According To Science, Doing Dishes Is The Absolute Worst

Oct 27, 2018 by apost team

Raise your hands if you love doing the dishes. How about if you can even tolerate doing the dishes? That's what we thought. It's an essential task, but that doesn't stop us from putting off as much as possible. When you see a sink get fuller with unwashed dishes, it can seem impossible to even get one washed.

The Dishwashing Importance

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You need to do the dishes, not just for the sake of cleanliness, but for the sake for your relationship. A study suggests that an imbalance between who takes on dishwashing duties can lead to serious strife, in terms of more arguments and less intimacy. It might seem arbitrary, but if there's any chore you should be sharing, it's washing the dishes.

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The Dishwashing Reluctance

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There's nothing glamorous about washing dishes. Sure, the effect is admirable, but to get to the point of glistening plates and bowls, you have to scrub, scrape, wash, and repeat. It's frequently disgusting, both in terms of visuals and smells. If you live with others, you're going to be cleaning up dishes that aren't even yours.

Gender Divide

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If you're in a heterosexual relationship, who is typically taking on the dishes: man or woman? There's a perception that dishwashing is more suited towards women, because of the idea that they're better equipped for those kinds of chores. But this is something with no basis in reality. Women can certainly wash dishes, but so can men. To view it as being "woman's work" is to suggest that men are too good to put on some rubber gloves and grab some dish soap.

Help Is Needed

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Different homes have different dishwashing policies. Some might have a designated person who handles all the dishes. Others might take turns with who washes all the dishes. Others might have a policy of washing dishes immediately. No matter what your policy is, it shouldn't be so rigid that it precludes someone from washing even one dish on occasion. When you're trying to keep a household in order, it's not fair for one member to refuse a common courtesy because it's not his responsibility.

Progress

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The good news is that men are starting to get the message. There's been an uptick in men sharing dishwashing duties and helping around the house in general. While there's still much more to be done, it is encouraging to see men aren't viewing domestic work as emasculating or beneath them.

A Team Sport

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Collaboration is part of any healthy relationship. If there's a problem, you need to work together to solve it. A sink full of dirty dishes is a pretty easy problem to solve, but you have to tackle it as soon as possible and pitch in equally. You and your partner can decide on a game plan, such as one where you rotate duties or creating an assembly line for while you wash the dishes.

Benefits of Washing Dishes Together

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A stronger relationship can form by washing dishes together. You're spending more time with your partner, and you're working together for a positive effect. The unpleasantness of the task can be reduced by knowing you're doing it with someone you love.

Plus, it's going to be done faster with more hands on deck. The intimidating nature of those dirty dishes can be vanquished just by putting aside a reasonable amount of time. When everything is done, you'll feel significantly more relieved. You'll realize that the dishes weren't anything worth fearing.

Sharing The Responsibility

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If this all sounds like good advice, then you should get started right away. Talk to your partner and let them know you want to share dishwashing duties. How you do it is up to the two of you. Don't tell them in an accusatory or demanding manner, but try to be as assertive as possible. It's only fair that both of you pull your weight when living in your house.

You might not love washing the dishes, but you can surely agree that it's an essential task, and having help can make a huge difference. Let us know how your dishwashing experience has been. Show this to any friends or family you have who struggle with getting their dishes washed on time.