Amenities: Laundry Room Dos and Don’ts 

Repairs and maintenance to laundry rooms are inevitable in all community associations, but wear and tear on relationships with neighbors do not have to be. Below is a list of dos and don’ts for your laundry room that will keep repairs and maintenance at bay in both areas. 

Laundry Room Dos

• Report any necessary repairs or machines that are out of service. You can do so by contacting management or the vendor who services your washers and dryers.
• Remove your clothes from washers & dryers in a timely manner. Set a timer on your phone so that you do not forget to switch your laundry! 
• Before removing a neighbor’s clothing from a washer or dryer, allow them a minimum of 15-20 minutes to do so themselves. Ideally, avoid this all together, when possible, as this can cause tension between residents. 
• Use the specified laundry detergent in the washers so that they function correctly (e.g.– use liquid if the machines direct you to do so). Additionally, avoid overusing detergent as this can create buildup in the machine and in clothing.
• Clean up any spills and messes including any dryer sheets (and socks) that fall on the floor. 
• Always clean the lint traps in the dryers after every use to prevent a fire hazard! Additionally, check for any lint prior to use. 
• Follow the instructions on the machine if it shows an error code, appears to be out of order, or if you are due a refund. 
• Balance the washers and dryers by evenly distributing articles of clothing throughout the drum. This will help to keep your laundry machines in working order. 
• Keep washing machine doors open after use to help air out the drum of moisture. 
• Remember to empty all pockets before doing laundry. 
• Wrangle all socks in a garment bag so that they do not get lost or left behind in the laundry room. 
• Remove hanging garments from laundry rooms after 24 hours, but please hang lingerie and undergarments in your own home or unit out of courtesy to your neighbors. 
• Contact your laundry room vendor if you need a card replacement or have any service-related questions.

Laundry Room Don’ts

• Put clothes that are soiled with human (or animal) excrement in the machines. Pre-wash them by hand in your home or unit first. 
• Put another person’s laundry on the floor. 
• Overfill the washer or dryer. 
• Throw food or other personal trash in the laundry room receptacle. 
• Unplug the washers and dryers as this does not reset them.  
• Punch, kick, hit or sit on the washers and dryers. 
• Adjust any valves in the laundry room. 
• Place detergent or bleach in the wrong receptacle. This can potentially ruin someone else’s clothing. 
• Store laundry supplies such as baskets, detergents, and dryer sheets in the laundry room unless permitted to do so by your condo or co-op. 
• Forget your laundry card (if applicable)!

Protect Your Investment by Respecting Your Amenities and Neighbors 

While having an onsite facility for laundry is an essential amenity for those without in-unit laundry machines, it is also a shared space, or “common area” that is often maintained by the condominium or cooperative’s property management company. When homeowners, shareholders, and residents do their part in caring for their amenities it goes a long way in helping to preserve the quality, enjoyment, and longevity of the community for everyone’s benefit. Do your part to follow proper use and etiquette to avoid conflicts with neighbors and prevent unnecessary repairs.