I think the number one bête noire that many people have when it comes to household chores is the dreaded dishwashing. I remember a blogger friend sharing how she had to wash the dishes on a day that her maid didn’t turn up. So to reward herself, she had a martini after this chore!! Granted that none of us wants to end our days scrubbing dishes. But could you, like me, realize the joy of dishwashing? Could dishwashing be a chance to practice mindfulness?
The Joy of Dishwashing
How can there be any joy in dishwashing, you wonder. The trick is in not letting the dishes pile up. So I wash as I cook. On the rare days, I do allow them to pile up, I can see why it would not be fun. We’re also particular not to let any dishes pile up overnight no matter how late it is. The thought of getting up to a sink full of dirty dishes is not something we relish.
Funnily, I’ve always enjoyed dishwashing. I think it’s a family ‘weakness’! When we had large gatherings of the extended family, some of my aunts and I would try to outdo each other in reaching the sink first.
Communal dishwashing – one person cleans the plates, another person rinses and a third wipes the plates – can be fun too.
I love to be alone when I’m washing dishes. I find it a great time to think, to imagine and yes, I’ve been known to sing while doing the dishes. I get a lot of creative ideas while washing the dishes (happens in the shower too!)
The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.
Agatha Christie
Even such mundane things as an empty sink and clean can give us a sense of satisfaction.
“We can be present in any moment of life, even when we’re busy washing the dishes. Rather than put off those household chores, embrace them as another opportunity to nurture and transform the mind.”
– Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of the meditation app Headspace.
A new study published in the journal Mindfulness says that washing dishes can be a form of meditation, promoting a positive state of attention on the emotions and thoughts in the present moment.
We do the dishes not only in order to have clean dishes, we also do the dishes just to do the dishes, to live fully in each moment while washing them, and to be truly in touch with life.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Also, when we employ an attitude of gratitude while doing the dishes, it brings us joy. Give thanks that you and your family have food – something no one can take for granted, especially in these times.
There’s something to be said for taking joy in everyday chores and making them meaningful and fun!
Do you experience joy when you wash dishes?
I love this post!
And, yes, this is a wonderful way to reframe repetitive work like washing dishes.
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Washing dishes? Sometimes I really dread them. Sometimes I practice mindfulness as I clean and rinse them, as THICH NHAT HANH suggests in his Mindfulness book. I have recently come up with a new mindset: When I need to scrub and scrub your dishes to make them clean, I think that I am scrubbing all the blemishes from my soul.
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I loved your post. I do my contemplating while washing dishes, practice mindfulness. The joy of a clean and empty sink makes me smile in the mornings when I go to make tea. Bill Gates also says he finds washing dishes enjoyable. My husband finds it relaxing and we sometimes make a date out of it 😉
Your post made me look at the whole act of “dishwashing’ from a new perspective. I personally do not like to sleep in a dirt house. This has been a ritual since ages. Therefore before going to bed, I make sure that there are no dirty dishes, or the living room is not in a mess, laundry is folded etc. Even when my maid used to come, I used to clean the dishes before bed. Can’t say that I enjoy doing dishes but I hate piled up dirty dishes so nevertheless clean them up. As you know I am into Buddhist chanting, these days I do not get enough time to sit and chant so I use the time of dishwashing to chant. It also helps me get the dishes done fast. This is a beautiful post.
I look at chores like washing dishes and folding clothes as opportunities to listen to music. I don’t like to listen to songs while doing nothing, I’m pretty conscious about time conservation. So doing these chores while listening to music gives me a peace of mind, and also makes it fun since I can sing along and enjoy the time. 🙂
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I agree, washing dishes can be a reflective/meditative opportunity. And in addition to the gratitude for food, it can be an opportunity to give thanks for the individual family members you care for, even if it is just you and your other half.
