The Pet Peeve Laundry Habits of Others

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Rinso, you just gave me the laugh of the day!

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I use cold water washes all the time, with excellent results. I also measure my detergent carefully to minimize the amount of rinsing needed to get all of it out. Have never used fabric softeners. Always use bleach in the whites. And I line-dry so I don't need to use the dryer often. At least two of those habits are enough to get me in trouble 'round here:-)

BTW, to prevent stiff towels if you line-dry: When the towels come out of the washer after final spin, put them in the tumble dryer for 3 to 5 minutes with no heat, and then hang 'em up on the line to dry. They'll dry fluffy, not stiff & scratchy. The initial tumbling makes the difference.

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Pet peeves:

People whose idea of a full load is to press it all down two or three times to be sure it all fits when they squeeze the lid closed as if they're trying to trap an unruly ghost in there. Small loads with enough water to cleanse the Augean stables. People who think they're abstract artists, liquid detergent is paint, and the top of the washer is a canvas.

Idiots who let the door of a top loader drop closed with a loud *clang!*, or who slam a front loader closed like a car door in a movie about gangsters.

The same idiots who usually leave the door closed after each load to be sure something greenish-white & fuzzy starts growing in there, on the hopes that if they don't win the lottery, they can strike it rich by selling the greenish-white fuzz to the military for use in bioterrorism preparedness drills.

A particular idiot freeloader who overstayed his welcome by two months and put his stinky wet sneakers directly into the dryer (without washing them first!), by themselves, where they banged around like trapped animals and caused the heating element to fail ($60 in parts..). And then denied that the heating element was his responsibility.

Idiots whose idea of cleaning a lint filter is to bang it upside down on any available metallic surface, accompanied by much raising of dust.

Idiots who will twist the knob of an automatic machine all the way 'round the dial without pulling it out first or otherwise stopping the machine, accompanied by the expected painful sound effects.

End-of-load beepers that are left turned up so loud you think the fire alarm has gone off.

Worst of all: criminally insane idiots whose IQ is lower than room temperature, who put clothes in a laundromat dryer without removing their packs of chewing gum from their pockets, so that the gum falls out (if it hasn't already in the washer) and melts into a gross sticky mass that gets all over anything the next person puts in the dryer! Yes, I've seen wads of gum on the inside of public dryers, and have had at least one shirt ruined thereby.

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HA! reminds me of...

soemone I know who put clothing in the dryer that was used to insulate with fiberglass.

"So the fan can suck out the fibers."

Try washing the stuff first- two times, then line dry. Repeat till attic is insulated.

then wash a THIRD time if the dryer is really necesary.

I didnt even bother to say *boi you need to WASH out that dryer.* I was afraid the garden hose would be used.
 
Still, nothing beats the neighbor using my dryer (with my permission) and the husband's bullets (he is a cop) rolling around in the dryer.

And what if I had my jingle-bobs shot off?

I was standing at the stove (next to the dryer) attending to something..
 
Underloading is much better than overloading! (LOL)

I also despise the slamming of lids and doors, which is how the DD Kenmore's lid became "jiggly", ironically enough ;-)

I've been to laundromats and have seen it all...those poor machines take a lot of daily abuse. Don't they know there are THREE dispensers in the double and triple-loaders? Not just pre-wash, which is where they dump all of their detergent, additives, etc.! On some of the older Wascomats, the "wash" dispenser is nonfunctional...it doesn't matter to me because I'm always standing there watching it and I can add more detergent to the "pre-wash" dispenser, but most people haven't found out and just dumped the detergent in there. And they wonder why their clothes aren't clean...

Also, just because it's a double-loader it doesn't mean you can bring a week's worth of laundry for your 12 or whatever kids you have, stuff it in there, and wash it in one load.
 
LOL

Rinso, the part about MAX was just priceless...

Top pet peeves:

1.) When it says to add clothes loosely, that does not mean to do your impression of a trash compactor.

2.) Wash it in the hottest water possible. Cleanliness is next to godliness, and it's also the highest temp setting on the control.

3.) Use additives judiciously. You don't need fabric softener on everything, and colored clothes may not like to be bleached.

4.) Dilute everything, or enjoy that signature "tie-dyed" look.

5.) Do not leave the laundry in the washer until it turns sour with mildew. Get it into the dryer and then forget about it, if you're so inclined.

