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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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
5
unwuthering · 11/04/2021 17:00

'Oh, hey, are these your socks?'

Friendly, open-ended question. Wait for answer.

I can't believe any of this needs to be spelt out.

SpringtimeSummertime · 11/04/2021 19:13

DdraigGoch

SpringtimeSummertime
A Smart adaptor can be unplugged.

The plug socket is hidden behind the drier. You'd have to know that the smart adapter was there to go to the effort of pulling the drier out to bypass it. You'd just assume that it was faulty.

You know when an electrical appliance doesn’t work when you go to use it?
What is the first thing you do?
I might be a bit odd but I check that the plug is in/switched on...

SpringtimeSummertime · 11/04/2021 19:15

Just to add, my dryer is in the utility room (no fitted cabinets) and I can see the plug at the side of the machine.

minipeanut · 11/04/2021 19:20

What I find off is that you know it's the neighbours sock 😂

DdraigGoch · 11/04/2021 19:26

@SpringtimeSummertime

DdraigGoch

SpringtimeSummertime
A Smart adaptor can be unplugged.

The plug socket is hidden behind the drier. You'd have to know that the smart adapter was there to go to the effort of pulling the drier out to bypass it. You'd just assume that it was faulty.

You know when an electrical appliance doesn’t work when you go to use it?
What is the first thing you do?
I might be a bit odd but I check that the plug is in/switched on...

Use the other drier to the right and hope that the other user of the room will notice that the one on the left isn't working. Less effort than pulling the thing out to have a look.

Just to add, my dryer is in the utility room (no fitted cabinets) and I can see the plug at the side of the machine.
The OP specified that it was behind the machine, hence why a locked switch wouldn't be practical. A remotely controlled one on the other hand...

Dancingsmile · 11/04/2021 21:19

Could it be her child putting stuff without your neighbour realising in your drier whilst she sorts her washing ?

user1471447863 · 11/04/2021 21:48

for all those saying take the fuse out the plug - please don't. The fuse carrier is not made for a high number of insertion/extraction cycles (generally by the time it blows the fuse it left the factory with the machine is knackered and will likely be replaced).
Repeated removal/replacement of the fuse will weaken the spring tension of the contacts and as a drier is a high load item this is a serious fire risk, so please do not do it.

More to the point, whose electricity runs the lighting in this shared room? It can't be both of you. Maybe you owe them the odd shot of your dryer if it's their lighting (like maybe 1 dryer load every decade or so should cover it).
I would hope that your drier room socket is fed off its mcb in your consumer unit and that ideally you'd have an accessible isolator in your flat for it (precisely to avoid this sort of CFery and who knows they may run an extension lead into their flat when you are at work every day to run their 3 bar electric fire). But that really depends on when this was all built and by whom. If it isn't/hasn't i'd be inclined to look into getting it rectified. Depending on the layout/wiring runs this may not be be that expensive.
Does this room have a single common access door off a communal landing or is it as a pervious poster described they had where there was a private door from inside each flat? If this private door type, it might be smart to have the room partitioned and a wall put up (and made Covid safe to be honest, though a bit late for that now). A shared drying room might have been ok in 1975 but is a bit odd nowadays - especially if you have a CF or otherwise undesirable neighbour, or someone who is the type to appropriate all shared spaces as their own. I can see such a room being handy to keep their bike/kids toys/that old mattress they were going to throw out/the xmas decorations/the motorbike they were rebuilding in the living room.

MolyHolyGuacamole · 11/04/2021 21:57

@minipeanut

What I find off is that you know it's the neighbours sock 😂
I'd know socks that didn't belong to me? Also think OP mentioned that one was a child's sock.
user1471447863 · 11/04/2021 22:12

@MeandT When I do my drying, I put a couple of drops of lavender oil on a flannel & stick it through with the load.

Don't do this either - oils and tumble dryers do not mix. This is a massive fire risk- even after you take the laundry out and out it away.

AIBU to think neighbours are using my dryer?
melj1213 · 12/04/2021 01:20

@minipeanut

What I find off is that you know it's the neighbours sock 😂
Why?

There is only DD and I in our household and I would probably be able to correctly identify most, if not all, of our socks and would notice random socks in the dryer (especially if the socks are for a small child or mens) thag did not belong to us.

Add in the fact that the drying room is only accessible to the OP and the neighbours family and it is pretty obvious where the rogue socks that don't belong to the OP have come from

VodkaSlimline · 17/04/2021 18:12

Urgently need an update on this one please Grin

PlsSendWine · 24/04/2021 18:35

Any update for us OP?

HowManyToes · 24/04/2021 20:48

.

AIBU to think neighbours are using my dryer?
stackemhigh · 24/04/2021 21:38

Cheeky twats.

chaosmaker · 08/05/2021 22:53

Has the neighbour stopped using the dryer now and what tactic worked if she has?

sorryforswearing · 03/01/2022 10:36

Found this when clearing my emails and had to ask what happened?

FlipFlops4Me · 03/01/2022 10:46

If you've got Alexa, get a smart plug for the dryer and only tell Alexa to switch it on when you want to use your dryer.

FlipFlops4Me · 03/01/2022 10:49

Ooops - teach me to read before using fingers! See smart plugs already discussed. Sorry.

NoBetterthanSheShouldBe · 03/01/2022 11:12

I’d remove the fuse and bin the socks. You are all nicer people than me and I feel slightly ashamed.

Beachgirl33 · 03/01/2022 11:22

Get your house manager to deal with them

HaveringWavering · 03/01/2022 11:24

Ha yes I remember this too! An update would be great @DontThinkSoBro!

Blackberrybunnet · 03/01/2022 12:01

You really do need to give hem the benefit of the doubt, at least to start with. You also need to address the issue head on rather than let it fester. Take the socks to them and remind them which one is your dryer. Then take it from there

GoodPrincessWenceslas · 03/01/2022 12:16

ZOMBIE

iheartredsquirrels · 03/01/2022 12:16

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT FROM APRIL 2021!

MyDcAreMarvel · 03/01/2022 12:48

Did this get resolved? @DontThinkSoBro

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