By: Michelle Young, Opinions Editor
There is a certain etiquette to sharing a laundry room or going to a coin laundry. Don’t overfill the machine, don’t let your clothes sit there, don’t be nasty. I do my part. I don’t overfill, I set the timer to make sure I’m not taking up machines after my clothes have finished their cycle, and I have 100% cotton bath mats to make sure I’m not a fire hazard. I also make sure to clean the lint traps! It is not that hard.
So why, then, are some people so damn irrational in shared laundry rooms? Why do I arrive perfectly timed — within the minute — to pick up my fresh laundry, and see it dumped onto the countertop? Why has my precious clean laundry been soiled by some stranger’s grimey hands, who couldn’t wait five fucking minutes before prematurely taking out my laundry? I am literally right here. But you just had to stop the dryer to put in your own clothes because you are panicking that your entire wardrobe is filthy, you have work tomorrow morning, and now you need to take up three machines at once?! What the fuck.
Do you know how dirty shared laundry rooms can be? They are a transportation centre for bed bugs, and that is not something I want to deal with. I have a routine to ensure I am not carrying back your creepy crawlies from your last vacation, and that includes not touching the filthy counter that likely hasn’t been wiped down for months. Now, why are you overfilling the soap compartment to create a sticky, mouldy, mess?
