Hi all
As I've said before, Swiss "Everything is in order and has a rule" does not suit me much, as I am a drastic person.

Today, one neighbourgh complains about my usage of the "Cloth's Drying room" on 2 things
- I re-arrange his cloths (which were all dry) so as to be able to put my cloths on the Drying Strings
- I put my cloth in the room for 3 days

This complaining makes me unsure about whether I still don't fit to the Swiss Life, or I am having some too-strict neighbourghs

What do you guys think ?

Knock on his door 37 minutes after he has entered the building and tell him how important it is for everyone in the building to show mutual respect, and indicate how either:

a) you will pile his clothes in the yard with a makeshift effigy and burn them in petrol while doing a celebration dance.

b) you also need to use the drying room, and unfortunately it was not possible because some of his things remain. Tell him you are quite happy to ensure that the room is cleared of your stuff, perhaps he could do this too ? It would help everyone.


Don't worry. Not everyone is like this.
dave

Well maybe he just got a bit ticked off considering you moved his stuff and then promptly left your things there for 3 days... Or have I missed something?

I think its quite normal that you try not to leave your clothes in the drying more than approx 24 hours... or am I too swiss?? After all you do share the space... I must admit, I sometimes forget my laundry for a few days but then have no issue if someone's moved it as long as they haven't scrunched it up on the floor...

In fact, one place I lived in my kindly neighbour used to fold my laundry for me

If you think your neighbour was unreasonable then go and speak to him and try to understand what his expectations are... if they are unreasonable (which they may well be) then you choose if you are going to fit in to the "swiss life" or not.

Keep in mind, idiots and a***h***s are everywhere not just here...

yes, the idea is that you have one washing day and by a reasonable time during the next day, you move your now-dried clothes to where you live.

I assume you have a machine in the drying room to blast air?

Then you're in the wrong for that - moving someone else's dry stuff carefully to one side ensuring it's clean and not bundled up is fair play in this situation.

How did your neighbour complained: verbally or with written letter from the renting agency.

Save yourself a lot of time and bother - simply don't wash your clothes anymore...

the swiss are mad for it when it comes to a bit of a laundry barney, especially if you are an auslander although not exclusive.... Its folklore stuff and the swiss also recognise this. Id be shocked if I didnt have some kind of debacle once in a while over some laundry issue.

Looking at getting a place with my own washing machine atm but i think i will miss the laundry politics

We are quite lucky in this case. The apartment block got English, Canadian, Dutch, empty, empty and Swiss family. The only Swiss family living in the block is breaking the rules like washing on Sundays and after 10....

But we don't care.

Hi guys
Thanks for the answers.

- Monday night I moved his clothes aside (they were dry), and put mine in that common place.

- Tuesday he wrote "Under which right do you move my clothes......., if this continues to happen, I will talk to the "gerance" (the one who take care of the house" ". With Signature and Name and address.

- Wednesday SOMEONE wrote "Ah, I see that your clothes are still there, do you think it is normal".

- Thursday (yesterday) I found this letter (when I remember that I've put my clothes 3 days in the Drying room). I am not sure whether SOMEONE is HIM, or another one (second one's writing style is 70% similar to the first one)

Then I tried to check the name and address, but didn't find out.

Further than this problem, I find the Laudrying room's rule is quite unreasonably strict: "Each family has only one fixed time in a week (2-4 hours) to do the laundry".

Cheers :-)

sounds like he's upset with you for moving his clothes and then leaving yours for days. Let him complain - but do consider not leaving your stuff to dry for that long!

Then let him complain - as long as you're in the right, what can he say?

And for the next place you rent, you'll know to question the washing rules

Yeah, in most of the conflicts, I would sit and find out that if it's my fault or not :-)

Sounds like this is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other - I can't see why he'd be upset that you folded and moved his dry clothes, but then you should have moved your own and not left them there. I don't think that's a particularly Swiss thing per se, more just a "sharing the same space" thing which would be the same anywhere (i had the same issues in 2 places where I lived in the UK with a shared washing machine / dryer)

Totally agree with Terry, he probably was a bit arsey to tell you off about putting away his stuff but when you share a facility with other people, it's not particularly clever to leave your stuff there for 3 days, in any country.

Thanks,
Next time I would be more careful

Hi all,

Apologies if this is taken as hijacking the thread; if so mods, please feel free to let me know and I'll start a new one.

I've been browsing these forums extensively and have seen numerous references to people having trouble with laundry timetables etc. My wife and I are considering a move to Geneva/Lausanne and she was horrified to learn that we might have to live in a place where we don't have all our own appliances, incl a washing machine/dryer.

My question is: it seems from all the posts here that it is the norm in CH not to have your own washing machine in your flat. However, it's my understanding that most EF users are living in the German-speaking part of CH, so is it the norm in Romande to not have private washing facilities/a washing machine in your own flat? Do you have to own your own house/flat to have this "luxury"?

Thanks in advance
G