WaPo on Prerinse

https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2023/10/04/testing-rinsing-dishes-before-dishwasher/

I roasted the fuck out of that WaPo article about eating, so I am offering this up as penance.

Ms. Williams and 3 co-workers at the WaPo decided to collect a little anecdata about prerinsing. What I really like about this article and what they did is they acknowledge it is “unscientific”, but it actually is not. What they did was really sensitive qualitative research. The questions they were exploring revolved more about the feelings associated with prerinsing or not, and how those feelings responded to NOT prerinsing. And Ms. Williams is absolutely aware of what she was doing.

“Despite the rigorous evidence, many of us, myself included, cannot stop rinsing. The suggestion that it’s unnecessary provokes domestic disputes and perhaps disproportionate anger.”

“Through testing and interviews, I found that there are many factors — logistical, psychological, personal, marital — that cloud the issue of dishwashing.”

“But the qualitative results of the test proved more interesting.”

Tester 1 — not a prerinser — used the results as support in a longstanding disagreement with her husband — a prerinser — while recognizing that it was unlikely to truly disrupt his habit.

Tester 2 clearly articulated very negative feelings about touching the dirty dishes while placing them, unrinsed, in the dishwasher.

KC Davis — whose book I thoroughly enjoyed reading, even tho I absolutely am not the target audience for it — is quoted pointing out the disconnect between the advice around using the dishwasher and many people actually using dishwashers. Not all households have the time and other resources to be orderly. This really cannot be said enough.

Tester 3, like Tester 1, was a non-prerinser married to a prerinser. Tester 3 brings observations of gratitude to the story, along with a low-key response to how easy it is to post-clean those few items that are not fully clean when not prerinsing.

Tester 4 is the author, and her discussion of her experience as a prerinser who knows the evidence and wants to stop, but is struggling to do so, is easily the best part of this excellent article.

I will look forward to reading more by Ms. Williams! And this is a form of qualitative research and exploration that makes for really good journalism. I hope to see more of it everywhere, because this is the kind of thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis that will prove increasingly necessary to helping everyone adapt as we work to adjust our lifestyles and economy to be more sustainable.

ETA: If you are looking at the two WaPo pieces and considering them in conjunction with yesterday’s post (today’s post but dated yesterday, whatever) about essays, and thinking, hey, Ms. Williams is producing the kind of work you _want_ to have happen, and that other piece embodies all the shit you are complaining about, you are _not wrong_. I noticed that too, altho it was not planned.

Theme of the Year Is Shopping

For decades, I’ve really struggled to manage the abundance in my life / modern consumer culture. Over the last two years, I’ve finally hit upon something that works: eat the food I already have, wear the clothes I already have, using the cleaning products I already have, etc. And then, if I hate what I have, I can get rid of it (responsibly, obviously) _as soon as I can identify exactly what I hate about it_. The last rule is NOT a punishment! The last rule is to ensure I don’t inadvertently purchase something else that I will hate for the exact same reason.

This combination is has been wildly successful. However, it has also resulted in realizing that some things that I keep using _and keep hating_ remain in my life because I find them useful and have been unable to find something that I hate less.

So this year, I am shopping. I am shopping in the most obnoxiously persnickety way imaginable. But it’s working pretty well! I found a pair of shoes that I think might daughter likes, which is _hard_. I found a travel vest that is better for me than what I had, but still not quite good enough, but it’s great for my daughter, which important because I wanted zippered pockets to keep her phone safe on rides but if she has zippered pockets for that it is even better. And I am _persisting_ with the travel vest quest — I’ve tended to give up in the past. It’s been such a successful endeavor already that I’m re-entering the bra-acquisition fray. I’m no longer trying to find things that work at this point. I’m basically buying the thing that, if it does not work, then everything else from that maker will also not work for me, so that I can systematically eliminate sources. I’ve never attempted this strategy before, and I am so excited about it!

I’m not planning on returning anything, so if you know me, and you think you might want the things that don’t work for me, message me or email me.