Actually I am more surprised that you only have one washing machine to 15 appartments, my first flat had a similar ratio, but that was 20 years ago! And it was awful!!!!! It's hard enough when you have 4 flats to one machine (there is always some arse who doesn't keep to the allotted time slot and forgets tissues in their trousers that mess up your clothes because they haven't learnt to clean things and to take the fuzz out of the dryer *rant* ...the person I have in mind got picked up by the fuzz one day and was never seen again, so I got mine ).
or pee in the washing machine......
The ratio puzzles me too... there aren't actually enough slots for all the apartments!
I think it may be a combination of the fact that several apartments are owned by members of the same family (who perhaps help each other out), some people who get their washing done elsewhere... and the fact that most of the residents in this building seem to be invisible. Don't see them, don't hear them, wouldn't know they lived here if their mail box wasn't emptied regularly. The other evening I encountered someone in the hall I'd never met before.
But I can't very well point fingers at my neighbours and call them anti-social - the only people I know to say hello to are the concierge's family!
I think the most likely reason for there being only 10 slots taken, is that the remaining 5 flats are equipped with their own washing machines or are uninhabited.
i'd put their laundry in the dryer on HIGH and leave a note explaining you needed the space for your laundry as it was your time.
I think in this case there is no dryer?
I would have to think that a significant number of apartments must have their own machines or there is no way that can work? Thank goodness I haven't had a shared washing machine since my college days...
friend of mine would always find the washing machine being used during his slot so left various notes etc - no use.
one day the offender asked if the machine would be free, which it wouldnt be, my friend went to do his washing and found it was being used by that person so he did indeed piss in the machine.
the machine was always free during the slot after that.
my course of action would be to stop the machine empty the clothes out and continue with your wash
Landlords have it good, don't they? Only providing one machine for that many apartments - and no doubt one still has to pay for the use as well.
If it was me, I would leave a note in the drying room, apologising to the person who was going to be using it next, giving the reason for my clothes still being there wet.
If the same situation comes up a second time, I would leave a friendly note near the washing machine, requesting that I be asked before anyone presumes to use my scheduled laundry time.
Fortunately no rosters exist in my building.
Similar incident happened with us quite a few times. We put a note in French ( used the Google translator) and English and after that nobody did their laundry for two months on our assigned day but then it started again. Not sure, what to do now ?
If you know who it is, talk to them. If not, it seems the note seems to do the trick, albeit temporarily.
I'm not normally a fan of leaving a note, but if you don't know who it is, you don't really have a choice unless you stake out the laundry room waiting to pounce, which would be a bit creepy...
Take all their clothes from the drying room.
Leave a "invitation" asking them to come to flat X to pick them up.
Then have a nice friendly chat with that person...
Not quite like leaving a "note"...
PS: don't know if you'll get issues for "clothes-napping" but it it was your turn, the agency should have your back.
After reading this and other neighbor-horror threads, I think I live in Utopia and therefore am never moving again.
What is it with the Swiss and Switzerland and Laundry?
When I lived in California, we had 30 flats sharing 4 laundry machines, so one laundry machine per 7 flats, which is not much less than the average on most Swiss apartments.
We never had a schedule. You just went downstairs, if a machine was free, you used it, if it wasn't free, you came back 20 minutes later when the cycle was done.
No one ever got angry, no one ever wrote notes, no one ever had a "friendly chat" and most certainly no one ever "pissed" on anyone else's clothes.
Honestly, if someone uses your slot, who cares? It is just laundry and there are tons of free slots that you can use to wash your clothes again later. Come on, if worst comes to worst and you run out of underwear, it is an excellent excuse to treat yourself to some nice new clothes shopping.
Sometimes I really think people who live in Switzerland should learn to chillax a little. There are more important things to worry about in this world than whether someone used your machine at the "wrong time" or not, or even, god forbid, a laundry room floor that's wet. When you stop and think that in other parts of the world people walk out of their homes to streets that are wet with blood it kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
Hey, next time it happens, do this: drop your laundry basket next to the washer, walk out of the laundry room, go get some fresh air, and buy yourself an ice cream. It is time far better spent than time thinking about that "evil person" who was so "treacherous" and "horrible" to encroach on your laundry slot. Really, it is. Laundry can wait, but ice cream cannot. Trust me.
Laundry wars are the only wars we are involved for decades. No wonder we take them so serious.
hm...someone who hasn't received a written complain letter from the agency saying how you broke the rule by not respecting your allocated time slot, and how you will get a fine if you do it again.
Not only that and the fact that by doing so, you've just earn a ticket to your renting agency's black list.
Anyway what you are talking about is "adaptation", but I think the only solution is "communication". Ie catching the "offender" (lol, what a crime) and discuss that this system is the only one in place and that they need to respect it and ask your authorisation to have your turn.
There's absolutely nothing wrong to discuss with your neighbour but this communication has to happen. Instead of doing things on the back and creating a ridiculous mini war.
How about people with busy schedule who can't just wait and wait that someone finishes it's cycle to come up/down, up/down again?
What other "rule" in the flat we can break and "adapt" to our own style?
I personally would break the rule of having the same "name tag" in the mail box, but I was quickly reminded not to do so (complain letter + threats of a fine)...
What is it with the Swiss and anything?
- They love organization and procedures
- They hate anyone that disturbs said organization and procedures
- They are genetically programmed to correct anyone that disturbs said organization and procedures
I like your ice cream solution. Might have to go raid the freezer now.
Hmm... how many are in your family here?
We also have no problems with our laundry facilities. No time slots allocated, everyone seems to have different schedules so our laundry activities rarely encroach on each others.
If the situation were different, I imagine it would present a lot of problems for someone who works full time and has kids (like me). I am NOT going to slip out and buy my son a new set of clothes because I couldn't get to the washing machine because someone jumped the queue.
In addition, I think you are being a little TOO forgiving of people with no regard for others. I am not impressed if someone leaves the laundry room in a state with washing powder all over the place and (as happens a bit too regularly), or the time when someone left their trainers covered in dog poo in the sink used for hand-washing clothes. As I knew whose they were, I put them into a plastic bag and took them upstairs and let them know it was not really acceptable.
I know the Swiss get a bad rap for being pernickety about their laundry rooms but it all boils down to respect for others. Leaving a communal space as a pig sty is a clear signal you have no respect for your neighbours.
I don't know who they are but even if I try to pounce them, I have to take the help of a translator ( My french sucks ) and in my building nobody speaks/understands English.
P.S. I am not a fan of leaving a note either but it was the only option left
Buy a washing machine.
The fix laundry schedule does not work, it's totally retarded, when I lived in Zürich I had 4 hours every second week and no free time slots, so one business trip and brown underwear for a month
Just make an empty schedule and make people book a slot when they have time, should be on weekly or monthly basis...