on doing the washing-up

2011-10-16 {yyyy-mm-dd}

 

On doing the washing up

 

I look at the heap of dirty dishes in the kitchen, some of them

stewing in cold dirty water in the basin. It has to be done, but

procrastination has her way and I have to force myself to get started.

 

The basin is emptied, and the contents stacked on the draining board.

Fresh water is added, but only a little, as the accumulated slime and

deposit on the basin need cleaning off. After two or more rinses, the

basin is filled with a third of the dirty crocks, and work begins.

Washing up liquid is added in a modicum, and the scouring sponge

applied to the first mug, which has a picture of Pocohontas on it.

After a few clean mugs, attention is turned to the cereal bowls. These

have now soaked long enough for the congealed cereal to have softened,

but nevertheless they take the steel wool scourer to clean them.

 

And so, work progresses. After the fourth fill of the bowl, we have

got to the cutlery. The law of cutlery washing up is, there is always

one (or two, or three) more. The draining basket gradually fills.

 

Eventually the work is done. But! wait a moment, casting around in the

kitchen reveals another bowl’s worth of unconsidered trifles. Then the

washing up bowl needs bleaching. Then some more spoons come to light.

 

I think to myself that what is needed here, is more method. Drying is

left to nature and gravity.

Done