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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU that flatmate is washing his friend's filthy work rags in the shared machine?

146 replies

blacktruffle · 13/04/2021 22:27

I am in shared accommodation at present whilst I study. There is a guy in the house who is 32 going on 16 - smokes MJ a lot, a bit of a no-hoper but pleasant enough in his own way.

Tonight, I came down to do some washing in the shared washing machine but couldn't use it as he had a load in there. It stopped 5 mins after I got there and he came running in and started to empty the machine then said he needed a plastic bag. I said why don't you use the washing basket that I bought for the house to use? He told me that the clothes weren't his but belonged to his mate who is a window cleaner and as he said this, I noticed not only grotty old joggers and T shirts but also the rags that window cleaners use coming out of the drum.

Suffice it to say that these things had been on a 90 degree wash (takes 3 hours for the machine to complete that cycle) and because I had no idea what was on those rags, I then had to put the machine on an empty hot wash with detergent and a squirt of bleach. That meant that I couldn't do my washing tonight and neither could anyone else!

AIBU to say that I don't want his mates filthy window cleaning rags to be washed in our house a) because they could have oil, bird poop or just about anything else on them and could stain any clothes put in after them and b) laundrettes are open so his mate should be using those.

I don't like confrontation but I don't want this to become a regular thing and not sure how to approach it. I just didn't want to put my clothes in after a load that had god knows what on it. Help!

OP posts:

Newkitchen123 · 14/04/2021 08:53

This is how a washing machine works.. Put dirty stuff in. Wash. Take clean stuff out. Nothing from load 1 will go on to load 2 because it's been washed.
I've never heard of putting bleach in a washing machine.
If washing machine is not getting hot enough then you need to speak to the owner and get it fixed or replaced.

MaryBoBary · 14/04/2021 09:10

Is he a window cleaner or a mechanic? You say window cleaner yet talk about "oily rags". There aren't many window cleaners who use oil to clean windows...

thenewduchessofhastings · 14/04/2021 09:18

Can you not club together for a newer more efficient machine or speak to your landlord?

Nith · 14/04/2021 09:29

Why on earth would they stain stuff put in after them having been through a three hour wash? This is completely illogical.

Nith · 14/04/2021 09:30

@blacktruffle

Yeah, I know they do but less likely to leave marks on other people's clothes than oily rags

What window cleaners that you know use oil?

SmallPrawnEnergy · 14/04/2021 09:31

2 things. 1st is the Flat mate taking the piss with washing others clothes who don’t live there. If a regular thing not on as it’s increasing bills, wait time for washes etc. Fine.

2nd is There’s so many inconsistencies, hypocrisy and general bullshit in this story OP.

Oily rags? Why would a window cleaner be wiping windows with oil? Didn’t happen.
Chemical hysteria while simultaneously mixing detergent and bleach! The hypocrisy. Why even put bleach in for gods sake? A maintenance wash with nothing in or a glug of white vinegar will do more without adding loads of chemicals to the machine (since your so scared of chemicals).
A load of painters overalls in a wash before yours RUINED your clothes. How? DP is a tradesman and I wash his dirty work clothes which often have paint, gloss, even OIL on and my clothes are fine.

You need a new washing machine and to lighten up.

babbaloushka · 14/04/2021 09:32

@MrsTerryPratchett

You keep mentioning oil. Unless I'm confused oil wouldn't be good to clean windows. Wouldn't it smear?

I think we can conclude that OP isn't studying chemistry or MFL...

OrangeRug · 14/04/2021 09:33

I wouldn't be too pleased with this if you share bills. I'd definitely speak to your flatmate about it and make sure it isn't going to be a regular occurrence,

SmallPrawnEnergy · 14/04/2021 09:34

I would be far more annoyed at you wasting the time and cost of the washing machine by running it on an empty wash
To be fair to OP on this subject, you are supposed to run an empty maintenance wash every once in a while to clean the machine. But not with detergent and bleach chucked in like some sort of shit science experiment.

