Communal Condo Dryer - Are There Any Rules?

We are in a simular situation as we are in a condo bldg with 12 units per floor and 1 of each machine per floor.

My rule is simply 15 mins after the dryier is done, I move the clothes. Since the washer is only 30-35 mins, and the drying is 45.. I give them 15 mins after the dryer is over.

After that, I move the clothes. put in a basket that migth be there or we have a table.

Time is too valuable to wait and wait.. ( especially if you are watiing until after us, because we do 5-9 loads Sunday mornings). We just keep moving and moving.

I try to always wait at least 10 minutes or so to see if someone comes back in to get their laundry. After that, it gets taken out and I use the machine. I lived in an apartment complex with about 100 units and 6 washers and 6 dryers. I don't have time to wait around for someone to come and get their laundry, especially when the machine counts down the 18 minutes needed to wash. I'm a little more lenient with the dryers since heavy loads may take a little longer. I also see no problems using any machines on a different floor. I'm sure your lease doesn't specify which floor you can use.

She wasn't right to yell at you. She should have been more cognizant of the time. I've missed track of the time before and I don't get ticked off if someone has moved my stuff. If you want to be absolutely sure, ask the property management if the units on all floors are available.

I think you did just fine, N.. Some people are just going to complain, no matter how much you try to help them.

Years ago, in my last apartment situation, I ran into the same problem. Checked washer, someone's clothes were in there. Checked it again 45 minutes later, same load, so I removed the clothes to a rolling laundry basket (there was no dryer) and threw my load in.

When I returned for my load, someone had left a nasty note about how I should have 'given them time' and was being rude by removing the clothes. They signed it 'a neighbor'.... unfortunately, their obliviousness about their laundry extended to their writing materials-- the note was written on the back of a piece of their mail with name and unit number. (Me and my stellar powers of observation!) After gathering my things, I knocked on his door and politely assured him that my only intention was never rudeness-- just clean clothing for work the next day, and that I HAD checked the time. He was stunned when I handed his note back to him and told him to have a good evening!

We live in a co-op with 175 units and a total of 8 washers and 8 driers in two ground floor laundry rooms. If all the machines are occupied, I allow 10 minutes grace, then shift their stuff into a laundry room cart.

Hubs does our laundry weekly, and as many as 5 loads at once. We go at off hours, which are easy enough with a 3 year old, because he has us up at 7 am on a Saturday. Great time to do laundry when everyone else is still rolling over in bed.

Best,
F. B.

You said it: "she is a grumpy old lady." I was just in the grocery store and was only buying one container of K-cups and walking into the line to check out. A lady who happened to be older (between 65-85 years; not sure) cut her cart knock over the PAAS stand next to the line (the line that said 15 items or less) to make sure she was in front of me. She looked at the PAAS egg color kits all over the floor and waved her hand like 'whatever' while piling her stuff in the conveyer belt. Then she put down the bar (i thought okay well at least she is kind enough to do that) only to stack a bag of peanuts and not add another bar to identify her stuff from mine. Anyway she took forever and then at the end had to get re-rung for her cigarettes that needed to be taken out of the lock case, then she had to search for more money for her 3rd transaction. After she left I told the cashier I was not in a hurry, but said wow she actually crashed into the PAAS stand to beat me in line. The cashier said, yes we have interesting people and that lady is a regular who act like that a lot.

So anyway...She is either in a bad mood or a regular grump. You really did not take her 'spot' unless she was using her clothes to hold the washer for her next load. I am sure you are one of many in the building on her 'list.'

You're fine. Don't sweat it. If you do run in to her, I would just be polite and pretend nothing happened. If she wants to be grouchy, let her. It's no skin off your nose. You did nothing wrong.

Does your contract say you must use the laundry room on your floor?

If not, I look at it like the public street. I am a bit annoyed about the neighbors friends parking in front of my house, but it is a public street and I have no say in where they park, so long as they don't block my driveway.

