Things that defy logic

I’m puzzled by things that defy logic

By Debra L. Karplus

The world makes increasingly less sense to me all the time.  Being an incredibly logical person, I really struggle to find explanations and order.  Fortunately my inner peace isn’t dependent on that need, or I’d be an even more restless person than I’m already wired to be.

Living in a house built in 1907 near downtown Champaign, I had no concerns about using a dishwasher, because the house didn’t have one.  For the 38 years we lived there, soapy water, scrub pads and our working hands took care of all things dirty, and amazingly nobody got sick from any type of bacterial malady.

Since 2016, now in suburban southwest Champaign in a townhouse built c. 2002, we have a dishwasher.  I swore I’d never need to use it.  Even if guests would come for a meal, we’d clean up after dinner, the old fashioned way, and chat as we dried dishes together using a towel.

Researching an article for The Dollar Stretcher, a consumer-oriented online and print publication, I was startled by something that defied logic.  My article was about dishwashers and making then last longer.  What I discovered was that, unlike most anything we purchase, dishwashers actually last longer if we use them rather than not use them; otherwise the rubber door gaskets on them dry out and need replacing.  This was shocking to me.  After all, car tires last longer if you drive fewer miles.  Clothing lasts longer if you don’t wear it.

What a conundrum!

I generally take good care of my belongings; this dishwasher would be no exception.  So I decided I would try to remember to use the dishwasher approximately once a week, to make it last longer.  I don’t leave the house with appliances running, except of course the refrigerator and sump pump, so I have to allocate 1 ½ hours of being home for this weekly ritual.

Though my daughter’s family of 5 could probably run their dishwasher more than once daily, I’m challenged to find enough to fill mine up even weekly.  So I’ve become creative in what things I find while scurrying around the house that might need the supersonic sanitizing of a dishwasher.

My plastic blender, truly my best friend in the kitchen, reads “dishwasher safe”.  I took that literally.  But when it came out of the dishwasher and the lid no longer fit on it, I discovered why.  The blender had melted into a new position and took on a more oval shape.  So much for dishwasher safe!  My dishwasher is somewhat of a “frenemy”.  That’s a real word; look it up! I now own a new plastic blender that I enjoy washing by hand and that’s just fine.  And yes, it’s still my best kitchen friend.

The plastic dish drainer sitting beside my sink holds dishes that are easily rinsed and reused is great to wash in the dishwasher to keep it bacteria-free; it takes up a lot of space on the top dishwasher rack.

My red plastic scrub pad gets nice and clean in the dishwasher, as do toothbrushes, and combs and brushes.  Remember to be diligent about removing all hair first!

I noticed my metal HVAC vents look like they might need a bit of TLC.  I tried one in the dishwasher, and voila, it looks new and shiny again, so I have been washing the others as they fit alongside various things I find around the house to toss into the dishwasher to keep it lasting longer.

I thought about washing my pool flip flops in there, but frankly I’m a bit nervous about that.  They cost only $1, actually now $1.25 at the Dollar Tree store, but I’m worried that they’ll disintegrate inside the dishwasher and I’ll have tiny bits of rubber to clean out, so I’m reluctant.  A dilemma indeed.

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Bikes, helmets, masks, cigarettes.  I have seen various combinations of these that truly baffle me.  I am a member of the local cycle club as are many of my friends, and I enjoy biking.  But non-bike club folks who bike wearing masks, but not helmets?  What’s up with that!  Smoking while biking, that confuses me too.  And people (not on a bike) slipping their mask down to their chin to have a smoke?  Well, that has me clueless.

I’m an astute observer and if I think about it, I’ll come up with some other observations that make little sense to me.  In the meantime, I’m hoping readers might add to my list.