Maybe I committed a laundry room sin? I'm new to my building in Bed-Stuy—first time having a shared basement setup after years of drop-off service. This morning I went down, every washer was full, but one load had been sitting finished for at least 25 minutes. I checked twice. I carefully moved the wet clothes onto the clean folding table, used my own basket, and started my load. Later a neighbor knocked on my door saying I had no right to touch her stuff and that 'the machine wasn't hers but she paid for it.' Is there an actual rule? Did I do something wrong?

You did the normal thing. 25 minutes in a busy room is plenty. General city building code of conduct: if a machine stops and nobody's around, give it 10-15 minutes. After that, moving the wet load to a clean surface is fair. You didn't throw it on the dusty floor or the top of an empty machine, so you're fine. The 'I paid for it' argument is just people treating a shared machine like a reserved parking spot. If she's that pressed, tell her to set a timer. I've moved loads after 20 minutes and once got a thank-you because the owner forgot.

Okay this helps because I'm about to use the laundry room in my new place for the first time. My building's basement has exactly two washers and two dryers. What if there's no folding table? Is a laundry bag on the floor okay? Or should I just wait longer? Also, do you leave a note when you move it? I would feel so weird going through someone's wet clothes even with clean hands. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I already had a neighbor leave me a passive-aggressive note about my delivery boxes.

Flatbush_Fi here. No folding table? That changes the math. Don't put a stranger's wet clothes on the floor if you can avoid it. Use an empty machine top, a clean plastic bag, or pull their laundry cart over if it's clear it's theirs. A note is polite but not required. If the room is too grim for any clean surface, just wait a couple more minutes and check again. The bigger issue in some buildings is management removing the bench or cart to discourage people from camping down there. There was a similar missing-foot-pedal detective moment in the thread about the Bigbelly flap on 86th St: is there a foot pedal missing or did they just get rid of it? Bigbelly flap on 86th St: is there a foot pedal missing or did they just get rid of it? — infrastructure disappears and everyone improvises.

Update: the neighbor came back down while I was folding and kind of apologized? She said her buzzer was broken and she lost track of time, but she still thinks I should've waited 30 minutes. I guess the magic number is not universal. Gowanus_G, I'll definitely set a timer from now on and maybe put a sticky note on the machine with my phone number. Newbie Nate, if your room has no table, maybe bring a clean IKEA bag to line with? I did that today and it felt less rude. Good luck with the passive-aggressive notes; ours are taped inside the trash closet.

25 minutes is more than enough. The '30 minute rule' is for people who want the room to run on their nap schedule. In a two-washer building, you cannot hold a machine hostage while your food delivery arrives. Also, buzzer broken is not a laundry excuse. Bring your phone, set a timer, or accept that someone will move your damp stuff. Nate, don't overthink the wet clothes thing. You're not going through anything, you're relocating a pile. But if a garment falls on the floor, just apologize with a sticky note. That's more than most people do.

Thanks everyone. I actually went down last night to scout my building's room and it does have a small ledge by the slop sink, but no table. There's a baby stroller parked in there? It takes up half the floor. I asked the super and he said 'just don't leave it too long.' Not helpful but okay. Beth, I'm using the IKEA bag idea. Also, do people really put sticky notes on washers with their number? Seems like that would fall off. Maybe I'll bring masking tape. Flatbush_F, the two-washer point is real. My cousin's building in Ridgewood has a sign that says machines are for tenants on even floors only, which sounds made up.

That Ridgewood even-floors thing is 100% made up. No super is checking IDs at the washer. But signs like that are building folklore, people use them to scare the new guy. Nate, masking tape and a sharpie is the move. If the stroller is in the laundry room, take a picture and ask the super if it's abandoned—those things are roach condos. Beth, if your neighbor wants 30 minutes, she can write it on the wall and watch everyone ignore it. The real conflict is drying: someone leaves their stuff in the dryer on low for 80 minutes and you're stuck with a damp pile. That's where I lose patience. Wet move is fine; dryer move is annoying because you don't know if it's done.

Ooh, dryer etiquette is a whole other thing I hadn't considered. Do you move half-dry clothes? My neighbor’s stuff was still damp after the cycle ended and I didn't touch the dryer because I wasn't sure if she'd put it on low on purpose. But then I had to let my own things line dry in the tub overnight. Is there a polite way to restart someone's dryer if it's clearly still wet? Or is that overstepping? Also, Gowanus_G, my buzzer has been broken for a month so I have no room to judge on that front lol.

If the dryer stopped and the clothes are still wet, I usually restart it for 20 minutes and go back. If they're dry, I leave them alone unless there are zero dryers and people are waiting. Restarting is a gamble because some people intentionally dry on low or air fluff to avoid shrinking. If the clothes are already on 'no heat', the cycle is done, just leave it. You can always check the lint trap; if it looks like a felted sweater, don't play hero. Beth, if the buzzer is broken, use your phone alarm or watch. The machine buzzer is not the only notification available in 2025.

Checking the lint trap before touching anything is a low-key power move. If it's full, you can be the hero by cleaning it, but then someone will assume you broke the dryer when their jeans come out covered in fuzz. I just bring a collapsible laundry basket and wait. Honestly, the only actual rule in most buildings is don't leave your stuff in the machines overnight, because that's how you get the whole room shut down. The super in my old place taped a sign once: 'If I find wet clothes at 6 a.m., they are going in a black bag outside.' We all set alarms after that.