Dishwasher Optimization
Relentlessly Refining Daily Tasks
My dishwasher organizing skills have reached a level of sophistication during the pandemic that I am confident is world-class. I can endure your snickering; it’s ok. Don’t misunderstand me though. I allocate very little time to thinking about the science of dishwasher loading, and if you watch me loading a dishwasher it would not be obvious that the process is so well-conceived and practiced.
The only visible indication would be my confident and crisp movements, which are no doubt a marvel to behold. Many other people have to pause and think about where something can fit. Then, they haphazardly shove the item into whatever space is discovered first with scant regard for the ideal position based on various constraints, including space utilization, ease of loading future items, cleaning consistency, damage mitigation, the stability of the load, surface spotting minimization, and avoiding injury to the unloader. I humbly suggest that these are all worthy considerations and it’s maddening for me to watch someone whose seeming only criteria is to get the item inside the dishwasher.
For a task that I will complete thousands of times in my life, it seems worth the effort to get it right. There are a plethora of reasons why screwing up the above list makes life more difficult and why having a plan that is executed well saves time and improves outcomes.
In my experience, the only thing required is to be present and thoughtful while I am doing it rather than zoned out thinking about something else. The insights just pop into my head in a split-second and then the process is tweaked for future loading tasks. I would be surprised if I have not internalized at least two hundred rules for dishwasher loading, particularly since there are different conditions that arise based on what types of items need to be washed in that load.
I also think it’s a great opportunity to deepen a mindfulness practice. Therefore, I would highly recommend that you join me in this commitment to excellence as it will save you time, improve the condition of your possessions, and I claim without sarcasm that it will enhance your mental health.
Good luck not thinking about this post the next time you load a dishwasher.
Originally published at https://patrickbosworth.blog on January 29, 2021.
