TLOML does not think so. He is dead against them. I have suspected this for a while, since he's forever taking ours out of the sink and resting it on the worksurface so he can 'get to the sink better'.
Finally last week I confronted him. The arrival of Lady P means our kitchen worktops are now cluttered with expressing and sterilising equipment, special bottle brushes, and a special draining rack to dry the special brushes on. (Yes, we may have gone a little overboard on the cleaning equipment. It's the neurotically clean American in the house driving that, needless to say).
Anyway the point is that we don't have room for washing up tubs littering the place up. So I confronted him.
'What do you have against it?' I asked. Bear in mind I'm a little sleep deprived, so if I sounded a bit fractious, that might be why.
'What is it for?' he counter-asked. Always the lawyer...
'Well,' I explained, 'It's so you can tip liquids away, down the side of it, even while you have a sink full of washing up.'
'But we have a built in drainer next to our sink,' he pointed out. Bear in mind too that he's getting about 45 minutes more sleep than me - I know because we compare notes daily - so has the upper hand where reasoning is concerned.
'Okay, but also it's nice because it's softer than the sink so you won't smash wine glasses in it.'
That was the best I could do. TLOML pointed out that we don't often smash wine glasses, and if we do it's not because the sink is particularly hard, but that some glassware is quite fragile, and would probably smash if you knocked it too hard against a paperback, never mind a plastic washing up tub.
I have to admit I was stumped. TLOML is right, it's a redundant piece of equipment. Yet every British kitchen I know has one. Well, except ours, since we have thrown it away.
TLOML claims no Americans have these silly washing up tubs. Is he right?
Hooray for binning that unnecessary item! I will back up TLOYL. No washing up tubs in America. To open up another can of worms, do you have the "to rinse or not to rinse" debate about the washing up as well? Something else this American will never understand!
ReplyDeleteHa! He accuses me of not rinsing all the time... but I do, I do! Just not to an American standard...
ReplyDeleteI also back TLOYL. Washing up bowls are rancid and just on more thing you have to clean!! Just let the water run and run and run while you do the washing up or excessive plate rinsing. It's the American way! Right? Constant ongoing argument in our household. It's been rescued from the tip pile several times despite my best efforts! And why aren't there disposals here???
ReplyDeleteOh I miss the garbage disposal. Also the dumpster our building in Malibu had. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteTLOML is loving these responses btw.