I am sure that by now as we have become acquainted you have noticed that I am of a somewhat sensitive nature and that I avoid disgusting like the plague but I feel obligated to warn you lest you fall into the same trap I found myself in this last week.
It all began innocently enough. I decided to clean the house. From that experience I have decided to share my thoughts in what could be called, “A GUIDE TO HOUSEKEEPING FOR GUYS.”
You ladies might not realize it but we guy’s clean house differently than you do. When you see something that looks out of place, you set it right. A speck of dust must be eliminated immediadely. No grime goes un-attacked.
We guys on the other hand, being of a more practical frame, do nothing that is absolutely unnecessary.
Take bed making for example. Never should bed linens be changed more often that once every three weeks. Here we guys should always use the old crinkle test. If the sheets sort of “crinkle” when you climb into the bed that is an indication that they probably need to be washed. (Cracker and cookie crumbs as well as potato chips and anchovies can be shaken or swept onto the floor. They alone are not an indication of a dirty bed so you can see the need of the “crinkle” test.
Concerning the cleaning of floors. A true “Guy” always resorts to the “Crunch” test. The crunch test is similar to the crinkle test in that one is resorting to one’s ears to determine necessity. How the crunch test works is this, if when walking across the floor your feet make sort of a crunching sound it is likely that the floor needs to be cleaned. There is no need to be alarmed at this point for the only portion of the floor that needs to be cleaned are the high “crunch” or, traffic areas.
A broom can be used at this point to sweep the potato chips, cracker and cookie crumbs and dried out anchovies from the ‘high crunch” or traffic areas. Simply sweep this crunch to one side of the high crunch or traffic area until it constitutes a health hazard by collapsing onto the unwary cat or dog, at which time it can be removed with a shovel and spread in the driveway.
ON WASHING DISHES
I invariably laugh as I watch a woman wash the dishes. We guys being of a more practical mindset always laugh when we watch the ladies do the dishes due to the fact we do know how to save time when driven to this menial task.
The following steps indicate how a woman washes the dishes. (1) She carefully rinses the dishes. (2) She carefully places them in the dishwasher. (3) She puts soap in the dishwasher. (4) She turns the dishwasher on. (5) Then, when the dishwasher is finished doing whatever it does, she carefully removes the dishes one at a time, (6) and dries it, (7) before carefully placing it into the cupboard.
Guys on the other hand eliminate steps 2-6. We rinse the dishes and throw them into the cupboard. Now isn’t that simple?
(I personally like to carry practicality a step further and use tin pie plates and tin cans for dishware but you can use your own discretion here.)
I hope these tips have been helpful. Next time I will share with you my horrible experience as I entered another dimension, cleaning the refrigerator from hell.
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Garloo the gopher turtle has spent years accumulating a collection of wise, woodsy sayings "what am handy t' live by!" Grab your 





















Writer / Public speaker / naturalist / bear walker /wildlife photographer, providing wildlife footage for educational purposes to such fine organizations as Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Equinox Documentaries, Jim Fowler's 'Life in the Wild', Conservation Biology Magazine, Florida Department of Natural Resources, and various universities.
Chaz,
On The Lighter side of cleaning…I am a mother of two sons…and the wife of ONE husband…and it is apparent that some of the methods you describe are apparently passed down through the male gene. In our house we still do dishes the old fashioned way…by hand, giving me more cupboard space, and more time to look out my window at the birds, the lilac bush and the two donkeys who love to ham it up for my entertainment. I actually enjoy doing the dishes for the most part unless I am # 1 Sick, or # 2 Tired from a long day of cleaning a house and doing laundry and generally taking care of the other tasks that fall in my line of responsibility. On the other hand, when I by some wonder of wonders, am away for at least 3 or more days, sooner or later my husband and son who is still at home finally break down and do the horrible and formiddable task of WASHING THE DISHES. This is a major event for them…rarely tackled alone…it must be handled as a team effort. One will wash, but, ONLY if the dish drainer is totally free of any past washed dishes. The sight of even a few utensils nullifies any obligation to wash dishes.(this has been a widely used excuse, or should I say explanation given upon my return on numerous occasions.)The other one is then, (if dishes have been washed by the first one) obliged to put the clean ones away.This in no way implies they will ever be found again, or that they will be dry. But, The mother of the house does not complain, because, they have done the supreme gesture…and WASHED THE DISHES. And I am, once again, appreciated and adored for saving them from such a mundane task!
Mud Hen