Althouse: The first thing this article "What to Do With a Day Off Step one: Give yourself permission to actually take the day off" suggests that you do is...

September 5, 2018

The first thing this article "What to Do With a Day Off Step one: Give yourself permission to actually take the day off" suggests that you do is...

... "Give your fridge the deep clean it deserves. Start by taking out everything — yes, everything...."

The hell!

The article is in the NYT, where they never actually take the day off.

ADDED: My list of things to do on a day off:

1. Make a list of things in your house that could theoretically be cleaned but that you've never cleaned.

2. Consider cleaning them today.

3. If you did not clean them today, admit to yourself that you're never going to clean them and never use this day-off idea again.

56 comments:

rhhardin said...: Best before May 1998; 9/5/18, 7:17 AM
rhhardin said...: Modern refrigerators don't have the 25-year-old food in the back problem because they don't last that long themselves.; 9/5/18, 7:21 AM
whitney said...: Oh come on. I am not a neat freak but I empty out my refrigerator probably twice a year and clean it; 9/5/18, 7:23 AM
Ann Althouse said...: My refrigerator is 27 years old, and it's doing fine.; 9/5/18, 7:23 AM
Ralph L said...: Every day is a day off for retired people.
But housework, and everything else, can be put off until tomorrow if you're prepared to go commando.; 9/5/18, 7:24 AM
Ann Althouse said...: My oldest appliance is my microwave, the only microwave I've ever owned, bought in 1986. Panasonic. Will not die.; 9/5/18, 7:25 AM
Ann Althouse said...: What's the oldest edible/drinkable item you have in your freezer?

(We store some things in the freezer that are not edible/drinkable.); 9/5/18, 7:26 AM
Henry said...: I'm looking forward to some days off next week. I'm going to repair a stone foundation.; 9/5/18, 7:35 AM
FIDO said...: If you are not going to deep clean your fridge as a matter of course, no matter how busy your day, I very much doubt that one is going to do that on a day off.

I would suggest a big fight with your spouse. After a big fight with the spouse, THEN you deep clean the fridge:

a) as a gesture of conciliation

AND

b) to keep as far away from that hectoring screw as one can for a few hours.

Both reasons work and are complementary.; 9/5/18, 7:38 AM
rhhardin said...: A modern microwave lasts about three years. On the other hand they're very cheap. Always have an extra on hand, by buying one ahead. Check the extra for functioning and then store it away.

Stuff stopped lasting when they started putting motherboards in.; 9/5/18, 7:39 AM
Danno said...: Blogger Ann Althouse said...My oldest appliance is my microwave, the only microwave I've ever owned, bought in 1986. Panasonic. Will not die.

I know the feeling. I have a 1985 Whirlpool microwave that refuses to die. It is huge.; 9/5/18, 7:40 AM
gilbar said...: mustard, mustard never goes back
my maple syrup is only 2 weeks old, on account of because of the fact that i go through a LOT of maple syrup; 9/5/18, 7:40 AM
Merny11 said...: Capers. Needed for one recipe. I know as soon as I throw them out I will hear of a wonderful a recipe that calls for capers.; 9/5/18, 7:44 AM
Ralph L said...: I've got bags of unshelled pecans from November in the bottom drawers of both freezer and frig. I don't know if they're still edible.

Did microwaves have turntables in the 80's? I liked the single knob ones that no one makes now. The last one I had wouldn't shut off.; 9/5/18, 7:47 AM
MikeR said...: Hire help, just for things like this.; 9/5/18, 7:51 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Cleaning the fridge is white privilege, and a perfect example of why Kavanaugh must be stopped at all costs!; 9/5/18, 7:52 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Make a sex game out of it, where Meade ends up doing the cleaning list. Just draft up an agreement first, surprise him with it, make the commitment a little crazy, signature required at the bottom. 100% chance of succcess.; 9/5/18, 7:53 AM
rehajm said...: Just draft up an agreement first, surprise him with it, make the commitment a little crazy, signature required at the bottom.

