How Long is it Acceptable to Wait Before Removing Someone's Clothes from the Machine?

[IncredulousP]

Imagine living in a building with many, many other occupants. You don't have any clean clothes, so you take them down to the building's laundry room. Of the 2 washing machines there, 1 doesn't work. Which leaves the other 1, the single washing machine in the building, to be shared by dozens of other denizens. You open the lid of the machine in preparation for de-nastifying your heap of body-juice sponges, when you find an entire load is already there. Just sitting in there.

Now I ask you, how long is it acceptable to wait before you remove someone else's clothes from the laundry machine? 5 minutes? 15 minutes? Never? Or perhaps you think "they should have been here to get their stuff when it was done" and move it right away.

 

[H1B1Esquire]

You never know who you live with....someone might be a gang member, someone might be a hooker/stripper with jizzed-up clothes, someone else might have babies that shit in their clothes and the parents don't give a fuck. Basically, it's best to leave it be.

I'm pretty resourceful--in my building (when I lived in NYC) i found punching the washing machine juuuuust right counted a a quarter, so to not completely fuck them over, I put a quarter or two in there and would run the machine while taking note of how much time I had before it became a nuisance for others.

Well, sadly, people found out what was going on and my trick was fixed--during that time, I'd just wash my clothes by hand and dry them in the dryer.

If that wasn't an option, I'd go up the street. If that became too much of a hassle (like in the rain or snow), I learned to keep my clothes clean enough to get two or three days out of my jeans.

I also learned to buy clothes in multiples (4/$10 of the "ILNY" shirts), wear a bunch of white tee shirts you won't miss if you throw out, and borrowing clothes.

Also, try weird things:
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-your-jeans-without-water-freezer-109266

 

[morvoran]

If you are in a household where everybody washes their own clothes and the machines are no longer running, give them a warning that if the clothes aren't out in 30 minutes, you'll throw the clothes out on the floor. After the time is up, throw the clothes on the floor, wet or dry.

If you are at a laundromat or apartment complex, as @H1B1Esquire said, you might not know who the clothes belong to. Even if it is a poor old lady washing her knickers, you could get yourself shot or stabbed. Don't take the chance and wait for an open machine.

 

[ThoD]

I never understood why people are even ok with sharing washing machines with that many random strangers, just because a washing machine washes the clothes doesn't mean that it itself doesn't get dirty over time and it can get to the point where it puts the much from one guy's clothes to the next's. Just get your own washing machine or wash them by hand... but anyways, on topic, I'd say 10 minutes,15 tops, then take them out. Just throwing them on the floor will only cause more issues, especially if it's just a one time thing and they just happened to be distracted or had to do something. If it's something that happens often though, then consider such measures. Also, might as well put up a written notice above the washing machine for everyone regarding this.

 

[x65943]

I would probably wait an hour

It's not a good idea to get on your neighbor's bad side because you also leave your clothes unattended

 

[Alexander1970]

Imagine living in a building with many, many other occupants. You don't have any clean clothes, so you take them down to the building's laundry room. Of the 2 washing machines there, 1 doesn't work. Which leaves the other 1, the single washing machine in the building, to be shared by dozens of other denizens. You open the lid of the machine in preparation for de-nastifying your heap of body-juice sponges, when you find an entire load is already there. Just sitting in there.

Now I ask you, how long is it acceptable to wait before you remove someone else's clothes from the laundry machine? 5 minutes? 15 minutes? Never? Or perhaps you think "they should have been here to get their stuff when it was done" and move it right away.

Remove it immediately. It is a "community" washing machine. EVERYONE needs to know that other people are using it too. And it is selfish to remove the laundry NOT IMMEDIATELY.You know the approximate duration of the wash and can therefore be there BEFORE the Machine stops.
BUT it has an excellent potential for neighborhood conflicts.
Because there are only egoists and stubborn people in this world ... in communities ... because no one has learned to LIVE and get along in a community.

Therefor: Remove it immediatly (take it if possible NOT on the GROUND. ).

