AIBU to think neighbours are using my dryer?

[DontThinkSoBro]

In our block of flats each floor consists of 2 flats which share a drying room on the landing. The drying rooms are jointly owned by the two flats, we have a key each & our own tumble dryers on each side of the room.

New neighbours have moved in - lovely so far, no issues at all... except over the weekend I found one of their sons socks in my dryer & last night I found one of the woman’s socks in my dryer. 100% no mistaking that they are theirs as we only have plain socks & these are most definitely a little boys socks & a woman’s pair of patterned socks.

I absolutely don’t want to cause an argument about it. Could there be another simple explanation that I’m not thinking of as to how twice now, their socks have ended up in my dryer?

How would I approach this without causing a rift with otherwise very nice people?

Maybe it’s the most simplest explanation of they think that one is their dryer?!

Just ask them

Stupid question but do they know that you have a certain dryer each?

Assume they don’t realise they are using the wrong one and remind them which belongs to them.

Can you padlock your dryer door or similar so they can’t use it? Or just start using theirs so the bills even out?

Knock on their door, give them their clothes and explain which tumble dryer is their one.

For clarity there’s a very obvious their side and ours in the shared room. When they moved in we had a whole conversation about it l, so no question that they are mistaken..

The dryers are our own, run off our own mains etc.

I’d just rerun the socks and let them know they have been issuing your dryer by mistake. If they are reasonable I doubt it will be an issue.

Start using their dryer?

@DontThinkSoBro

For clarity there’s a very obvious their side and ours in the shared room. When they moved in we had a whole conversation about it l, so no question that they are mistaken..

The dryers are our own, run off our own mains etc.

So take the socks over. 'I found these in my dryer. Your dryer is on the other side. I don't want to pay for drying your clothes so please stop using my dryer.' Or put a lock round it.

I absolutely don’t want to cause an argument about it. Could there be another simple explanation that I’m not thinking of as to how twice now, their socks have ended up in my dryer?

That’s a rhetorical question, right?

I would be tempted to hide something in there that will melt and ruin their clothes.

But I'm a passive aggressive cow!

Knock their door, hand them the socks and say “these were in my dryer. do you know that the one one the left is yours?”

I wonder if she thinks she's saving time by using both dryers at the same time. This happened all the time when I lived in cooperative housing. The laundry room had 5 washers and 8 dryers and one member just had to use every dryer with a couple things in each. Maddening!

When you return the socks you can cheerfully tell her which dryer is hers and which is yours.

Do you have a separate fuse to the dryer? It sounds like you may if your dryer is running off your mains. Turn it to off.

Or just ask them why you keep finding their stuff in your dryer.

Remove the fuse from the plug to your dryer

Assume a misunderstanding, give them back and say that the dryers are not shared. If it happens again, get a lock.

This is such a non-issue. Just pop over and have a chat!

And if they continue to use yours, then you use theirs.

Do they know the dryers are wired up to each flats own electric supply therefore using your dryer is a costing you money. They might be thinking if they do two loads of drying at once it will be quicker and not realise this costs you money. I would return the socks and ask them if their dryer is broken in a friendly neighbourly concern way. If they say no I would say you obviously don't mind on occasion seen as they have young kids if one wet the beds for instance but apart from that if they could make sure they only use their dryer as its obviously increasing your electric bill.

In the first instance take the socks back to them and remind them which dryer is theirs. Give them the benefit of the doubt this time but make it clear you know exactly what they have been doing. I guess they might keep doing it and being more careful so you may have to find a way to lock your dryer.

You need to get a folding security post in front of the dryer door

@RampantIvy

Remove the fuse from the plug to your dryer

I was going to suggest this

Hi neighbour, please don't use our drier as it isn't fair for us to have to pay to dry your clothes. Hope you are settling in well.

Job done.

I'd switch mine off from the mains when not in use, if that's an option?

If you just take the socks round they’ll pretend they didn’t realise then be more careful about emptying it next time. I’d switch it off at the mains after using it and put a lockable socket cover on so they can’t use it.