Don’t Clean It All

Clean, clean, clean. Wipe. Vacuum. Scrub. Work hard. Get things done. Go, go, go. Repeat. Does this sound like your life?

While housework can be healthy for you because it burns calories, did you know that leaving one job undone can actually be healthier for you? Not only that, but working less on some particular chores might be better for your home.

My husband Jay works in the appliance industry. He knows more about my kitchen than I do. In fact, he has changed the way I do things from cooking to cleaning. One of the misnomers of the past is the compulsion to scrub the dishes before loading the dishwasher. Have you ever looked into your dishwasher and can’t tell whether the load is clean or dirty because they’ve been rinsed so thoroughly?

Here is a tip for you that I learned from my husband: don’t rinse. It’s actually better for your dishes if you don’t scrub them clean before loading them into the dishwasher. The detergent has cleaning agents that target the grease and food remains. If the food remains are not there, the detergent can eat into the coating of your plates instead.

What a nice surprise! How often in life are we told that it’s better not to work so hard? Here’s another one for you: you don’t have to clean your plate at the dinner table, regardless what you learned as a child. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. If you stop when you’re full instead of forcing down those last few bites, you will keep from over-eating and help your appetite sensors to stay sharp for the future.

It’s better for us not to finish the job—that doesn’t happen very often. Let’s take advantage of these unique exceptions and keep from cleaning off our plates!