Blessings, Michele
I agree with uu, it can be meditative
Doing dishes reminded me of my teaming up with my friend Twinkle when we were in Sharjah. Back there in Sharjah, most of the weekends were spent socializing. We were a close-knit group of around 10 families from across the length and breadth of India. We used to have lunch or dinner or breakfast together at one of the friends’ houses. Preparing meals was a joint venture. It was me and Twinkle who would do the dishes on every occasion. We called it “Ramu and Shamu cleaning company”. Cut to present, whenever I am doing dishes, the fun time that we enjoyed together at Sharjah gives me company. No wonder then that I love to do the dishes!
I enjoy washing dishes too, Corinne. I remember an elderly maidservant, Lakshmamma who washed dishes very gracefully and gently, as though she were working on some piece of art. I learnt to respect work from Lakshmamma. She would use very less dish soap, very little water and generate very little sound while washing dishes. And the dishes used to be spotlessly clean. I also learnt from Lakshmamma that no job is mean or boring. When we focus on the job we do it becomes as effective as meditation, even if it is washing dishes. Loved your post, couldn’t stop sharing my thoughts.
I enjoy washing dishes and I also enjoy cooking. When cooking, which I do almost daily, I wash dishes as I go. Letting them pile up in the sink is unnecessary. There’s something relaxing about washing dishes and cooking too.
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I have no issues with dish washing as much as I do with sweeping because it leads to a backache.
About dish washing, the part I love is arranging the plates and utensils on the platform in such a way that they dry fast. And, I add in some art to it, too. I remember the first time I washed the dishes after my marriage, and had arranged them all on the platform to dry, my MIL gushed to my SIL how I had placed them so decoratively! Hehehe…
I used to never mind doing the dishes but since the lockdown I’ve come to abhor it because of the sheer quantity of it. I do agree that a lot of it has to do with one’s mindset. The day I begin at it cheerfully, putting on music or chatting with the kids and the husband, it’s not such a chore. But days when I’m alone at the sink make me feel frustrated.
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Ummmm I was totally cringing reading this as I hate and dread washing dishes. It’s one household chore that really gets my goat.
I try and not let them pile as that’s when the shit really hits the fan but on days that it does, putting on some music is my go to.
I cannot and don’t think will ever be able to practice mindfulness while doing this chore- I hate it like anything and the lockdown is testing me in on this.
Hi, i don’t let them, or any other house-keeping task, pile up. Must be childhood memories, my poor mother had to work full-time, and so housework didn’t always get done properly. We kids had chores, and we did them, but kids aren’t adults and don’t have adult standards.
Love this! I too enjoy washing dishes as I cook. Honestly, I like cleaning my house – unless it’s a disaster and completely overwhelming. It is, in fact, similar to meditation in that you just focus on what’s in front of you. Now I’m going to work on getting my husband to think this way 🙂
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Hi Corrine, First time visitor to your blog and here because I’m at #MLSTL. I wah dishes in a dishwasher. It’s an eco-friendly model and so quiet and handy. Grateful we have one, but when I do wash dishes by hand, I enjoy it. I try to be mindful for each moment as that is all there is. Hope you get to visit my blog as well. Be safe, stay well, and lead a colorful life.
Hi Corinne – we didn’t have a dishwasher until our children were in their mid-teens. My husband used to say that washing the dishes was “good family bonding time” – except that we all hated it! Eventually when our son was needing more time for homework etc and trying to use that to shirk his share, we decided to buy a dishwasher – best.thing.ever! We still have one 20 years later and I love it. I didn’t mind doing the washing up, but I certainly prefer not having to do it anymore!
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM
Hi Corinne, we have a dishwasher but I also enjoy washing up manually. I find it is a lovely time to let my thoughts wander and feel a sense of satisfaction when everything is clean and put back into their right place. Thanks for sharing at #MLSTL and enjoy your weekend. xx
Loved the video 😀 I wish I had come up with an idea as innovative as that to make my time more enjoyable. I used to be the “dishwasher” of my family back home. And was actually pretty good at it too. But was never a fan of it. Thankfully, now I am saved by technology and can invest that time in other pursuits.
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