Men Are From Kashmir…Women Are From Venus

March 12, 2008 on 11:06 am | In Love Shack |

I’m sorry but this is just too good not to share.

I was running to an appointment yesterday afternoon while SweetieBang was deciding that the load of dishes we washed with the eco-friendly cleaner had come out gross and smelly (too true, and it’s too bad), and so I grabbed a box of Cascade from the pantry and thumped it on the counter. “That stuff obviously doesn’t work, we might as well use this more toxic product since I already have it on hand.”

I ran into the study to shut down my computer and I hear maniacal laughter from the kitchen. I call out, “What? What’s so funny? What happened?” “Oh, nothing,” he says, muffling his guffaws. Then another burst of helpless laughter. “Tell me, tell me!” I say. I go into the kitchen.

I had thumped the Cascade down on the counter next to a carton of Chai Tea that had a similar spout-like opening. SweetieDingbatBang, in his intense domestic concentration, (*rolling eyes*), had opened the CHAI instead of the CASCADE and filled the dishwasher detergent tray with it.

As my friend Robin used to say at such times, “Om nama shivaya.” Or as both Greg’s and my Jewish ancestors would have said, “Oy, gevalt.”

And yet there is no sweeter sound than that of a human being laughing heartily at him or herself.

15 Comments »

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  1. Couscous works well in the dishwasher too.
    From one who has been there and done that.

    Comment by Beth — March 12, 2008 #

  2. Being from the west coast, I only know calgon as a bubble bath. (Calgon, take me away!) I was taking this funny story in a whole ‘nother direction, picturing bubbles pouring out of your dishwasher! [OOPS!! I did indeed mean to say “Cascade” — sorry for the screw-up on my part, which is now corrected. I think Calgon also makes dishwasher detergent in tablets, and a water softening product of some sort, but I think it’s Cascade that we we’re using at home. - PB]

    Comment by marcia — March 12, 2008 #

  3. Glad he realized it before he turned the DW on! Eek. Sadly, my experience with eco friendly DW detergent is not so good, either. I’ve tried four brands of earthy stuff, but then I have to wash most of the dishes again (not eco friendly).

    Comment by h sofia — March 12, 2008 #

  4. I second the motion. Hubby thanked me when I suggested we get Cascade after two different packs of eco-dishwashing detergent, neither of which worked well.

    I make up for it by using a bit less than the compartment “suggests” and by buying the powder, packed in paperboard, rather than the plastic-bottled liquid.

    Comment by Scott Wells — March 12, 2008 #

  5. I fell in love with my Dear Friend because he knew how to laugh at himself. That is a wonderful—and all-too-rare–characteristic. I’m still trying to cultivate it in myself…

    I guess the Cascade would be more eco-friendly than the paper plates I use, wouldn’t it?

    Comment by Wormwood's Doxy — March 12, 2008 #

  6. Could have been worse–he could have brewed you a nice hot cup of Cascade latte . . .

    Comment by Barbara K — March 12, 2008 #

  7. Funny story. Oh– and we really like Method’s dishwasher tablet thingies.

    Comment by Mrs. M — March 12, 2008 #

  8. Can I use that last line in my signature on message boards? It’s too true. [You go right ‘head, babe. Just attribute it to PeaceBang. - PB]

    Comment by Kate — March 12, 2008 #

  9. I stopped using the dishwasher except when I was really desperate (read: 1) work overload and too many dishes stacking up in the sink or 2) lotsa company) because I realized it used about four times more water than when I did the dishes by hand. So I do ‘em by hand (and there the liquid bio-something wash-by-hand detergent works) when I am stumbling around half awake in the a.m. or when I have a spare moment while cooking supper and listening to NPR.

    Great story!

    Comment by Jane R — March 12, 2008 #

  10. Amen and blessed be. :)

    Comment by Comrade Kevin — March 13, 2008 #

  11. Seventh Generation makes an AWESOME powdered dishwashing detergent that works better than Cascade, if not better! Try it! [I so hate to tell ya this, honey, but that’s what we were using, and it was awful. Maybe it’s about hard vs. soft water or something. - PB]

    Comment by Lisa — March 13, 2008 #

  12. Another Cascade user here; I wonder if the difference has to do with the dishwasher? I tried 7th generation liquid; maybe will give the powder a whirl one of these days.

    Comment by h sofia — March 13, 2008 #

  13. If it is the hardness of your water that is a problem, you could try acidifying it with the cheapest white vinegar you can find. Just dump a liter of it in the bottom before you run a wash. We don’t do it systematically, but it might be worth a shot.

    Comment by Alethea — March 14, 2008 #

  14. As a sleep deprived new mother, I once washed a load of diapers (yes, cloth diapers) in a cup of pablum rather than the Ivory Snow which was beside the cereal box. Two dozen diapers became glued together in an inseparable mass!

    Comment by Susan — March 14, 2008 #

  15. We use Citra-Dish (ordered by the case at the local co-op) and it works pretty well — it doesn’t always rinse off completely from the cups in the corners of the top rack. If that happens, I’ll just rinse them off (they’re already sterilized) and put them in the dishrack to dry.

    My partner can’t stand the chlorine smell of the popular brands so Cascade is not an option in our household.

    Comment by Renee — March 15, 2008 #

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