Doing Other People's Dishes

When I think about dishes in the sink...

If you eat, there will be dishes to clean. Unless, of course, you're living off cup noodles and plastic sporks and leading the life of a broke-ass college student, then this article is not intended for you; come back later when you can afford to feed yourself. For the rest of us who use the sink for its intended purpose, read on.

Sharing is caring, and if you're looking for another way to show that you care (and possibly that you're a bit OCD and a clean freak), do your dishes AND other people's dishes that are in the sink. I never really understood this notion of "oh, I'll clean only the dishes that I've used and leave the rest of (names of people living with you)'s dishes in the sink." If you're already in the act of scrubbing and washing, then I see no point in leaving dirty dishes in the sink just because you didn't use it.

I actually think it's selfish to do so. Why? Because the moment you decide to put down that sponge and walk away from a sink still full of "other people's" dirty dishes, you're essentially saying you only care about your actions and that you are not willing to contribute to the betterment of your surrounding just because the mess was not created by you.

(For my philosophical rumination on this topic, which it kind of turned into in the above paragraph, please read the last section of this article.)

Of course, if the person/people you are living with constantly leave dishes in the sink for days or refuse to wash them at all cost, then it's time for a conversation, not a passive-aggressive "they'll learn to take care of themselves if I just don't do it for them."

Most importantly, I think doing other people's dishes shows you care about that person. You are giving the gift of time by sacrificing your own, no matter how short it may be. You are giving them peace of mind because we all know that dreadful feeling that comes with the words "dirty dishes." All in all, you do it because you care and there is no better reason.

Special Thanks

I'd like to thank my mom for being the first to show me the power of such a small, inconsequential act. In the past, I have found myself leaving dishes in the sink because I was in a rush or preoccupied with one thing or another with the full intention of washing the dishes later when I was not so busy. Many times I would come back to an empty sink and clean dishes. And every time that it happened, I would feel grateful and know that I was cared for.

Philosophy on Doing Dishes

Who'd have thought talking about doing dishes could turn into something philosophical? I didn't when I first sat down to write this. But I guess I couldn't help myself, the thinker in me just kind of took over. So I'll try to keep this short:

The way I see it, this is similar to arguments surrounding being a responsible member of the community and how certain people will turn a blind eye on something that is blatantly wrong. There are people in society who think everyone has certain responsibilities to fulfill--be a good parent, don't litter, don't waste food, be kind, be environmentally friendly, vote, uphold the law, etc. And we need these people in the world because they will hold themselves accountable and fulfill their own responsibilities.

However, these people usually also expect others to do the same and think that if they're doing their part then they've done their job, nothing extra is needed or should be asked of them, which, really, there is nothing wrong with thinking that way. I was just never raised that way.

I was raised to believe that putting in the extra effort is what will make this world a better a place. Because, unfortunately, as much as there are people who are responsible, there are as many who do not do what they are "supposed" to do. Just because people recognize their responsibility does not mean they will do it. What are the responsible people to do then? Turn a blind eye and say that's not mine to do, I've already done my share?

Let's look at a simple example: littering. Any sane person knows it's not right, morally and legally, to just throw trash anywhere you want. Yet, we still see people who don't give a second thought to littering. There are many responsible people who see a person littering or litter in general, know that it is wrong, and will still walk away without doing anything because it is not their responsibility and they are already doing their part by not littering.

Again, there is nothing wrong with this. But I was taught to be that person who picks up the trash to put it where it belongs even if it's not mine. Truth be told, I don't do it all the time, but I do believe the world needs more of this type of people, which I think is best described as altruistic.

Now, connecting this with doing dishes (finally!). I'm the kind of person that believes an individual's morals and values shine through in every aspect of his/her life, no matter how small. (Or I'm just too much of an idealist.) Therefore, I believe that people who leave dirty dishes in the sink after washing only their own are more likely to be the people who walk away in the littering example given above.

Ultimately, this article is not to criticize people who are already responsible (although it might seem that way), but to hopefully encourage those people go above and beyond.

Here ends my "short" rant on something philosophical that probably shouldn't be.

Green Your Lady Cycle!

Did you know that the average woman throws away up to 300 pounds of menstrual product in their lifetime?