Maves · 14/04/2021 09:55

Yanbu that's cheeky as fuck. Why can't he use his own washer? There are certain things I don't put in the washer I.e something a pet has shat on etc (rarely happens if ever but you get my drift) as it will leave rements. So I wouldn't want birdshit or mankiness swirling around in there.

And people saying what if it was the housemates stuff...still not great but he's entitled to do it. The point here is it's a ransoms shit that doesn't need to be in there! Plus no one else can use the washer plus electric etc.
Tell him it ain't on.

QuizzlyBear · 14/04/2021 10:22

@blacktruffle

Yeah, I know they do but less likely to leave marks on other people's clothes than oily rags

I've honestly never heard of a window cleaner using oil. It seems self defeating. 🤷🏼‍♀️

QuizzlyBear · 14/04/2021 10:27

'I was worried he'd left chemicals in the machine, so I put some bleach in'. 🤯

LadyHedgehog · 14/04/2021 10:28

The bleach you put in the machine is more likely to linger and ruin clothes than the dirt from window washing rags.

However, I would be annoyed if housemate was taking up the washing machine with other people's things. As a one off ("Sorry, mate's machine is broken so I said I'd do a load for him") I wouldn't bother saying anything, but as a more regular thing it would annoy me (because it takes up the washing machine/ will cost more in water/electricity).

Beautiful3 · 14/04/2021 10:41

I wouldnt be happy at covering bills towards someone else's laundry. I would say that the washing machine is only for residents. Tell your house mate not to do it again, he can tell his friend to use a laundrette next time.

VegCheeseandCrackers · 14/04/2021 10:43

I think you're being a little bit precious. I do a bit of work as a dog groomer and trust me when I say I have had to put MANKY clothes in my washing machine. They've never spoiled my good clothes.
I can understand your point re him using the machine to do washes when realistically it's a shared machine if he really is doing it all the time. If it's every now and then I wouldn't get worked up over it.

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 14/04/2021 10:48

[quote blacktruffle]@Hiding - Exactly my point! I am actually looking for a nice way to say this has to stop if it happens again. These guys aren't regular chaps with a bucket of soapy water and a chamois. They do use chemicals. I know this because I have met them and they told me what they do.[/quote]
Of course these intimidating Bulgarians with the poor English told you in detail about the oily chemicals they use to clean windows. When you met them once. In the kitchen. WITHOUT MASKS!!!111

VodkaSlimline · 14/04/2021 10:49

Regardless of what he's put in the washing machine, it is not OK for people who don't live in the house to use it, particularly as you all share water and electricity bills. This needs to be made clear to Uncle Bulgaria and his friends. Can you speak to your landlord about it?

cunningartificer · 14/04/2021 11:01

By washing his friends’ things (if he is) is he taking up more than his fair share of the washing machine time, or is this a subtle way of getting his fair share as the rest of the time your anxiety means you’re over washing? I would look carefully at cost, frequency, etc before you confront him so as to make sure you won’t be worse off should you institute an absolutely equal split of machine time between flatmates.

BashfulClam · 14/04/2021 11:30

Yabu for putting bleach in the machine. Bleach will perish the rubber seal. You might well actually break it doing that. Bleach also becomes inactive in hot water so it was pointless.

starfishmummy · 14/04/2021 11:44

I would suggest that you orginise a washing machine rota so that the machine is free when you each want it. Don't forget to factor in that after each laundry load there needs to be a 90° bleach wash (to remove any obnoxious body particles) and then another empty wash to ensure that all the bleach residue is removed.

Plumtree391 · 14/04/2021 13:14

I wouldn't have thought it would harm the washing machine. All cycles do a good rinse at the end of which the drum is clean. You could suggest he uses some disinfectant but that is more for aesthetics than anything else.

Everything goes in my machine (not all at the same time or on same wash cycle obviously), that's what it's for.

If you are not inconvenienced by someone else's laundry being done in your shared machine why worry?

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