Over the past three years of living in my own apartment, I have always kept a schedule of cleaning for myself. Usually, at the very least, it has been reminders kept in the back of my head. Cleaning became an excuse to stay in my place to spend some alone time. Besides cleaning, I get into a routine of free time with eating, napping, playing my guitar and Netflix. Every week, there is one chore that has been a custom to me: Washing dishes.
My mother used to joke around while washing dishes by saying, "I sure hope the dish fairy will come by to take of all of these dirty dishes." I only recall the "dish fairy" being whoever sprouted wings and flew over our house to install our new TV satellite. Instead of allowance, snack foods have been awards for me for whenever helping out with the dishes with either my sister, father or mother. My brother never took interest in cooking or anything to do with the kitchen, but that's how he is. He plays his part of setting or cleaning the dining table whenever our family could ever get together for dinner.
If there was a brand of dish soap that I would recommend, it would be Palmolive. I do find it kind of cheap for someone using it as hand soap, but my old jobs wouldn't encourage it. I've worked in two restaurants as a dishwasher and a preparation cook. So, I would be multitasking of slicing and dicing salads while the huge commercial washer was going through each rack of dishes. I first learned why pots and pans need to stay separate from plates and bowls because the larger dishes would need the extra scrubbing, rinsing and soaking. Nowadays at my current job, I still wash dishes at times by hand and through a washer for other staff or the clients wanted to cook at the group homes. It really makes me look back and miss the hard work going on in food service.
I love to cook (my favorite meal to cook are BLT's). But I knew it always came down to a price after having your meal at the end. That's why out of all of the other chores to do to keep my place straighten out, washing dishes in my two-sided sink stays on a weekly basis. Sometimes, I would eat out more often to make it biweekly. I have plates, bowls and utensils bought from Dollar Tree. Once one plate is dropped and shattered, why would an accident-prone guy keep some fine china? Along with dirty dishes, I do end up having leftovers. So, Tupperware never leaves me low-stocked on food.
The struggle doesn't catch up to me too much because I think this chore became second nature to me with all of the practice I've had. Listening to music while I work does make it go by faster. It motivates me more to straighten out my dining table and wipe down the stove, sink and fridge. One task may last for an average of ten minutes at the least for each day of kitchen use. Good practice makes better time as any other skill would.
