Laundry Rant
Okay…I live in a building that has a laundry room with coin op washers and dryers and there are only two of each and at least…gosh probably 12 apartment units that share this. So we’ve run into problems doing laundry on Sun so now I try to do it before I go out on fri when I get home from work and stuff. Well, there’s this little issue…despite the fact that there’s a sign that says “Please remove laundry promptly” that has been there since the day I moved in this place, people just don’t. And that makes it extra work and backs up the rest of us. I used to really agonize about removing peoples’ stuff. I mean, I don’t really want someone touching my things…but the people in my building leave their stuff in there for DAYS! And there’s only two of each and we always end up having two loads each week.
I digress. Taking peoples’ stuff out always creates another problem in the sense that you don’t want them to be mad at you and also you’re now doing twice the work that way-work that isn’t your work. Laundry is tough enough! So okay I like my upstairs neighbor. He’s a nice guy and we even went over there for his thanksgiving potluck dinner. He has cool friends in bands and a cool cat. He has good taste in music and books. So I felt really awkward after I had removed his bathmats from the one washer (It’s possible they had been there for at least hours) and then as I went down to switch my clothes into the dryer, he is then just going down to put his mats in the dryer. So okay it wouldn’t have been a big deal if he had put his mats in the dryer when they had finished because then they would already be dry. Even if he had put them in there a half hour ago it would have been fine. But now it’s like then I have to wait around till eight o’clock because you just forgot there were other people in the laundry room? Okay God knows I must sound like a complete b…. but listen, I understand when people have extenuating circumstances but this is a regular occurrence for everyone. So like no one remembers to get their stuff on time or at all and then I get really paranoid that I’m a complete you know what even though like I said to him, “That’s okay go ahead and put your stuff in the dryer.” But then he didn’t have his quarters with him so he said I should just go ahead anyways. The point is why are people so self centered about laundry? Ugh. I hate this blog so much. My apologies to everyone or anyone that might read. I just needed to get it all out. Have a little word cry so to speak.
Incidentally, there should really be a band called “I Hate Laundry” because that would be just the greatest band shirt ever.
October 5th, 2005 at 8:42 am
why not bring your clothes to a neighboring bldg, mayber more conscientious folks? bad joke – i wish my apt bldg had laundry machines (i gotta shlep the stuff 2 blocks). anyway, a recent thur ny times had this story about a former columbia univ prof who writes of her love of doing laundry. (coupled with a recent cover story on women who opt for babies soon after graduating kollege, i began to get a real nytimes-is-a-mens-paper vibe.) anyway, i’ve always believed that ‘cleanliness is overrated’.
take care.
October 5th, 2005 at 9:04 pm
I guess I technically am spoiled considering that it is close to do my laundry (although, I always have to take it outside down (and eventually up) three (total) flights of stairs to the basement. That stinks.
I think I just needed to vent. I really hate laundry. But, you know, I hate smelling even more. So I do my laundry. It’s possible you could get away with not doing laundry and not smelling too. But for me I gotta play it safe.
lol on the nytimes.
October 13th, 2005 at 5:44 pm
[...] Back to my point…I’m sure my neighbors must totally hate me now. After the laundry debacle and the incessant playing of Inara George I am sure I am hereby out of their good graces. Ah well. At least I got a shower. And I even feel clean No, really. It’s a skill people, a skill. Don’t even tell me you aren’t impressed okay? [...]
October 20th, 2005 at 1:02 pm
Like Herb, I also don’t have access to a washer or dryer in my building, so I have to shlep it several (long) blocks. Like you, though, I absolutely hate doing laundry, so I just get it dropped off (I wouldn’t do that if I had access to it in my building, though).
October 21st, 2005 at 1:22 am
I really need to get an in unit washing machine and dryer. I really do. I would have so much less stress each week.
There are quite a few laundromats around Chicago-just as many as I remember being in NYC but I just can’t bear the thought of killing two hours of time in one every week. At least it being in the basement, I can haul it down there and come back up. But yeah…and I’m totally unmotivated. Cinchel and I play this laundry game sometimes where whoever finds the most money in pockets wins. It helps us get through checking all of the pockets alot faster. Well, it’s 1:30 and I’m rambling. Best to go to sleep now.