A Question of Etiquette… Public Laundry Rooms

I recently moved from an apartment that had a washer/dryer unit, into a building that has a community washer/dryer on each floor. As many residents of South of Market know, community laundry rooms can be a hassle. Forgive me for not being accustomed to the unwritten rules of etiquette, but there are a few questions that I need clarification on.

1. The 5 Minute Rule?

Almost every time I go to use the machines on my floor, there are wet clothes piled in a machine that looks like it’s been done washing for a while.  How long should you wait before commandeering the washer?

2. You did what?!?

Obviously if there’s nobody else in the laundry room, it’s hard to tell whose stuff is blocking traffic.  Are you supposed to remove the clothes from the washing machine if you need to use it?  If so, do you put them on the counter, or throw them into a dryer? Putting wet clothes on a counter is kinda nasty, but I would think that it’s not your responsibility to ensure that the neglectful washer gets his/her clothes dried. Not to mention they may not want their delicate blouse run through the tumbler.  

Oh, and of course, who’s paying for that?  I certainly wouldn’t.  So that means now those orphan clothes are clogging the machine for you or someone else who’s washing clothes in a timely manner.

3. Lint.  It’s not just in your navel.

Lint traps are good because they get rid of all sorts of gunk in your laundry, but nobody wants to deal with someone else’s dirt!  Aren’t you supposed to remove the dryer lint after you’re done using the machine?  I empty it after I’m done because it seems like the courteous thing to do so the next person doesn’t have to handle my lint/dog hair.  However, I always have to empty it before I start as well because, apparently, the person before me doesn’t feel the same way.

4. Dry Humor

As in #2, what is the etiquette for clothes left in the dryer?  Can you remove them and place ‘em on the counter?  Is there a set time you’re supposed to wait before doing this? I tend to think that if I set out to do laundry and there are clothes in all the machines; if they’re there for over 10 minutes after wash, they should be removed.

Obviously these are not life altering issues, but there’s something to be said about the communal aspect of laundry.  It’s a space that everyone has to share, so why doesn’t everyone share the same view on etiquette?  Who are these people who throw their dirty clothes in a machine and leave for over an hour?  If I’m doing laundry, I make sure that I’m in the vicinity somewhat so that I can check up on it in 38-45 minutes when the time runs out. And I don’t even consider myself to be all that nice or thoughtful…