Transitioning from having a private laundry room in your home to having a communal laundry room shared by everyone living in your commons is a big adjustment. Most people tend to adapt to the dos and don’ts of a shared laundry room, but there are always a few people who don’t. This list should clear up a few unspoken rules that should be adhered to.
Do: check the floor to make sure you haven’t dropped any of your clothes.
I can’t even describe how many rogue underpants and socks I’ve stepped on. And they’re not always clean. Either you’re the person who lost something or the person who steps on something they didn’t want to step on. This is a lose-lose situation. Always double check to make sure everything that’s yours is where it should be.
Don’t: let your finished laundry sit and take up a machine
If your machine is done and your clothes are still in it, I’m moving your stuff out and stealing your machine. Some people will even throw your stuff on the floor to free up a machine. Set an alarm on your phone and come get your laundry when it’s ready.
Do: make sure there’s nothing in your laundry that could cause an issue
My friend once found a piece of gum that had been baked into his clothes because someone left it in the dryer. If you’ve got gum in your pockets, or anything else that could screw up someone else’s laundry, take it out. And be sure to check the pockets of your clothes to make sure there are no rogue pieces that you’ve forgotten.
Don’t: leave dryer sheets lying around
Why are there always dozens of stray, used dryer sheets roaming around in the laundry room? Throw ‘em out!
Do: separate your whites from your colors before you go to the laundry room
This means you’ll take less time getting your clothes into the machine, which means your laundry will be done sooner and you’ll have saved time for yourself and for other people trying to get their clothes clean. Everybody wins!
Don’t: separate loads of laundry by color and give each individual color group its own machine
There are three categories of laundry: whites, colors and stuff with special wash instructions that should be done separately. Do not be that person who needs a separate machine for pajamas, blue things, red things, leggings, etc. You may think you need to separate them, but I promise, you don’t.