Do I really need my employer's address?; 9/5/18, 7:58 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Ok, we need pictures of Althouse’s fridge and what’s inside it.; 9/5/18, 8:00 AM
traditionalguy said...: We did some of that yesterday. The wife took down off the wall several Rivere Copper pans and kettles that had been hung up there as decor for 10+ years. She attacked them with Bartenders Friend and dried them, and then used a step ladder to re hang them. They did not look any different to me, but she explained that she got out the spider webs behind them.; 9/5/18, 8:00 AM
Known Unknown said...: I clean out my fridge almost once a month and I don't take the day off to do it.; 9/5/18, 8:00 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Ann Althouse said... (We store some things in the freezer that are not edible/drinkable.)

Let me guess. OK, Meade stores the seeds of Davidia involucrata in the freezer through the double-freezing program required to fool them into germinating. A pain, but worth it.; 9/5/18, 8:01 AM
Known Unknown said...: We had a 1986-ish microwave. Hideous looking beast. It never died but I gave it away since our new house came with one over the oven.; 9/5/18, 8:02 AM
Eleanor said...: What if keeping the house clean is your job? How would cleaning the fridge be a day off? If your refrigerator hasn't been cleaned out in months, the issue is cleaning it out on a regular basis isn't anyone's job. Maybe it's time to make it someone's job. Maybe pay someone to do it if no one who lives there will accept responsibility.; 9/5/18, 8:02 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: Hire someone to clean your house.; 9/5/18, 8:02 AM
ALP said...: I am jealous of Ann's old microwave. Seems like I am buying one every few years. The current one (owned for 3 months) is a Panasonic. Her story gives me hope we'll have this one for a while.; 9/5/18, 8:09 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: I generally clean my fridge every 2 to 3 months. I'm a clean freak about the fridge cause that's where I store food. It doesn't actually take that long.

About the capers - they're good in a lot of things. I often add them to salads and they add some tartness to grilled chicken and fish.; 9/5/18, 8:10 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: A full-time maid in South Africa costs R5000 a month. About $363.; 9/5/18, 8:10 AM
ALP said...: We cook a lot and often end up with a bunch of extra egg whites, having used the yokes for whatever. At one point we got the bright idea of freezing egg whites. If you do this, be sure to use silicone ice cube trays. I didn't and years later - those ice cube trays are still full of sticky frozen egg white that won't pop out like I imagined it would. That is the oldest thing in our freezer.; 9/5/18, 8:12 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Make a sex game out of it, where Meade ends up doing the cleaning list. Just draft up an agreement first, surprise him with it, make the commitment a little crazy, signature required at the bottom. 100% chance of succcess."

You're woefully lacking in imagination.; 9/5/18, 8:13 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: I am jealous of Ann's old microwave. Seems like I am buying one every few years.

When we remodeled our kitchen, while speaking to an appliance sales person, my wife mentioned that she still had a washing machine that was decades old. The sales person advised her to never replace it because the new ones all weigh the load and dispense the amount of water that the government thinks is adequate for washing them. In other words, they don't wash clothes as well as the old ones.; 9/5/18, 8:13 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Imagination includes visualizing how things go wrong.; 9/5/18, 8:14 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Ann Althouse said... You're woefully lacking in imagination.

Awesome answer. I expected as much.

I was being PG. The commentariat are largely wrinklies.; 9/5/18, 8:19 AM
tcrosse said...: Rule for Unidentified Frozen Objects: When in doubt, throw it out.; 9/5/18, 8:19 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "When we remodeled our kitchen, while speaking to an appliance sales person, my wife mentioned that she still had a washing machine that was decades old. The sales person advised her to never replace it because the new ones all weigh the load and dispense the amount of water that the government thinks is adequate for washing them. In other words, they don't wash clothes as well as the old ones."

I got a new Kitchenaide washing machine around 1990. It still works fine. I've never had one repair I don't think. The dryer I bought with it got replaced recently, but mainly because I just guessed it would be better to replace it than to get started paying a repairperson. The new one does light up when you open the door. That's nice.

