We have been having problems with someone stealing our laundry detergent out of the apartment complexes laundry room for a while now. Most of us have just been keeping out detergent in our apartments at all time because we knew there was a good chance that the entire bottle would be gone if we left it in there for any period of time (and it's made it hell for those of us who do a bunch of laundry at once). I decided that I was going to get some dye and put it in an empty bottle next time I had an empty. Well, I had one go empty and I did it. Put a good bit of blue dye in it and left it. It was gone the next day. Now one of our neighbors has a young daughter with nothing but blue clothes. I feel like such an ass! I would have loved it if the mom would have done her laundry in it, it would have served her right. But this poor girl who didn't have a thing to do with it is running around with nothing but blue clothes...Should I feel bad about this? I really feel like an ass...

You should feel bad.
I'm sure that her mother wouldn't have been stealing other people's detergent to begin with if there weren't a reason for it.
Guess you'll think twice about doing that again...hmm?

Detergent is cheap, there's some that costs as little as a dollar. I don't feel bad for doing it, I feel bad because the little girl got her mother's punishment.

Well I think it was a rotten thing to do either way, it was completely childish.

Awhh poor girl. I'd feel bad about the little girl getting the punishment the mother deserved, but I wouldn't feel bad at all about putting dye in the laundry detergent. You're right, detergent is cheap, and even if it was a bit more expensive, that doesn't justify stealing people's personal belongings.

Originally Posted by frickay kitty

Well I think it was a rotten thing to do either way, it was completely childish.

Yes, it was childish, but what else could I do about this? I'm sure the police would laugh their asses off at me if I tried to handle the theft via the normal route. I had no idea who was doing it, and they stole my baby's dreft and she had a horrible rash because I had to do her laundry in our soap. I get pissy when people do things that mess with my kids.

Well I think it was a rotten thing to do either way, it was completely childish.

I agree with Caroline. You should feel bad that the daughter got the punishment, but not that you tried to punish/catch the lady. I think stealing is a bit worse than trying to catch a thief. I wonder if she'll stop stealing now.

Edit: Also, when we first moved into some apartments we had a huge container of laundry detergent holding our door open so we could move our stuff in without having to unlock the door each time. It was gone within minutes. It was really shocking because we came from somewhere where you'd never have to worry about that.

I'd feel bad about the girl getting all blue clothes, but chances are if she's under the age of 10 or so she won't care.

The mother however, is a thief and needs to be called on it. Tell your complex manager.

Originally Posted by MrsGrape

I'd feel bad about the girl getting all blue clothes, but chances are if she's under the age of 10 or so she won't care.

The mother however, is a thief and needs to be called on it. Tell your complex manager.

Already done. The entire complex had been looking for the person doing it so I'm sure it'll get taken care of now.

I would have done the same thing if I was in your position, Nissa. I would gladly share detergent if someone asked while I was doing my laundry; it's no big deal, but since that woman resorted to stealing... ugh. & Stealing your baby's detergent is horrible!

Hmm...
I'd feel bad about the girl's clothes, yes,

but I wouldn't feel bad about
catching the lady's thefts 8D

Because, really,
she shouldn't be
taking others' belongings;;
that's just not right :O

Thanks Caroline, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who would have gone out of their way to catch the person. I just wish she would have been the one who got it and not her daughter. It's odd to feel justified and bad at the same time.

Is there any way you can do something for her daughter so that she doesn't have blue clothes anymore? Maybe you could find someone around the apartment complex who has old clothes that their own daughter has grown out of so that the girl could wear them...or some inexpensive but in good shape clothes at Goodwill or something? How old is the daughter?

Originally Posted by juniper_silver

Is there any way you can do something for her daughter so that she doesn't have blue clothes anymore? Maybe you could find someone around the apartment complex who has old clothes that their own daughter has grown out of so that the girl could wear them...or some inexpensive but in good shape clothes at Goodwill or something? How old is the daughter?

I'd say she's about 5 or 6, she looks the same age as my son. The clothes don't look bad from what I saw, they're just a different color.

Oh that's good. So it's not obvious that they've been stained then, they just look like they were originally blue? I wouldn't feel bad then, even for the daughter. As long as she doesn't have to walk around in grungy looking clothes that get her made fun of, she's probably not too upset.

