Trying to Clean House

[OverEggstended]

It is official... we have HAD it!

Three days ago, while at WallyWorld, DH (I ahve decided to use this as it is close enough!) and I finally decided to put our foot down.

We have 2 teenagers. One is female, 14 yo, and an absolute mess... although there is no moldy food or such in her bedroom, we have NO clue what color the carpeting is. The other is a 17 yo male that has a decent room (even though it always smells funny), but if he spills something on the floor... we can only hope the dogs find it and like it because otherwise our socks will stick to it later!

In other words... they are your typical, lazy, spoiled American teenagers.

But it was getting rediculous the amount of dishes they use! Some they left lying about the dining room, the kitchen, or the livingroom. Many made it to the sink... but were not rinsed... or even scraped (and we do not have a gargage disposal!). I was running the dishwasher twice a day most times... and that was with no pots or pans in it... for 4 people!

We tried the "Nothing should be put in the sink. Put it in the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is full of clean dishes... EMPTY IT!". Nope... did not happen. And then when heavy threats were made about witholding food until they WERE out of the sink... I ended up with totally unscraped plates in the dishwasher getting foodbits all over or having stuff that was stuck on them baked on durring the sani-rinse and drying cycles!

SO... we did the only kind thing.

We bought them presents!

They now each have their very own large plate, dessert plate, bowl, and mug. Color coded for their enjoyment. If I find a black bowl hanging around the living room unattended... onto my DD's bed it goes. A blue mug on the sideboard? To the DS's room I go!

If... IF... these dishes are IN the dishwasher when I load it and run it... so be it, they get washed. If they want to eat before then... they will need to wash THEIR dishes. They are alowed to use ONLY those dishes. All day... every meal... every day.

Did I mention that I might just get that sink CLEAN for once? Yippee!!!!!

(now if only I could find the dang sweeper I desperately want locally instead of just online! GRRRR! Anyone have one of these? http://www.bissell.com/Products/c/stickvacuum/p/versuscordless/product.aspx With no brush for it to tangle on... it is supposed to be GREAT for pet hair and strings (I sew) and such!)

 

[tdgill]

That is hilarious. sorry.

 

[OverEggstended]

And they are already annoyed by it!

Tonight, DS ate dinner then left his plate (once again not scraped even... much less rinsed) in the sink. I said, "Um... I don't THINK so!". And he replied... "What? The dishwasher is still running and washing dishes!". LIKE I CARED! AND HIS POINT WAS?

So, long story short... I explained that the plate was NOT going to sit in the sink. So... he takes it out and... (ya better be sitting down)... bangs it down on the dining table (20ft away!) and says "Fine!". Note: He ate in the living room.

Now just what would possess a 17 yo boy to make him think that if I do not want gooey, nasty, food encrusted plates in the kitchen sink... I would want one in a holding pattern on my oak table???!!!!???

We then discussed THAT. Off to room with dirty dishes he went (at this point... I refused to let him wash them... he had wasted enough of my time... especially as I am still overhauling the kitchen!) He just brought them back out (DD had unloaded the dishwasher) and put them in the dishwasher.

Stay tuned for the next developement...
If they were not rinsed... back to his room they will go!!!!!!

 

[tdgill]

I got fed up with my DS recently too. Again. lol. I don't even remember what I asked him to do but of course he didnt do it. He was too busy playing online. (wonder where he gets that habit from?) So as I was leaving the house I thought I'd unplug the modem and not even tell him. Just let him fume. But then I thought he'd figure it out and just plug it back in. So as I walked past him and said bye, I showed him the modem and told him I was taking it with me. He ran out to the car with me apologizing saying ok ok I'll do it right now.

 

[ducks4you]

OverEggstended, I guess that you convinced me--GIRLS ARE EASIER!!!! My 3 DD's, ALL in the their 20's, only the eldest on her own--she's the apartment that I cleaned up at the beginning of January, 2 pages ago--have their Own messiness concerns. FINALLY, all of us are on the same page: we all want a clean house, but we've ALL had to start throwing away clutter, so we can put away things and find them again. Even my DH has volunteered to start cooking--he's a good cook, but only cooks when we camp--if the kitchen was arranged to his liking. I'm happy to get it that way, because we're blessed with too much stuff. I am DETERMINED to get everything cleaned up. I have discovered that you attack one thing at a time, like with the dishes. Funny, when my DH were in grade school I found some plastic dish sets, (dish, bowl, cup) that came in 5 different colors. I bought 15 dishes, and all 5 of us had our own color, just like you did.

I started my "2012 or Bust Cleaning Campaign" last October. I have 5 acres, a house, a garage, 2 outbuildings and a barn to clean up!!!! I figure that by the time the world "ends", a day after my birthday on December 21st, 2012, I will have EVERYTHING on my property all cleaned up and organized. It'll be like when Scarlett O'Hara had to lock the door when she was evacuating Atlanta!!!
SERIOUSLY, though, you should measure your success by little degrees, and celebrate successfully changing one thing at a time.

 

[tdgill]

 

[OverEggstended]

Quote:
Ok... so to continue the story!

Sure enough, I go out to reload the dishwasher and was not surprised. The large plate is north/south dirrectly in the middle of the bottom rack, the small one is 8 inches away from it in a diagonal. Did he think I was going to run it just for those 2 items?

So I sigh and figure that I will be the bigger person. I reach down and grab a plate COVERED in goolash! Not scraped... much less rinced. The larger plate is totally encrusted with gods knows what... but it sure as heck is not going to come off easily! The mug is correctly placed on the top rack... with the sticker still on the bottom. Ummm... gooey label glue and hot water. Last time I made the mistake of doing that with a speghetti sauce jar, we spent 3 days trying to get it off all the other dishes!

So... I take them out and write a note to leave with them on the counter. This afternoon I notice that the dishes have all been removed from the counter I left them on and are in the drainboard. I am pleased. Only to find out when I get closer that they were rinced half-arsed and put there. The small plate is smeared with grease and the large one is still encrusted. Oh well... I don't have to eat off them!

Anyone want to start a farm for undomesticated teens? Mine seem hopeless.

 

[The Chicken People]

I could start that farm but unfortunetly they are all 28 to 22 and still as disgusting! Thank Heavens they dont live here..as for the two that do ..I just made dinner and cleaned the kitchen up ..shiny sink! wHEN ASKED FOR DINNER i REPLIED i DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE GONNA BE HERE. i AM TIRED OF EXTRA WORK IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD AND NO RESPECT AND WASTING FOOD BECAUSE i DONT KNOW WHEN THEY ARE EATING OR NOT! btw mY ROAST I MADE TWO DAYS AGO WASNT VERY GOOD i HEAR! hMM...COOK FOR YOUR SELVES THEN..SORRY TO RANT!

 

[tdgill]

yes, cook and the clean up after yourselves!

I have one of those older "children" also. I clean up the kitchen just in time for him to mess it up. He will cook dinner for the family occasionally or help me cook so its hard to complain ALL the time, but we have our moments!