Venus, to your defense, I don't clean the lint filter but once per "jam session," not once per load. I like to see the fuzzies build up on my washers' lint traps--it's gratifying :-)

--Nate
 
1. I hate a dirty washer, I have had my FL for 5 years and it looks brand new.

2. Leaving clothes in the washer.

3. Not measuring your detergent,

4. Having detergent caked up on the agitator.

5. Not cleaning the lint filters.

Darin
 
This is hilarious!!!

Reading all these posts about pet peeves!

#1 for me is when anybody goes near the w&d as if they are going to use it! Same with the dishwasher, but thats another thread.

#2 too much or not enough soap

#3 cleanliness, to the point that the clothes have to be cleaner BEFORE they went in the machine
#4 dryer drums that look like the ground after the carnival.
#5 fabric softener? I like to use liquid, moderatly. But OMG! some people should be arrested for the places I see the stuff. (I am soooo tired of walking thru freinds house having to clean out softener dispenseres

Enough of my ranting
 
The usual peeves -- dirty machines (filters and otherwise), improper water levels, overloading OR underloading, using the washer as storage for wet towels or dishcloths between washdays, careless tossing of additives, not sorting clothes, not making use of the available choice of cycles.

-----> Not using auto-dry cycles (this is a biggie!).

I'm guilty of -- washing underwear with dishtowels (eeek!). Sometimes using a little extra softener, but I like to have a bit of the scent left in towels & sheets.
 
Around the college, I've noticed all sorts of washing faux-paus by the college students that were never taught how to do laundry properly. At the school, they have a variety of Maytag top-loaders, and front-loading Neptunes:

compacting laundry into the washing machine like one is packing a suitcase for an extended vacation...especially in a top-loader, the clothes just sort of rotate around with the drum, instead of tumbling.

Dumping gallons of detergent into the machines to the point that suds wash over the top of the tub and onto the floor.

dumping all the laundry into the machine together without sorting.

not cleaning the lint filters in the washer or dryer

constantly pinging the router in the laundry room for status inquiries of the machines to the point that the machines can't handle all the service requests and the network crashes.

Leaning on the doors of the front loading W & D's while bending over, twisting the hinges, and causing them not to close properly....the particulary portly people are famous for doing this!

Washing one large, heavy object in a front-loader, so it goes out of balance during the spin cycle, making the machine dance and vibrate across the floor...and despite all the network requests, the out of balance machine is never tended to after it malfunctions.

Sitting on top of the machines that are not in use, talking to fellow students, all the while blocking their access while others are attempting to do laundry. Heavy people...please don't do this at ALL...it bends the lids up!

Here's some peeves outside of the college that I've seen people doing at home:

Using the dryer, when the weather is nice outside, and would dry clothing on the clothesline (Subdivisions that ban the use of clotheslines!)

Washing oily rags and work clothing in the washer without pre-treating the articles, and then cleaning out the machine after the job.

Over-washing clothes...if you didn't get sweaty that day, and you didn't get into anything dirty, chances are your clothes are clean enough to wear another day...I know it sounds gross, but it really isn't if you didn't get dirty! Save your favorite clothes, most of their wear and tear occurs in the washer!

Continuing to operate an appliance, despite the fact it is making unusual noises and/or poorly performing

attempting to dry solid objects like belts, purses, shoes, etc in a tumble-dryer

rapidly twisting the dial of a mechanical timer while the machine is running, rapidly sending it through all it's mode changes in less than a second or two

Leaving a machine running unattended, while nobody is awake, or at home.

installing washers on upper floors of the house, so when they leak or splash water, it leaks though to the lower floors and stains and damages the ceiling below and everything else below it.

HERE ARE TWO SAFETY TIPS I RARELY EVER SEE APPLIED:

Not shutting the water taps off after one has finished using the washing machine!

Not having a qualified technician disassemble and clean out the lint in a dryer (and the air duct) every so often, and waiting for the lint to build up till it becomes a fire hazard!
 
IMHO-

Without softener sheets and by using rigid metal exhaust hose/pipe, lint hazard is greatly reduced.

IIRC- Dryer softener sheets were NOT approved for use in the machines by manufacturers at first.

WAX + LINT + HEAT and sometimes FLAMES CAN'T be a good combo.
Not to mention the sheets rust the heck out of your machine.
 
