Work It, Dad!
with Avi Spivack
Hi, I'm Avi, and I try to put the work and the dad together, with mild success. This is all about trying to give you a view from what it looks like on the dad-man's side of the world, and I hope you find my ruminations humorous because I try not to take myself too seriously.
I hate to brag (really), but I just loaded the dishwasher with more dishes than I could count.
And not just the regular dishes, I’m talkin about mixing bowls, spatulas, tongs, different-sized plates, and all kinds of glassware. It was a work of art.
Guess what else?
I can sort the recycling into metal/glass and paper, bagged and into the green box in under 7 minutes.
You want an onion diced? A knife sharpened? A can of corn opened (but without the top actually detached from the base)?
Done, done, and done.
Basically, I can look at a sink full of dirty dishes, food scraps, All-Clad pots, and silverware, and know exactly the most optimal order in which to wash them/load the dishwasher. Can you?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a secret to offer you, or to share with your husbands. It’s a skill that I have developed over the years.
Of course, back in our first New York apartments we didn’t even have a dishwasher, so it was all about speed-washing. Now I guess I’m spoiled. (Hint: always use powder-based detergent, not the liquid - I prefer Cascade Complete). I also recommend Method’s Granite cleaner, and Swiffer Wet for the kitchen floor.
All of this to say: since my cooking skills only extend to following recipes, I have been forced to perfect my kitchen-cleaning skillset.
Who cleans your kitchen?
he he, you are so funny Mr. Spivack. Perhaps you can make a diagram to teach us how to properly load up.
vera babayeva | August 3rd, 2009 at 1:48 am
This made me laugh, because it seems that only my mother and I have mastered the art of maximizing the number of items packed into a dishwasher. This is one area I had to let go of in order to get help from my husband and nanny…
SoftwareMom | August 3rd, 2009 at 7:04 am
A full load is green thinking to the max, by the way a dishwasher uses less water and energy than a hand wash, so that’s another good excuse for mummy not to go without one ever again!
12 Weeks Pregnant | August 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
My husband is perfecting in this area as well ;-). He always unloads the dishwasher every morning, and gets quite upset some days at some dishes being as they were before washing(because of my loading skills!). What I am doing also works, coz he has taken over loading these days
Lakshmi | August 3rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I am perpetually amazed at how poorly some people can load/organize. My mom’s theory on such things was that “certain people” did things poorly on purpose, to avoid ever being asked again. I am not sure, but definitely some people don’t take pride in their kitchen work.
In short, I load the dishwasher - or re-arrange it before running it. It’s not a big deal. I do most of the daily cleaning, which I generally enjoy.
I prefer to wash dishes right away in the sink. I do it before anything gets stuck on or spread to other dishes. Usually just takes a quick rinse and the dish is ready for the next meal. But I will only do this with my stuff and my kids’.
SKL | August 4th, 2009 at 3:38 am
My husband feels unworthy when loading the dishwasher, because I too am a Master Dishwasher Loader. I try not to let it get to my head. I remind him often that I won’t yell at him if he does it wrong.
He is a Grill Master, so we balance each other out well.
Erica | August 4th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I am completely terrible at loading the dishwasher. This is not due to my trying to slack off (I do all the other cleaning pretty well). I think it comes from just having a terrible sense of space relations. My husband is one of those people who can get every dish in the house into the dishwasher. He’e also one of those people who can fold things perfectly flat (with a perfect crease and all). I’m an ok folder. I think his skills are come by through genes…you should see how his mother folds things. She folds towels so tightly, you’d swear they were pieces of paper. I’m just better at other things - cooking for example. I try not to feel too inferior and bow in admiration to you for your prodigious diswasher skills!
Pat | August 22nd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
That’s cool. I just recently obtained my doctorate in dishwashing (actual title they gave me was ‘Doctor of Machine Dishwashing and Equipment Maintinance’) I actually have the certificate framed. It took me 9 months of training (intense training) and i just recently had my final. I can post the copy of it if you want…
Dr. Dustin H. Jenson | September 7th, 2009 at 3:26 am