I'm Gonna Clock Him with the Pot

There are some rules in life that The Man and I agreed to when we got together. Not many, but they've worked for us:

• The children won't outnumber the parents
• No pets that poop more than we do
• One cooks, the other cleans up

Now, these have served us well thus far. But I've been experiencing some trouble with that last one. I'm actually the one who cooks. It's a well-known fact in our house that The Daddy doesn't cook. He can make toast and Top Ramen. He's pretty good with spaghetti and he can barbecue, but if he's the only one preparing those meals, be forewarned that that's all you're getting - there are no side dishes when The Man cooks. So needless to say, I do 99% of the food prep. Which should mean, given our rules, that he does 99% of kitchen clean up.

And yet, that's not really happening. At least, not when we have pasta.

He won't clean the pasta pot. Drives me friggn' crazy. It doesn't fit in the dishwasher, and God forbid he hand wash it, so there it sits, on the counter, waiting for me every time I make pasta. It's one of those big stock pots with the strainer insert. Very handy. Except for the washing part.

I tried going on strike once, and didn't touch it. It stayed on the counter for two weeks, both of us moving it aside when it got in the way. I vowed I'd hold firm this time, but it didn't work. It drove me crazy and I washed it.

What is the deal? What is so hard, I want to know, about cleaning the pasta pot? Is it he doesn't want to get his hands wet? The man who likes to work on his own car and has special soap so that he can get the grease off won't get his hands wet for a POT? How does that happen?

I asked him once why he doesn't wash it and he said he didn't know how. It gets "filmy" he said, and the sponge doesn't get the starchy-ring off of it. So I suggested he use an SOS pad, like I do. He frowned so ferociously I gave up.

It wasn't until much later that I realized he probably didn't know what an SOS pad was. I betcha he thought I was being a wise-ass and suggesting he wash the pot with maxi pad. Men.

So, here's a quiz for the reading public: How do I creatively get him to clean the pasta pot before I hit him over the head with it? Anyone got any ideas? 

Comments

[Amy]

Thank you Patty! Very thoughtful and creative ideas that would definitely solve the problem. However, it also makes me realize that what I *really* wanted was to clock him with the pot. Sigh. Pop another quarter into the Anger Management Fund.

[patty]

So many options! Buy a pasta pot that fits in the dishwasher. Clean the pot yourself and ask him to prepare the salads or desserts when you're the cook.

Make a funny cover for it and leave it out on the stove until he gets around to it. Stop cooking pasta. Figure out what he likes doing and you like receiving and ask for that instead of pot-washing.

Serve Spaghetti-O's when you have no clean pasta pot. Boil your pasta in a frying pan. Put oil in the water to minimize the film.

Advertise on Craigslist for someone to pick up your pot from your front step daily and return it clean by 3 pm the same day. Whatever it might cost, it's worth it to keep the resentment out of your relationship and get on with the loving.

[Kimberly]

He definitely deserves a good pot clocking for that! I'm pro-pot clocking in those situations.

[Common Mom]

Put his garage hand cleaner in there in some water . . . then he can wash his hands in there - that super duty stuff and all the swishing around from the hand washing should get the filmy ring off ;-)

If that doesn't work, clock him with it!

[Amy]

Not sure that was the answer I was expecting from an accountant, Geni, but I like it!

[Geni]

I say just go ahead and clock him with the pot. That's more likely to result in a positive outcome - at least one of you will feel better that way.