash on Thursday has the opportunity to do so.
I came home tonight at 6pm, and trundled down with my first load of laundry. The machine was in use. Which was irritating. It's not like it was at the start of 'my' time after all!
I've just been down a second time to see if the machine was free. It had been emptied, but whoever-it-was hadn't bothered to clean up the water on the floor, or do any of the other tasks either. Whoever-it-was has clearly done several loads this afternoon, as the drying room is full of wet items. And dry items too.
So, am I right to be irritated or am I becoming too Swiss in my outlook?
I'm not actually going to complain as I have no idea who-it-was and being a single person I don't have a huge amount of laundry in any case. But I do feel peeved because the room was left in a mess, and because there isn't much room left in the drying room for my laundry, and that worries me!
Personally, I think you have every right to be peeved -- especially for the fact that someone is doing laundry during YOUR time. I don't think your anger is a Swiss thing. I think it's a human nature thing.
In huge flats like that with laundry schedules, I think it's important that people be sure to not do laundry during a time when it is not their actual turn. Otherwise, they may be really messing up someone's routine and maybe even forcing that person to have to go another week before they can do their laundry!
As for leaving the place in a bit of a mess... to me, it sounds not too bad. Maybe the person was planning on coming back to clean up. I also think it's human nature to forget to clean out a lint screen now and then.
If someone takes up your time-slot again, I'd leave a note on the door to the laundry room.
I would be mega pixxed off this happened to me before when we used to live in a block flat ignorent sods grrrrrrrrrr. Take the clothes off the line in the drying room and fold them up in a corner, or throw them on the floor leave a note telling them it was your washing time and when they come to complain you can find out who the rude washing time theif was: D
"Take the clothes off the line in the drying room and fold them up in a corner, or throw them on the floor leave a note telling them it was your washing time and when they come to complain you can find out who the rude washing time theif was: D "
We have no rota in our block and there are only 5 residents. We can wash anytime as long is nobody else is using the wash room. When we wash we put a note up saying that we will be using the wash room all day. We always take our laundry away when dry and clean up.
Other residents have have left their washing hanging for a few days when already dry. This pisses me off. But rather than throw their washing in the corner I leave a note with my name and apartment number explaining my concerns in a nice way. This seems to work. I prefer a rota system with the option to use the washroom if it is free but leave a note to let other residents know you are using it.
I would also like to add I must be bored as shit to comment on this thread
I agree with the above posters. You have every right to be annoyed about it. It only takes one inconsiderate resident to spoil things, especially if they do it again...
A friend once got so incensed when someone 'nicked' her wash day that she locked the washroom door whilst their washing was still in motion and did not return the key until around 0300am the next morning. She also did not answer her doorbell when they came a-knocking and which they did several times. That sure learnt 'em!
If you have fixed periods, then you were definitely robbed of your machine.
You should learn how to stop the programme & open the washing machine door. Take the offending wet washing out and put it somewhere safe, maybe the big plastic sink? Then do your wash as usual.
The non cleaning is a pain, but you would have to do your cleaniing up anyway.
On reflection, yes the mess wasn't that bad. But I'm still irritated that someone used my slot without asking!
I can appreciate that if someone really needed to wash something urgently, they may have felt that they could 'sneak in' as I didn't seem to be using the machine. And perhaps they did ring my bell to see if I was in. But had the boot been on the other foot, I would have left a note saying 'I'm sorry, I really needed to wash x because my cat was sick on it... and you were not home to ask. I have used the fastest cycle and you are welcome to do a load during my time if you need to.'
Oh well, laundry is all done now, I just hope that the person who has the machine tomorrow morning will clear a space in the drying room by removing the driest items (which won't be mine) and not just scrunch all my (still damp) items up at the end of the room so they get very wrinkled!
i know this has been discussed many times before but I still find it so annoying about the idea of sharing washing machine in this century. The whole thread was created because of this system !
It is absolutely a terrible idea for family have small kids esp under 5 years olds!
-at baby stage : they spit milk almost every meal (note : feeding is 8 times /day!), they shxx a lot which stains the clothing..... so am I supposed to put this in a bucket of water and wait till my turn for washing? or I should simply do hand wash while being tired to death after 8 times of breast feeding /day + x no. of diaper changing...
-at toddler when they do toilet training, I don't remember how many times they p in their pants, bed etc during this stage. How many bed cover we should keep before next laundry slot arrives. ....?
-with small kids, how am I supposed to go back & forth to the cave to do the washing? bring the kid (who is able to walk) with you? --great idea, it will take you at least 20 mins besides the fact that you have to hold the laundry with one hand and the other hands holding them. wait for the kid to nap? pray for God your washing slot is overlapping with their nap time? also, how safe it is to leave a kid at home alone , I will never do it even with a few mins !
I really love an old thread called "laundry sucks in switzerland !"
Happened 3 times this year that someone took my laundry spot. On the third time I was so fed up that I called the concierge. She came over, identified the culprit and (surprise, surprise!) nobody has hijacked my slot ever since!
Put a note on the machine, telling about your time misappropriated. If it happens again, tell your landlord.
If it continues, you can take the above mischiefs suggested, but I would really buy my own washing machine or move to an apartment with own machine. Tell your landlord or hide it.
Sharing the machine with such people is so yucky? No?
Good luck!
Btw this happens to many people here, me included. Don't be too paranoid.
put a note in the machine saying : this isn't your time to do laundry this is reserved and put the date and time ! and they won't do it anymore.... that happens to me all the time and it's so annoying! i hate it