We got a new Kitchenaide dishwasher in the last couple years, and it's very disappointing.; 9/5/18, 8:19 AM
JMW Turner said...: Let's see...freezer burned ground hamburger meat, half used bag of Pilsbury southern style biscuits, assorted small portion entries, container of Columbian coffee, daughter's extra pack of cigarettes, discrete Tupperware of primo weed.; 9/5/18, 8:20 AM
Kay said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/5/18, 8:21 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: "Ok, we need pictures of Althouse’s fridge and what’s inside it"

Probably Meade having time out. That's why he hasn't posted yet this morning.; 9/5/18, 8:23 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: We got a new Kitchenaide dishwasher in the last couple years, and it's very disappointing.

We got a new dishwasher a few years back when the old one died and the repairman said it would cost $400 bucks to repair and advised against it. Its much quieter than the old one, but does not clean the dishes as well. Once again, because of government water use regulations.; 9/5/18, 8:23 AM
Kay said...: I took the day off work yesterday in order to make the long weekend longer. Early on in the morning, I got a text from someone at work requesting that I call into a work meeting that afternoon. I agonized for maybe an hour about how to reply to this email. Ultimately, I just ignored it until early this morning.; 9/5/18, 8:24 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: I did get a really good deal on the dishwasher though. If you go to the back of a Lowes or Home Depot you will often find appliances that for some reason or another have been returned or never sold and the new stuff has arrived so they can't stay in the front of the store any longer. You can bargain for that stuff and qet a 10% reduction from the already reduced price. You aren't going to get free delivery however, so you need to take that into account.; 9/5/18, 8:29 AM
Ralph L said...: Kitchenaid was bought by Whirlpool a few years ago, so that's also affected quality.
My 18 y.o. stopped filling with water last year. Turned out a spoon was under the float, but I couldn't see stainless against stainless until I put my head all the way in.; 9/5/18, 8:38 AM
tcrosse said...: For my sins, I worked a while in the appliance industry, where the name of the game was Cost Reduction. The guy who could figure out how to wring a nickel out of the cost of an appliance was a hero. OTOH fancy bells and whistles were added not for the convenience of the user but as something for an aggressive commissioned appliance salesman to work with.; 9/5/18, 8:45 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: A day off? consists of deep cleaning stuff around your house? The fridge. The toilets. Nope.

A day off is being occupied by a fun hobby. Something you like to do....unless you are Adrian Monk, cleaning the fridge isn't it. Some of my hobbies sound like work, however, they are things I enjoy doing. I like to bake cakes, cookies, try out new recipes. Assemble some quilted place mats. Plant some flowers.

Take a walk in the woods or along a stream. Pick up some interesting rocks or pieces of weathered wood. Go for a scenic drive and stop to admire the views or take photos. Sit on the deck and read a book in the shade (with a glass of wine). Take a nice long pillow drooling nap. Visit with friends. Watch a DVD movie.; 9/5/18, 8:52 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: New freezers and refrigerators are made to fail. 8 to 10 years is about what you get anymore from new appliances.

The new freon #133 literally destroys the components. Unlike the old freon #12 which lasts.

I have a freezer which is well over 40 years old. Bought it USED in 1979 and am still using it. It works like a champ. In the meantime we have gone through 2 refrigerator freezers in our house in 18 years. We are probably due for a new freezer soon to replace the "new" one which is 10 years old. The ancient one just keeps chugging along.

My washer and drier are about 25 years old. The washer uses more water than the government mandates. Hah! I can actually get my clothing clean. Since the gov. destroyed washing soap by taking out phosphates....I add a dash of TSP to the loads. Double HAH!
Things used to be make to last and not made to be replaced. If you want to save the planet....make things that work, won't end up in a landfill in a few years....... and that will last!

Screw a bunch of internet accessible and computerized appliances. I don't need to communicate with my inanimate objects. I don't want to watch TV on my fridge! Just keep my food cold.