 

[FAST6191]

+1 to the immediately is acceptable camp, though if you did want to wait a couple then that is OK too. Obviously take reasonable efforts to make sure their freshly washed clothes don't land in a pile of fluff or something. Also obviously if it is going to get you drama and trauma you don't care to handle then do that, and if there is an attentive person present that will be sorting theirs in another machine within a reasonable timeframe then maybe consider that.

 

[Quantumcat]

Immediately, if they have left a washing basket nearby so they can be kept clean. You aren't hurting anything by removing them.

If there's nowhere clean to put them I wouldn't remove them at all. I would hate to have someone get my newly washed clothes covered in dust or dirt so I wouldn't do it to anyone else either.

 

[Mythical]

I'd just leave their clothes, people are too unpredictable. I'd love to think something like "I'll just toss these in the dryer real quick for em or a basket nearby, no biggie" but someone is bound to freak out
I would also feel weird if someone was messing with my clothes, but I know it would just be moving them from one place to the next

 

[Captain_N]

Boy i'm glad i have my own washing machine... If their are any baskets around you could put them in that.

 

[H1B1Esquire]

Just get your own washing machine

For anyone concerned with buying a

Spoiler: portable washing machine

You aren't hurting anything by removing them.

Girrrrl, come to America and try that in a big city--people are ca-raaaaZy. If I didn't look like a stuffed animal, people would probably insta-elbow slam my jaw open:

You may not be hurting anything, but people will try to hurt you....or your feelings...fuckin' jerks.

For anyone on a hygiene kick: add a little cleaning vinegar or antibacterial Mr. Clean in that nasty trash bin of a germ-infested people-and-sometimes-animal-juice-rag tub. I think they also make an environmentally-safe washing machine spray.

 

[Chary]

If there’s no laundry basket or safe place to put someone else’s clothing, maybe try buying a basket from the dollar store, and putting it in the washing room. So then if someone leaves their clothes for way too long you can gently put them in the basket for them and move onto washing your stuff. I’d give them 30 minutes before you dare move it. If someone steals the laundry basket, then oh well, you tried and didn’t lose much, as the basket would have been cheap.

 

[IncredulousP]

You all have a point. I used to take them out immediately, but I'd never put them on the floor, just on top of a machine (or inside if I'm feeling nice ).

One time, however, the lady whose clothes were being taken out by me walked in and got super pissed off. Boy was she furious. I wait 5 minutes now so I can tell people I waited for them as defense. But people c'mon, it says the amount of time left on the machine sseg display.

The story of the 2 washing machines, 1 broken and 1 full, was what I experienced today. I waited about 7 minutes before I took their clothes out and put them in the open dryer. My clothes were ready to be washed, the machine said 50 minutes to go.

I was late getting my wet laundry by a couple minutes, so I would have understood if my clothes were taken out. Luckily they weren't, but now the person whose clothes I took out of the washer and put into the dryer were still there. Still wet. So I had to take them out of the dryer and place them on top.

Another 50 minute cycle (I was early this time ), and my clothes were done.
The best part? That person's laundry was still on the dryer. Wet.


It's worth mentioning that, when placing my clothes into the washing machine, another person with their laundry came by, sad that I had beat them to the machine. For all I know, they could have removed the old clothes and made me wait another 50 minutes.

 

[FAST6191]

One time, however, the lady whose clothes were being taken out by me walked in and got super pissed off. Boy was she furious.

People get wound up by the oddest things. Learn to ignore them unless they have enough crazy that it is going to be an issue.

 

[H1B1Esquire]

oh well, you tried and didn’t lose much, as the basket would have been cheap.

Yo, char, lemme get a dolla


Char, take the easy route--a plastic (garbage) bag.

My other fun one--let the manager of the facility handle it so they can get a beating while you act as an innocent customer. Trust, who ever is in charge would probably say, "That's a problem, but it's not my problem ."

 

[StrayGuitarist]

In my household, if anyone has clothes left in the washer when I go to do mine, I just throw them in the dryer for them and start my load. If somebody else’s clothes were in the dryer, I just get an empty hamper, chuck them in there, then leave it in the living room for them.

Something like an apartment complex, or a laundromat is a whole ‘nother story, though. I’d feel far too uncomfortable to touch a stranger’s clothes, and just wait for a machine to become available later.