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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think neighbours are using my dryer?

486 replies

DontThinkSoBro · 07/04/2021 14:21

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?

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Carryonlikeaporkchop · 08/04/2021 14:21

How about waiting inside the dryer and then springing out when they open the door?

TJ17 · 08/04/2021 14:25

@Carryonlikeaporkchop my favourite one yet and I just laughed out loud whilst trying to feed a sleeping baby 😂😂😂

user1493494961 · 08/04/2021 14:29

Can't believe that 11% think you're being unreasonable and you should dry their washing for free.

billybagpuss · 08/04/2021 14:46

@OurChristmasMiracle

I would use a baby camera and have my Alexa device in there and every time they walked in I would get it to say “I can see you using the machine....” “is this yours”

Or better still “hi I’m mr tumble and you aren’t my owner!!”

Just to freak them out.

This, do this one 😂

Somanysocks · 08/04/2021 16:06

@thereisonlyoneofme

Good point, what was I thinking kill her and stuff her inside her own dryer.

bondgirl76 · 08/04/2021 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

blueluce85 · 08/04/2021 17:22

I'm so confused... Why not return the sock and say... This was in my dryer.... Please would you not use it in future?

category12 · 08/04/2021 17:26

@blueluce85

I'm so confused... Why not return the sock and say... This was in my dryer.... Please would you not use it in future?

Because that would be too simple.

We need to complicate and assume the absolute worst and that a straightforward conversation won't work first.

angela99999 · 08/04/2021 17:28

@RampantIvy

Remove the fuse from the plug to your dryer

I'd do this, or if your electrical board has a switch which just runs your two machines I'd leave it turned off.

Pompom2367 · 08/04/2021 17:31

Op please let us know how it goes

Freddie28 · 08/04/2021 17:33

Omg read this ages ago, I need an outcome

finished31 · 08/04/2021 17:33

@RandomMess

They are doing it deliberately for sure and I think you need to find a solution as they will just get better at being sneaky about it.

I'd be tempted to just use theirs unless the lockable socket will work?

This

Luckily you have found out earlier by them leaving socks otherwise it could of cost you £££. Either get a lock or turn fuse off.

Runnerduck34 · 08/04/2021 17:38

Im slightly confused too! Do you own and buy the tumble driers? If so I cant see how she could make the mistake. Who pays for the electricity to run them, is your drier connected to your electricity meter?
she may think they are communal , have a load of washing and be running both driers at the same time, I would just explain it to her, can you put a sticker with your flat number on yours so she knows?

HaveringWavering · 08/04/2021 17:40

@Runnerduck34

Im slightly confused too! Do you own and buy the tumble driers? If so I cant see how she could make the mistake. Who pays for the electricity to run them, is your drier connected to your electricity meter? she may think they are communal , have a load of washing and be running both driers at the same time, I would just explain it to her, can you put a sticker with your flat number on yours so she knows?

Read the OP’s updates, she explains all of this.

WellingtonBoot · 08/04/2021 17:47

Haven't read all the posts so apologies if already suggested, but I'd get one of those smart plugs you can turn on and off with a mobile phone, and plug your dryer into it. That way they'll have to move your dryer to access the socket to be able to use it.

hedgehoginthebag · 08/04/2021 17:52

I’d make a paper mache severed head and put it in the drier with a note saying “this is what happened to the last neighbour who used my drier, ps please can I have the other socks to match the ones you left so I can make a pair?”. Alternatively I’m quite good at making fake dead rats out of fake fur or those fake dog poos are fun...

jwpetal · 08/04/2021 17:59

Just talk to them. Explain you found the socks and your dryer twice and wanted to confirm that they knew which dryer was theirs. Don't be passive/aggressive. Just take it from there.

memberofthewedding · 08/04/2021 18:04

I would really enjoy using the smart plug, knowing I had buggered up my thieving neighbour's day first time she tried to use my dryer. And if she said anything to me about the machine being faulty I would know she had tried to use mine. So she is stuck with silence and the frustration of not being able to use the other machine. Chances are she is not going to move OPs machine to see if there is anything wrong with it. Dishonest people are not usually very smart. Love it, love it. love it.

PlsSendWine · 08/04/2021 18:04

@Carryonlikeaporkchop

How about waiting inside the dryer and then springing out when they open the door?

Brilliant! Best idea yet

Dontwanttolivewithmylover · 08/04/2021 18:06

Put something tiny in the drum which will leak colour onto their clothes. They then can't complain to you.
Just make sure that you don't use the dryer until after they've used it.

MeandT · 08/04/2021 18:13

@DontThinkSoBro I was struggling to think of the laundry equivalent of the penguin bollard, but you've done that with taking the water drawer out. But you don't want that inside the flat, so here's an idea for the equivalent of putting nails on the drive....

When I do my drying, I put a couple of drops of lavender oil on a flannel & stick it through with the load. Now, you wouldn't want your drier to smell of anything nasty, so you'd have to stick with something like lavender. But what if you put a tablespoon full on a flannel, and taped it to top of drum. Then when their laundry comes out next time, it will be obvious all week who was wafting around the building in dry clothes you paid for, smelling like granny's hankie.

I mean, not going to help the friendship level, but as others have said, they are CF enough to nick your power in the first place, so not like they are going to care! And easier than stalking it all week so you can chuck their wet clothes out in the stairwell. Good luck!

HenGab4 · 08/04/2021 18:16

Leave a dry towel in your dryer. They will hopefully think it’s in use and use the other one. Which is theres.

ToniHargis · 08/04/2021 18:23

I'd 'helpfully' take the items back to them and say "Hi, I found these in my dryer. Very strange, but here you are."
That way, they know you've clocked them.
Then leave something like a dryer sheet in your dryer (which will probably get caught up in the clothes if they use the dryer again. Or do something else that will give you proof.

Beamur · 08/04/2021 18:26

Smart plug is a good idea. That way you switch on the machine only when you want to use it.

RampantIvy · 08/04/2021 18:29

@hedgehoginthebag.

I'm loving these suggestions

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