How to use the dishwasher
It makes me laugh… and a little bit sad… that our administrative person has to put a note in our kitchen saying “Unless the dishwasher is running or contains clean pieces – please – rinse and place your used items into the dishwasher, thanks.”
Everyday, there are lone dishes (usually coffee mugs) that somehow escape their destiny with the dishwasher. They sit on the counter, dirty, all day long, until our administrative person (or someone else if they are feeling nice) rinses them and puts them into the dishwasher.
This makes me wonder, who puts these people’s dishes into the dishwasher at home?
When I lived in Rome with three other girls, the garbage bin was ALWAYS overflowing. I felt like I took it out ALL the time. So one time, I just let it pile up… but it got so high that I was sick of seeing it and took it out anyway.
I wasn’t the only one who took out the trash, but there were definitely people who weren’t bothered by it being full. Hey, I guess we’re all different.
Themocracy
Way back when I worked as an executive administrative assistant I was expected to put together business plans, handle payroll stuff, all sorts of things…. and then I was expected to brew coffee (which I didn’t drink), do all the dishes, and take out the trash. I don’t believe being a maid was on the job description. I think some people think they’re just “above it” and simply don’t even realize what they’re doing.
I would have thrown a fit about that trash.
I lived in a freakin’ sorority house and you would NOT BELIEVE the gross. At some points, I would just avoid going home altogether just so I wouldn’t have to look at it.
Kyra – Our administrative person DOES IT ALL. When she is gone (like today! 🙁 ) we all lose our minds. I’m so grateful to have her to help me with things… I think she deserves more appreciation. And I totally get what you’re saying, but NO ONE is above putting their dishes away! At least in my office.
Rachel – My sister has a position in her sorority house now that puts her in charge of organizing the cleaning and she is losing her mind… when I visit I cannot believe how dirty some of the things are…. yuck!
The philosophy around our house is that we both are waiting for the other one to do it. 🙂 Finally, someone gets fed up and puts their butt in motion, but we are pretty equally lazy around here. It happens with chores and dishes. I do tend to ignore the dishes if I did all the prep and cooking. It’s only fair…..
I honestly hate when people act differently in someone else’s home than they would in their own (and in the case of Rome, would they behave this way in front of their parents?!). It shows such distaste!
It’s so true, isn’t it? I’ve tried to just let it ride too, but eventually it gets to me and I have to do something about it. Then I just get irked a bit.
We have a rotating schedule for our shared work kitchen. We have to clean the dishes and fridge that week (it’s shared with one other person). I refuse to touch the sponge because no one rinses it out so it smells like mildew.
GAG.
We don’t have a dishwasher at home, so it’s in the sink. My wife’s daughter comes over often and leaves a huge mess in the sink (and other parts of the house). We’ve asked her why she does that and her pat answer is normally “So you know I’ve been here” She’s 25 and has her own home which she keeps pretty clean. But at our house, no clean up… just eat and leave.
I think the think reason why people leave their dirty dishes at work without cleaning them up may be related to wanting a place where they don’t have to do anything…. they can just expect that someone else will clean up their mess.
I hate those type of notes posted at work. What are we? Five? Those that are guilty ignore them anyway. I say pitch them in the trash. When they don’t have a coffee cup to drink out of anymore, they will figure out the system.
Beth – I guess if you’re both equally lazy and don’t care, then it’s no big deal, right? Maybe I need to take it easy 😉
Nilsa – I never thought of it that way. I usually try to be even more tidy in someone else’s house. Or at least offer to help clean up.
Cheryl – Yeah, I’m all “Someone else can take care of it THIS TIME…” nope 🙁
sizzle – It’s funny you bring up the sponge thing! Steven won’t go near our sponge if it starts to smell bad. And WHY do they start to smell bad so soon? WTF?
martymankins – Wow, you’re probably right! I would like a place to not worry about cleaning up… but isn’t there a line between that and common courtesy? 🙁 I am surprised your stepdaughter acts that way at 25!
Robin – The guilty do ignore them, and the innocent laugh at them. I just wonder what will happen when the admin person refuses to run the dishwasher anymore. Okay, I know what will happen. Someone else will get told to do it. 🙁
You have a dishwasher at work? We have a rotating schedule for cleaning our staff lounge. Everyone is supposed to do it about 2 days a year. It’s just things like wiping down the tables, counters and microwave, emptyine the ice cube trays and refilling them, and picking up scattered newspapers and magazines. Many of those things should be done by the offending party, but they don’t seem to get done. Maybe it’s just that they don’t see what’s right in front of their faces. As for the coffee cups, my husband hates for me to wash his. He thinks it’s just getting ‘seasoned’.
We have sign in our work kitchen that asks us not leave dirty dishes in the sink or leave them soaking in the sink. It’s so sad that signs have to be posted because a select few are brain dead.
Anddd…someone keeps eating my dang Lean Cuisine! I’m so tempting to put up a sign that says, if you didn’t put it in the fridge, its NOT yours.
Odie – We do have a dishwasher… don’t you?! I remember when I worked at ISU, my office had a schedule like that, but I didn’t have to participate because I was a student. I also didn’t use the breakroom though. Maybe that is a good way to divvy up the tasks.
Gina (Mannyed) – WTF? Does someone else bring in Lean Cuisine as well? Or are they just stupid? That is one thing I DON’T GET – stealing food that is not yours. Have you caught them?
There’s an economic theory for this sort of behavior: the Tragedy of the Commons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons)…
Basically, it describes a situation in which a common good are overused. Just as fishing a water source too much without re-stocking it results in a dearth of fish, using mugs without washing them results in a dearth of mugs… (I’m assuming the mugs are company-owned. If they’re the individuals’ mugs, well – I’d say let them sit there until their owners come back to either re-use them or wash them of their own accord! The theory doesn’t apply if the mugs are owned by specific individuals.)
E – I can always count on you to explain things to me! That’s really interesting! It makes sense. Kind of “no one is thinking of anyone else” type of thing?
We have a sign like that, too. Not to be sexist, but it’s been observed that the “guilty parties” are all MALE. I guess they’re so used to their mom/wife/French Maid cleaning up after them that they just expect it in the workplace as well. I don’t mind cleaning up the kitchen at home because Bret does 90% of the cooking. But at work, for lazyass co-workers? Not fair.