Keep your laundry supplies in your apartment - top shelf of the front closet is a good place to store it - and only take enough to the laundry room to do your own clothes. Liquid detergent can go in a washed out mayonnaise jar or yogurt tub. Powdered stuff can go in a ziploc bag. Honestly, I really think that some people are dumb enough to assume that laundry supplies left out are "community property". If you don't leave it there, they can't take it. Pretty simple.
Scully this is great advice! When I lived in an apartment that had a washateria, I used to take my detergent and softener down in baggies. It was great because I didn't have to carry the whole HUGE gallon jug of it. The laundry was heavy enough! When I was done with the laundry, I just tossed the baggie.
It's really worth it to go to the laundromat, put all the clothes in several machines all at once, dry them all at once, fold and sort them, then take them all home. It gives you an hour or more of "personal time" with a good book, a thermos of coffee or tea, plus the peace of mind that nobody is going to steal your stuff.
When I lived in an apartment that DIDN'T have a washateria, I had to go to the public one. I used to always take a good book or some needlepoint and a thermos of margaritas. While the laundry was going, I'd sit and read and enjoy my two hours of quiet time. It was great! When else was I going to have the time to read a book in peace and quiet?