It's not bad that you did that, it's bad that the mother stole your son's detergant and he got a horrible rash. That's not right. It's a good thing that you told your complex manager, and detergant is very cheap.

Originally Posted by juniper_silver

Oh that's good. So it's not obvious that they've been stained then, they just look like they were originally blue? I wouldn't feel bad then, even for the daughter. As long as she doesn't have to walk around in grungy looking clothes that get her made fun of, she's probably not too upset.

Yeah, they came out decent. But it was a very dark blue I put in there and she looks really pale in them. It was a dark navy that I use on my son's jeans (keeps them looking newer longer).

That is so weird. why would somebody want to steal someone's detergent? it is pretty cheap. but still, it was the mother's fault so i guess that's what she gets. im sure if that happened to me, i would have done the same thing... except that i would have used a color that not as many people liked like brown. so... if i were you, i wouldn't have felt bad. you werent the one that damaged their clothes, the mom did. and, it wouldn't have happened if she wasnt stealing would it? im sorry if im sounding like an ass, but when somebody does things to me that i really dont like, i get major payback. like this one time, we had a family reunion, and my cousins and i were throwing rocks. my cousin said that i threw like a sissy. so, i got pissed and thew a rock at him and apparently, the rock sliced his lip and he had to get stiches at the hospital. che, it wasnt my fault he turned around. i was only going for his head, but he turned around and it sliced his lip open. it was a nasty sight >.<

Originally Posted by Nissa

I'd say she's about 5 or 6, she looks the same age as my son. The clothes don't look bad from what I saw, they're just a different color.

Hmmm... that's a difficult age to judge based upon. I remember six very clearly, because that was the year I started school-- likely, the little girl will also be in school, and will therefore be forced to acknowledge the blue clothing. Hopefully, it won't be too bad.

I was not financially well off as a kid, and got teased about clothes at that age. In my case, it's easy to empathize with the girl.

However, you really didn't intend to cause difficulty for her. Anything you can do to help the poor kid would be good, but staying guilty over an action that you can't change won't help it. Possibly the mother was being just lazy, or perhaps she was in dire fiscal straits. In either case though, you were justified in your frustration, even if your action didn't have the intended result.

I've got to say-- your solution was clever, at the very least.

In any case, what's done is done. If there's anything that you can do to ease your guilt with regards to the little girl, preferably something beneficial to the her, then do so. Otherwise... try not to dwell on it, I guess. :(

I don't really feel it was a childish thing to do. You found out who was stealing the detergent from everyone. I don't think you should really feel bad about it. You did what you did, you found the thief, and now someone needs to have a talk with that woman about taking things that don't belong to her.

Like it was already said, detergent is cheap. Not only that, but it's better for her to ask than to just take.

You didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't childish, it was clever and your goal was achieved. As for the little girl getting her mother's punishment? Well, innocent get hurt all the time. Her clothes are intact. Blue, but intact. She can still wear them. It's not like she got shot or anything.

I wouldn't feel bad. They're stealing, they should at least be smart about it, you know? Check the stuff. Detergent is cheap. You can buy it at dollar stores! I would have done something like that. And since she's young, do you really think she is even bothered by it? At least it wasn't puke green or something, you know?

That's freakin hilarious. The mom can buy her kid more clothes and I know that her daughter didn't have anything to do with it but it still teaches a lesson. I'd hate to have to lug all my laundry materials down and bring it back with me in fear someone would use the whole thing the next day. That's ridiculous so good job. I wouldn't feel bad at all since the problem should be resolved now. <3
I hope her daughter likes blue. :twisted:

Hey, it could have been worse. Like you said, she caused your baby to get a rash...all you did was cause her kid to have to run around in blue clothes. Which is worse? Pain and itching, or blueness?

No matter who got her punishment, as long as it was someone in her family, chances are she'll stop stealing detergent now...and you know who did it.

I do hope her daughter likes the color blue, though. If not...well, she can get new clothes with all the money her mother saved by stealing laundry detergent. ;p

I have never been a big fan of vindictive behavior, so I wouldn't have done anything like that. I would have just taken my detergent home every time.

However it's just clothes, so it's not the end of the world. No one got hurt and maybe the mother will learn not to take people's things. If you suspect she is poor and can't afford her own, then do something to make up for it. Either way you might apologize.

If the girl is that little, she probably doesn't care that her clothes are blue. I wouldn't do anything like that in the future if I were you though.