Had a doozie tonight
I generally do the washing but occasionally if I am at work my partner gets a bee in his bonnet and does a load of washing because it is "piling up" or "getting behind" ie: there is more than half a load in the hamper.
He is not at all familiar with the Thor FL we are using at present. In his defence I should say its markings are appalling, there is a whites cycle and a delicates cycle but there is no mention of a colours cycle at all and no mention that "whites-heavy soil" is in fact a pre-wash. Also I have a habit of regularly changing the washer in use and never tell him how to use the latest. We have four washers in our laundry at present. he has figured out all by himself to follow the hoses from the taps to whichever washer they are connected to before loading up...

He checked with me after I got home tonight, to see if what he had done was correct - clothes were already hung out on the line.
Set timer to 1. (that's pre-wash, dear, use 2. remember 2.)

Otherwise fine today. So we had a ten minute cold wash followed by a one hour "warm rinse" (the main wash, no detergent though)and four more rinses.

at least he used a half scoop of powder this week - last week we had to do ten rinses as he had used one scoop of Cold Power and half a scoop of Super-ENZ. (correct dose is half a scoop of either - cold power is next pack to use after ENZ is used up, not both together!!)

Tonight though... He mentioned that he had put the detergent into the drum with the clothes as he had so much trouble with "that stupid little dispenser". The dispenser is very similar to the Asko which gave him no trouble. So I got him to show me which segment of the dispenser he was putting the ddetergent into...I was expecting him to show me the prewash compartment, which is smaller... when I opened the drawer, he said, "oh, I didn't know it opened like that, I tried to put it in here"...the drawer has a slot in the front where you put your fingers to open it, a spring loaded flap covers the slot except when you poke your fingers in there...he had held the flap back with one finger and tried to tip the detergent into the slot, it spilt down the front onto the floor...

Inside the dispenser drawer I have written a big "2" in black pen, compartment 2 for detergent, setting 2 on the timer, is that simple enough???

When I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes, I said to him, "wait till I tell the washing machine folks about this..."

love him though...

eighteen years...you get less for murder...

Chris.
 
Oh yes, the problem of people who dump large quantities of powdered detergent into one compartment on the front loader at a laundromat. With the result that it sets up like plaster of paris or occasionally breaks loose into one's own subsequent load, causing a suds nightmare and the need for an extra cycle to rinse it all out.

Neighbors in crowded urban areas who tumble dry objects with large buttons or other metallic decorations, late at night. Thump-thump-clang!-thump-clatter-clang!.. etc.

Housemates who are so eager to do their own laundry that they hover around the laundry room and, as soon as the machine stops, put your stuff somewhere dusty so they can get theirs in. (Fortunately I haven't had to deal with that problem for about 15 years!) (And no, this isn't a rationalization for leaving one's own stuff in there overnight.)

(Agreed about wearing stuff two days between washings. I'll typically wear a pair of jeans for two days unless the weather is hot or I was working on something that required a lot of physical effort i.e. sweat. Shirts, one day, unless worn on a cool dry day for physically light work such as programming, in which case a second day if that day isn't going to involve close proximity to clients. Underwear and socks, one day.)
 
Toggleswitch!

You worry toooooooooo much! IMHO!

Love Steve

Glenn: you are nuts! Do not put those in with your dish towels!

Oh I forgot you have the F & P's! Ok then go ahead!

Steve
 
Laundry rooms have ROUTERS??

Laundry rooms have routers these days? Are we talking washing machines with RJ-45 connectors and Cat-5 patch cables? You can check the status remotely?

Good grief!!

Do you think my 1-18 has a card slot for an ethernet card? Or do you think it was coaxial cabling back then? *eg*

:-D
 
Yes, routers. And all the rest of it.

Goes along with the fuzzy logic. No longer do you have a definitive cycle time, but instead, a process that runs until it reaches a goal-state, which could take 45 minutes, 1-1/2 hours, or even longer, depending. So instead of hanging out in the laundry room and making mischief, you go back to your dorm and log in, and hit the Refresh button until it says Done.

Next step: Email. "Hi this is your washing machine, downstairs. Your load is ready. Please come pick it up soon, I see a guy waiting for me who looks like he might take your stuff out and put it on the floor..."
 
Mom vs. Son

Austin, you can't win. I've tried for the past month to show my mom the benefits of dispensers, automatic temp control, correct detergent measurements and automatic moisture sensing. YES, you do not have to hang around the dryer anymore. When the dryer goes BUZZZZZ, your clothes are done.

BUT she insists on throwing too much detergent in (she wants a thick layer of suds), sets the temp on tap warm, even for towels and underwear, and worst of all... TIMED DRY, so she can take out the wet clothes and put them in the closet.

It's a losing battle that you will never win.
 

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