Opinion: Saying What We’re All Thinking: Laundry Room Etiquette

Before I started attending Albion College, I considered laundry a likable task. I was taught how to wash my clothes at a young age, and I’m well-versed enough to know the difference between delicates, power washing and everything in-between.

Obviously, I knew that by coming to college and living in community housing, I would have to give up some of the ease of washing clothes at home. What I was not expecting, however, was to find that so many people lacked the skills I consider to be fairly basic. Like, seriously, how did some of you make it this far?

But worry not! I’m here today to make everyone an official laundry room warrior, and ensure that everyone’s experience washing clothes is as efficient and considerate as possible.

1. DO NOT Wait Until Your Laundry Pile is Bigger Than You

I have a confession: I too have been the person who waited until I had absolutely nothing left to wear to tackle my dirty laundry. However, this is far from an effective strategy. It’s ridiculous; don’t do it.

Not only is it an inconvenience for you because you’re trying to cram everything into one load, it’s also inconvenient for everyone around you.

For one, you’re more likely to do some serious damage to the washing machine – which is already hanging on by a mere thread – by shoving in that many clothes at once. It’s not supposed to be making that sound, I promise you.

Not to mention, your clothes are definitely not getting clean, so now you have to use one of the few working washing machines again – that’s almost an hour and a half of hogging one washing machine.

Please, just wash your clothes in smaller increments. It’ll benefit not only yourself, but laundry-doers everywhere.

2. Why Aren’t You Getting Your Things?

Now, I’m not sure why this transpires every time I do my laundry, but it does, even though I feel like it’s a rather simple problem to solve.

Go. Get. Your. Things. Once. They’re. Done.

Washer, dryer, I don’t care what your clothes just got done cycling through – go get them. In no way does it make sense to have your belongings sitting downstairs for an additional hour or however long, just because you neglected to set a timer. Or worse, you just don’t want to go down and get them.

You’re taking up space and frankly, it’s rude.

I’m not talking about people who come to get their clothes five minutes after the timer goes off; that’s fine and normal. Maybe you got caught up arguing with your roommate or using the bathroom, and that’s not a crime. But to the individuals who have their clothes sitting there for hours: You are the bane of my existence.

Just go get your things, I’m begging you. We have so few washers and dryers, sharing them is the only way we’re going to get through this.

And  if you don’t want to go get your items, don’t be mad when someone else takes them out and puts them wherever. At that point, you did it to yourself.

3. The Unspoken Grace Period

On the flip side of not being obnoxious when leaving your items in the machine, don’t be obnoxious when removing someone’s stuff. Give people some semblance of grace. Just because their things have been done for a little over two minutes doesn’t mean they aren’t coming to retrieve them.

If their clothes are still piping hot to the touch, give them a minute; they very well could be on their way down, and then they’ll catch you elbows-deep in their laundry.

Talk about awkward.

If you’re in a rush to do laundry, don’t assume everyone else is too. Use your best sense of judgment to determine when you should remove someone’s belongings from the machine. And if your judgment is off and you get caught in the act, the side-eye you’ll get from me is well-deserved.

4. These Are Not Goodwill Bins

Now I’ve never been a victim of the laundry room bandits, but I’ve heard enough talk from others to know they exist.

Which is kind of crazy, to put it lightly.

People’s laundry, no matter how long it’s been sitting there, is not your personal property to go digging through. You presumably don’t know these people, nor do you know where their clothes have been. Don’t take things that don’t belong to you.

This is a sentiment that I didn’t think needed to be taught past the second grade, but here we are.

Not only is it weird to even be searching through someone else’s laundry for your own personal gain, but also, what if you happen to pass by that individual and they see you wearing their clothes? Then what?

I guess you just better hope they don’t recognize it, and that it’s not me you stole from.

All in All, Wash Responsibly

Now, I’m not the laundry room police, so I won’t be watching you every time you step foot into the space. I have too much going on to indulge in that kind of behavior.

But I can advise you to be responsible in your ways of washing, and to call someone more knowledgeable, like a parent or CA, if you’re still having trouble comprehending what should and should not be happening while doing this basic task.

Make good choices, get your clothes when they’re done and keep your laundry problems to yourself – unless you’re me, because my word is law. It’s that simple.