This semester we've talked multiple times as an apartment about cleaning up after ourselves in the kitchen: doing your own dishes, putting your own dishes away, wiping up the messes you make, emptying the trash if you are the one to make it full... etc. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter WHO initiates the conversation and who says "that's a good idea" there continue to be two of us that keep the kitchen not looking disgusting.
As you saw with my room, I kind of have this obsession with having my living space be clean. As I hope mom can testify from Christmas, when I'm done eating, I go do my dishes, and if there are other dishes in the sink, I'll do them too. I just... like to be clean.
The other night I spent like 1/2 hour doing dishes, wiping down counters, sweeping, wiping spots from the floor, and cleaning the stove. Roommate #1 was in the kitchen doing homework at the time said "thanks for cleaning the kitchen" to which I responded "it's disgusting. and nobody else is doing it. BTWs, you used my george foreman two days ago and haven't cleaned it yet. Clean him tonight or george stays in my room" (that's a rule with george... if you use him, you clean him same day or he disappears and you have to ask permission to use him, so I was going soft on her). She didn't respond so I finished cleaning and left the kitchen.
Five minutes ago Roommate #3 broke a 9x13 glass pan (probably mine... we'll see) and started picking it up. Roommate #1 went to help her clean up. Roommate #2 said something like "I was just trying to put away the dishes I used. We've been doing such a good job at having everyone clean up after themselves, so I didn't want to have mine left out..." to which the Roommate #1 said "well, Marci did spend a lot of time cleaning the other day. I think she's the only one that is cleaning, we all just look cleaner because of her."
I guess I'm glad that she at least recognizes that the reason that our kitchen, bathroom and hallway (all the shared spaces in our apartment) are clean because I keep them clean, not because of them.
Have I ruined my roommates? Have I taught them that if they don't do their dishes I'll do them? Probably. But... they're disgusting. I couldn't handle the pan that sat in the sink from Sunday-Thursday. It did need to soak, but not for that long...
P.S. Roommate #4, you get water all over the bathroom counter whe you get ready in the morning. Clean it up.
4 comments:
So do they read your blog, or is this just your opportunity to vent? I hope they change their ways. And I do testify that you are a good "cleaner-upper" after meals at my house too. Mom
Hmmm...sounds like you're ready for motherhood. Once in awhile someone notices that you've done something, but mostly you just have to pat yourself on the back. And then pick up their messes again. ;)
My roommates know I have a blog but that's as far as they all go...
I understand that Marci, and unfortunately being the OCD clean-adict I am I testify that if you clean your roommates will view you as a quasi-housemaid and sort of expect you'll do it. I haven't personally found a balance yet between letting it be dirty and urging the roommates to clean up after themselves, or just cleaning and then pointing out to them that I don't want to be the house maid and to please do it promptly themselves the next time.
I guess it's good practice for when we have kids (who...will do the same thing I'm told). ;)
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