Laundry Etiquette 101

Don’t Take Up All The Machines

There are other people who need to get their laundry done, and it’s very frustrating (and rude) when someone uses up every available machine. Divide your laundry and do it in shifts.

Be Considerate: Be There When

the Cycle is Finished

It’s very easy to get caught up in another task while you wait for your laundry to finish being washed, but keep track of the time.

You should try to be back to the washing machine at least a couple minutes before the cycle has finished. (SET YOUR ALARM ON YOUR PHONE)

Not only does this speed up the process so that other people can use the machine, but it also prevents the risk of your clothes being stolen.

Don’t Remove Other

People’s Clothes

It is extremely rude to remove someone else’s clothes from a machine.

This is especially true with the dryer, as if someone’s clothes are still damp. Also, you put the other person’s belongings at risk of being stolen when you leave them out in the open.

Clean Out the Lint Trap

Clean up after yourself. Clean out the lint trap in the dryer, make sure that Bounce sheet finds the garbage, pick up the little pieces of paper that didn’t survive the washing process, etc.

Grease and Grime

If you have clothes that are really filthy, whether covered with grease or with a terrible odor, don’t just throw them into the machine. Try hand washing first, taking the clothes to the dry cleaner’s, or take the laundry to some other professional. If you throw the filthy clothes into the public machines, other people’s clothes can come out stained or smelling terrible.

Beware of Bleach

Bleach can be a great thing, but use it cautiously. You don’t want to use so much bleach that it isn’t able to cycle through the machine properly, and you don’t want to spill it. Other people will be very upset if that beautiful navy blue shirt comes out purple.

If You Find A Sock That

Isn’t Yours…

Leave it on the laundry table. Don’t throw it in the garbage. The person who lost the sock may come back and look for it. Wouldn’t you be happy if you saw that a considerate person had left it for you to find?

Don’t Ogle Someone’s Underwear

It’s very uncomfortable for someone to fold his/her laundry if someone is standing there eyeballing the underwear.

Report Theft

If you see someone stealing someone else’s basket or clothes, report it! How would you feel if someone stole your items and the one and only person who saw it happen didn’t say anything?

Do NOT Let Your Friends

Use The Laundry Room

The laundry room is for

Residents ONLY.

This bulletin board was published by Paul Giglio and Kim Gibson of The College at

Brockport, SUNY. Information from this cite was highly copied from Gomestic (http://

gomestic.com/apartment-living/laundry-room-etiquette/)