Cleaning spaz

I don't know if I've ever blogged here about what a spaz I am with cleaning. I was never taught how to properly clean anything. My mom was sick for most of my time at home and I honestly don't know if she was ever taught either. I can clean, I don't like to, but I am capable. I just don't always know the easiest, fastest or proper way to do it. So I am constantly amazed when I learn something new. I mean, really, I'm 43 and still have to shake my head when I find a new trick, tool or process.

We were at friends the other night for dinner and afterward the husband stacked the dishes, took them to the sink, ran 1 1/2" hot water & soap and one by one rinsed the dirty dishes in the sink. He took a dish brush and gave everything a swirl before he put it into the dishwasher. Pretty basic, eh? I looked at him like he had just taught me how to dance. He was a bit flustered, but I told him it never, ever occurred to me to only put a tiny bit of water in the sink and use a dish brush. Rocket science, I know.

Rinsing dishes before meant water running, flinging at the gunk with the fork in my hand, or using the dish rag to basically wash the dish before I even put it into the dishwasher (which in my not so humble opinion is SUCH A FREAKING WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT WHY BOTHER HAVING A DISHWASHER??) I was of the mindset that if the dishwasher didn't get everything off I'd then clean things at the other end - which wasn't at all a great success because it's usually my kids putting away the dishes and they barely ever check to make sure something is really clean before putting it away. The dish brush on the other hand is effortless, conserves resources, time and energy.

I have to tell you that as I finished up my lunch dishes today I smiled again as I swirled the dirt out of the dish with my new handy, dandy dish brush and put it into the dishwasher. My hands didn't even get gunky. B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T.