To be pissed about holiday use of washing machine

[Jeannie88]

Very trivial compared to real issues.

We've been at a lodge in the Lakes for a few days and ready to do a wash of mucky kids' clothes, yes a privilege to be able to do this before we go home and our own washing machine going.

A family who turned up this morning put a load in and left it all day, we didn't get back til late aft and it was still there. I was happy to take it out and put ours on but DH said give it an hour. So we did then the CF went and put another load on, we just missed the time of it to do ours and just didn't expect this.

Currently watching, another 2 hours, to do ours. I mean, who turns up a cabin site to do all their washing? We washed, ironed etc so all clothes were ready and I had no intention of doing a wash but hey who would turn down ready to go home with clean clothes?

Lady in question has meanwhile put a third wash on. 3 hour cycles and dryer after. Surely one doesn't do this, a certain etiquette to give others a chance? Tomorrow I will be taking the wet clothes out if the same.

I've been petty and taken some washing powder so I can do ours tomorrow before she uses it all! Xx

I would do the same, I'd take it out and put each item in a basket, neatly, and then put mine in. That is actually normal practice when a washing machine is shared and you missed your chance. As they were out all day you could have put more than one load on had you wanted to. It's a shame but that's life, you'll get over it. I hope you had a wonderful holiday despite this disappointment.

Whenever I've been in campsites or holiday places with washing machines people usually leave their basket or bag on top of the washing machine so that if it finishes before they manage to get back anyone waiting can just put their clean clothes in the basket or bag and stick their own washing on.

Just take it out? That's normal

I have only done washing once on holiday and that was because my dd vomited over her sleeping bag whilst camping and we had nothing else for her to sleep in. It wouldn't be something I'd do by choice, can't think of anything more dull....go to the pub and have a cocktail and some chips instead.

If you leave a load of laundry in a communal washing machine all day - expect someone else to take it out and put it in a bag/basket. Your problem is you listened to your DH. He was precious when he didn’t need to be.

agree with PPs take it out and stick your’s in generally the campsites we’ve stayed at in Europe have a like fixed 40 min wash for like €3

Sharing washing machines is gross. Do it at home.

Oh why gross!

What's gross about it?

Do you never eat of restaurant plates or sleep in hotels?

I have occasionally washed on holiday, poorly children responsible for a few loads. I've also planned to wash on holiday, we were away for 2 weeks and touring so didn't have space for 2 weeks of clothes. .
When planning the trip we're booked a hotel with a self-service laundry. Put the washing in then ventured into the bar.

This happened to us. I removed the clothes at the end of the cycle and put ours in.

What?

The WM washes itself as it goes. Anyone getting fussy about washing machine sharing had best be taking their own duvet/ pillows/ mattress on holiday.

The etiquette is that you have to be there when the load finishes. If you're not then the next person take ait out and puts it in a basket/bag/whatever is available. If you're feeling kind, you give them 10min while eyes on the machine. You don't give them an hour.

Also it is a bit thoughtless to hog the machine but we're they aware you were queueing? Was there a log book or something? Or were there nobody around when they put a load in? Anyway, annoying but not anything you can do about it.

The holiday etiquette is that you can wait until the cycle is finished and lift the other person’s laundry into a basket. Don’t sit there fuming.

Is there only one WM for the site?

I wouldn't care how many cycles of laundry they do, but I wouldn't let them hog the machine for the whole day. I've been on camp sites before with machines and you just unload and put into a basket or neatly on top of another machine.

It's a washing machine. Clue in name !

Agree with most.

YABU to waste a day of your holiday on this.
Go out, have fun, enjoy spending time with your family.

If you are in the UK it has been hot and sunny for many days (except for 20mins rain and some thunder and lightening this morning where I am) so I can't see how you have loads of washing. Just wait until you get home.

But learn from this thread, that if you ever need to share a machine with strangers again, follow the usual etiquette of feeling free to take out any finished loads if you are waiting.

How are they meant to know you are waiting?

Having lived in a number of house shares where this is common practice (someone would put a load on then go to work for the day or put a wash on at 7pm on a Saturday night and not materialise until 10 pm the following day), I would have just removed their washing to a clean bin bag/laundry basket/clean worktop and carried on with mine.

It's a shared washing machine, it's not reasonable to hog it all day when other people have an equal right to use it.

Oh ffs I hate it when people have absolutely no ability to imagine that other people might be doing something differentl to themselves!
Maybe this is the next step on a longer trip? I’ve been on long treks and travels where I’ve been fortunate to find a washing machine at a particular spot and catch up on laundry. 🙄

I spent several months travelling around Europe staying in campsites. You take the load out and leave on top/place in bag or basket. It’s a snooze or lose situation.

She absolutely shouldn't have left her washing in the machine all day but you could have just taken it out.
We are road tripping for a couple of weeks and at our next stop with a washing machine will have a couple of loads to do.
Just take her washing out of the machine if she doesn't.

The problem was that you listened to your DH. She wasn't a CF.

100%. I did laundry on holiday this year as we couldn’t take enough clothes. But my definition of a holiday is being free of the bottomless wash basket. I swear Narnia’s lurking through its lower reaches.

In laundrettes, there’s usually baskets and you can take people’s stuff out and leave it on top if it’s finished and you want to use the machine. As long as you double-check it’s all out.

You should have taken the washing out, that's the etiquette with laundrettes. A free washing machine is fair game. if you leave your washing in after it's done, expect it to be take out and stuck in a basket. If you don't want that, be back on time to unload. You snooze you lose in a launderette!

I am very petty and also very passive aggressive so I would put a post-it on the door saying "This isnt your personal washing machine, other people want to use it too! If you leave a load in all day again, you will find it on the floor".

But like I say, I am petty, pass agg and also a massive arsehole.