As well, I am also annoyed when the neighborhood above us cuts through our neighborhood for ingress and egress purposes. However, the street is public and they can drive on whatever street they want. So, I go through theirs once I got it through my head that it doesn't matter. I get the strangest looks when I drive through.

Ignore her. It sounds like she took it all a little too serious.

I very much doubt that there is a rule stating you can only use the machines on the floor on which you live. If that were w rule I suggest it would be posted. The only way to he sure is to ask management.

I suggest you did the right thing. Saying anything else or ignoring her could escalate her anger and would not cause her to change. This is who she is. Apologizing is the mature response. The way I think about the apology is that even tho I'm irritated I am sorry she is upset because her anger has
upset me. After some time my attitude has changed. I've become able to be sorry for her and be less irritated by her attitude. She must be unhappy to act this way.

I suggest one reason you're second guessing your response is that you feel insecure in this role. Now that you know it's OK to use equipment on another floor and that an apology doesn't hurt and may help you will be more comfortable.

Before my daughter got her own washer and dryer I would take pity on her huge pile of laundry I would use all the machines on all 3 floors. I did this in the middle of a week day when no one else was using them. I did feel guilty when someone then came wanting to use them. This only happened a couple of times and they were gracious about it.

Here's what I would have done. I would have left her wet clothes laying out somewhere. I wouldn't have put them in the dryer because she may not have put everything in there in the dryer. I don't dry my underwear or certain shirts or jeans in the dryer. No one else knows that but me.

Now, if I HAD put her stuff in the dryer and she chided me for it, I would have apologized. But to the part about it not being my floor, forget it. I would have point blank said, "That doesn't matter, period." And I would have ignored anything else she had said from that point on.

From the first scenario, if she had fussed for me taking her stuff out of the washer so that I could wash my clothes, THAT is when I would have told her that she didn't have dibs on leaving her clothes in the washer after the machine is finished. If she doesn't want people to take her clothes out, then she needs to be punctual about coming and taking the clothes out. And if she started the stuff about it not being your floor, again, I would told her that it doesn't matter which floor I wash my clothes on and ignore the rest.

Unless it is written in your contract about which washers you use, she has NO RIGHT to say this to you. She's just being crabby and rude. She's an old lady, and nothing you say will get through to her. The only thing that will teach her a lesson is for you to take her stuff out of the washer. Maybe THEN she'll set the alarm clock to come get her own stuff and put it in the dryer.

That being said, if I were you, I would bring a book or paperwork to work on and sit with your laundry. This way you can make sure that she doesn't mess with your stuff if you end up back on that floor.

I always just threw their clothes on the top of the washer because I didn't know if things were going into the dryer or not. I didn't think it was rude at all.

And yes she was overreacting. Communal machines are for the entire building not just that floor.

i used to run into that when i lived in apartments. i think putting her clothes in the dryer was the correct and courteous thing to do, and she just sounds like an old grump.
i've been in places where the wet (or clean dry) clothes were tossed onto the floor by inconsiderate neighbors.
you won't get an apology from her, but you also don't have to be conciliatory since you did nothing wrong. if you run into her, don't overdo sweetness or allow yourself to return her rudeness in kind. a pleasant smile and a 'good afternoon' are all that are called for. if she should nail you for using a machine off your own floor again, simply say 'i'm afraid you're incorrect about that' but don't get into an uglyfest with her.
you COULD point out that she violated the rules by leaving her laundry unattended for over half an hour. but that'll just escalate the tension.
you are good neighbor. don't let the crabby ones turn you into a bad one. maybe she was having a horrible day.
khairete
S.

I would just go to a different floor and stay away from her.

It gets tricky. I had that situation when I lived in NYC. I would always time it so no one ever had to touch my stuff and so others could do their wash.

Something similar happened to me in NYC when I was in grad school. I took out a wet load and put it on the laundry room table. I got blasted. My response was that they should have watched the clock.

If my clothes ate put put because I misjudged time, I'd not be upset. I'd understand!