Try multiplying that by the number of women in the world. That's a lot of bloodied trash going into the landfill! Not to mention they'll be around for, oh, I don't know, hundreds of years before they biodegrade.

The thought of my used tampon outliving me is kind of disturbing and disgusting at the same time.

If this also disturbs you, maybe even a little, then let me tell you how to green your lady cycle!

There are several options of reusable menstrual products for you to choose from: menstrual cup, reusable pads, and sea sponge.

Menstrual Cup

Let's start with the menstrual cup because this is what I use.

There are many different options when it comes to menstrual cups. It's actually almost like looking down the grocery store aisle trying to choose the perfect shampoo. I don't have much advice in terms of how to choose between the different brands other than to pick a color that you like and go with it (not that it matters anyway because it will be inside of you). I personally have the Moon Cup. It works just fine and I see no point in spending money trying out other brands. You do want to make sure that whatever cup you get is made out of medical grade silicone though.

What I love about the menstrual cup is that I only have to empty it twice a day: first thing in the morning before I go to work and around 12 hours after that. It's nice not having to worry about changing my pad/tampon throughout the day. Of course, this also depends on the heaviness of your flow during your cycle.

Another plus is that I don't feel my cup at all while I'm using it.

These cups run around $25-$30 on Amazon.

Some Useful Tips

• Do not be afraid of the size: it will fit, I promise! Just follow the instructions on how to insert the cup and you'll be fine. Remember to breathe.
• Do not use strong soap that will leave residue to clean your cup. It's going into a sensitive part of your body after all. I use Johnson's baby wash to clean my cup. Hey, if it's good with a baby, it's good with my baby, too.
• Make sure the holes around the rim of the cup is clean and clear. They help the cup breathe as it gets filled up.
• Cut the stem as much as you like. The Moon Cup comes with a pretty long stem and I had to cut mine down to less than half an inch left. You may opt to cut it all off. Don't worry, your cup won't "disappear" inside your body.
• If you're worried about leakage, pair the use of your cup with a reusable pad (next section).

Reusable Pads

I have used reusable pads as a second layer of protection when I first started using my Moon Cup, just in case. I now rarely use them. However, this is a great option for those who want to stop using disposable products, but menstrual cups are still too intimidating. A great site I found for buying these pads is at GladRags.

There are a couple of reasons that I don't use the pads. One being that they are bulky. The pads work by placing absorbent inserts into the holder, so they can get pretty thick depending on your flow. Here's a video on what I'm talking about, if you're curious:

The other reason I don't use the pads is simply because I don't want to deal with the mess, or the smell. It seems like such a hassle to clean them, whereas with the cup I can just rinse with some soap and it's clean. Also, we all know that the only reason our period stinks is because it comes into contact with air. Internal menstrual products solve that issue.

A word of caution: don't throw the pads into the washer without first rinsing them. I made the mistake and one of my white shirts was stained. Follow their cleaning instruction!

Sea Sponge

Last but not least, the reusable sea sponge.

As the name suggests, these are sponges that you insert to absorb your menstrual flow internally. It can be synthetic (the pink one in the picture) or naturally harvested. These are actual sea sponge that grew in the ocean and are sustainably harvested. If you want something that is definitely biodegradable, this will be the way to go. However, they don't last as long as the cup or the pads. The advertised reusable life is up to 6 months at Jade&Pearl (or more if you take good care of it).

One other concern for most consumers in regards to this particular product is its safety in terms of toxins. Sure, it's advertised as containing no chemicals and whatnot, but it did come from the sea. As much as I hate to admit it, our ocean nowadays are full of trash and chemicals which can get absorbed by these organisms at a micro level.

Plus, this product is not endorsed by the FDA either. So technically, it can't be marketed as "menstrual sponges," "hygienic sponges," and "sanitary sponges." If you look closely at the sites that sell these sponges in the United States, none of them will use the word "menstrual" or give you a description on how the product should be used. Some will actually let you know they can't tell you because of FDA regulations. So I decided to just opt out of buying sea sponges.

In Conclusion

Out of the three different products I talked about, I definitely recommend the menstrual cup. Not only will it help the environment, it will save you money on buying all those disposable products for the years to come. You'll get your money back within the first year of using the cup anyway. Trust me, once I started using the cup, I never turned back!