Apartment Laundry: 4 Things to Take Caution of When Washing

Share:

Apartment Laundry: 4 Things to Take Caution of When Washing

Staff Writer · Dec 29, 2010

Having access to an apartment laundry room in your apartment complex can save you trips to the laundromat and free up space in your apartment that would otherwise be taken up with an in-unit washing machine. However, there are a number of things you should consider when doing your laundry in the complex’s laundry room.

1. Remember to Check the Machines Before You Use Them

Sharing your apartment laundry with all of the other residents means that you may have to suffer for other people’s mistakes. For example, if your neighbor accidentally leaves a red item of clothing in the machine and you do a load of your whites and light colors, the red will bleed onto your fabric, perhaps irrevocably. Maybe a washing machine or the dryer is full of pet hair after your neighbor washed a pet blanket. Remember to always check the machines before you use them to make sure that they’re empty and clean.

2. Make Sure You Don’t Overload the Machines

Taking care not to overload (and perhaps break) the washing machine is especially important when you’re using the apartment laundry room because you’ll likely have to pay to replace the apartment’s property. You can avoid damaging the washing machines by making sure they’re not overloaded. For example, don’t wash something heavy like a comforter unless you’re sure the machine is capable of handling it. Don’t fill machines too high with small items, either.

3. Be Courteous and Move Clothes Promptly

Because your laundry apartment room may only be accessible by your fellow apartment residents, you may feel more comfortable leaving your clothes while they’re being washed and returning to your apartment than you would in a public laundromat (However, see the next tip.) If you choose to leave your clothes, be sure to come back shortly before the clothes finish so that you can promptly move them to the dryer or take them back to your apartment without taking up the machines unnecessarily. Moving your clothes through the laundry room promptly is courteous to your neighbors who may be waiting for those machines.

4. Don’t Be Overly Trusting

It’s possible that your neighbors won’t do anything to your clothes, but if you’re always apt to leave your clothes in the washing machine and return to your apartment, you leave your clothes open to theft or handling. Unless you’re really comfortable with your community and you trust your neighbors, you may not want to leave your clothes unattended. Some people steal clothes and others are irritated when the machines they want are being used. Even if the machine is still going, if you’re not there, they may remove your clothes and drop them on a table or a the ground (dirtying them again) in order to be able to use the machine.

Using the apartment laundry room can be a real convenience as long as you pay attention to a few key tips. Remember, too, that there’s always the option of heading to a laundromat if the rates are cheaper or if you have to deal with consistent problems.

You might also like:

Moving into a new apartment or rental property can be both exciting and stressful. From packing up your belongings to coordinating logistics, there’s a lot to manage. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is what to expect on move-in day regarding the condition of your new unit. Surprisingly, according to recent surveys, a significant […]

Jessica Lee

 · Mar 12, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and or living in the communities. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight apartment communities whose […]

Jessica Lee

 · Feb 28, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and/or living in them. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is truly like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight a major city across […]

Jessica Lee

 · Jan 31, 2024