Oldest thing in my freezer? Probably some elderberries that were given to me about 4 years ago and which I haven't made jam out of...yet.; 9/5/18, 9:02 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: sodal ye said...

Make a sex game out of it...

9 1/2 Weeks; 9/5/18, 9:09 AM
richlb said...: I like cleaning the fridge, but I usually save it for that every few month event when I open the fridge and look and there feels like there is nothing in it. I just use that opportunity to take the small amount of items out and clean it easily. The freezer? Never feels like it's empty enough to clean.; 9/5/18, 9:27 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: It makes me sad to think of someone using his day off to clean the refrigerator.; 9/5/18, 9:37 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: I remember looking at a spring cleaning checklist that included fake items, such as moving the refrigerator out to clean under and behind it. That's fake. People don't need to do that.; 9/5/18, 9:38 AM
reader said...: I remember cleaning out my grandmother's refrigerator. That was back in the day that you had to defrost the freezer. It wasn't that she couldn't do it but that I had gotten old enough that it became my job. She was never very domestic. She got a job very young when her father died. She added three years to her age to get her first job and never corrected it. It was my mom's job from a young age to take care of the house while my grandmother worked.

My refrigerator gets cleaned every few weeks. I want to know why it seems that milk containers magically manage to leak in the refrigerator but never while you're pouring them.

This week I'm taking a break from my routine housework to deep clean the tile grout. I hate this freaking job. I divide it up over three days. I have one day left but won't finish it today...I'm taking a break today from the job I do when I take a break from my regular job. I'll finish it tomorrow with the kitchen. Today I take my mom out for lunch and have dancing lessons.; 9/5/18, 9:43 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I remember looking at a spring cleaning checklist that included fake items, such as moving the refrigerator out to clean under and behind it. That's fake. People don't need to do that.

Actually, you kind of do need to do that.

Twice a year we roll out the fridge and freezers in the shop, and my husband takes an air compressor to blow the accumulated dust off of the "coils" and the front air screen thingy *** to make the refrigerators and freezers compressors(I think that is the term?) not have to work as hard and overheat.

It isn't about cleaning under, although I do that because the cobwebs on the wall behind and the dust on the floor needs to be brushed off and swept up. Plus sometimes there are mouse droppings ..yuck.

*** I know nothing about the mechanics of the thing or even what the coils are, but I take his word for it that it must be done. Dumbplumer is like my own personal MacGyver :-D; 9/5/18, 9:46 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: This checklist was not saying you should clean the actual refrigerator. Just that you might remove dust on the wall and floor that you know exists and haunts your thoughts.; 9/5/18, 9:51 AM
tcrosse said...: I was once told that you could be denied a Liberal Arts degree if it could be demonstrated that you knew how a refrigerator worked.; 9/5/18, 1:31 PM
mockturtle said...: I honestly don't mind cleaning. Very satisfying once you've done it.

My RV refrigerator still requires defrosting. Was hoping it could wait until I get home at the end of the month but the freezer clearance is getting narrower and narrower. Mind you, this only happens in the damp NW. I could run it for a year in AZ without defrosting it.; 9/5/18, 1:41 PM
Michael K said...: "She added three years to her age to get her first job and never corrected it. "

My mother never added but subtracted. She said her mother told her, "If you are going to lie about your age, start early or everyone will know better."

When my sister got married, her boss (mother's boss) told her she was going to have to retire. Nobody knew how old she was but everyone who had been with the company when she began had died. She had to be over 65 and they were going to get into trouble with the insurance and the union.

She finally admitted to 75 but she was actually 78. Fortunately, her sister was alive and could swear to her age. She was born at home and her baptism certificate had burned in a fire at the church. All records had the wrong age.

She had been walking a mile every morning from the train to her office.

She died at 103. She had gone back to work when I was in 8th grade and my sister was in 5th. She never wanted to ask my father for money. He did not know before he died that she was older than he.; 9/5/18, 2:46 PM
Gordon Scott said...: I know a gal who owns a small town appliance store in South Dakota. She makes a good living sending out her guys to repair the appliances people bought in Brookings at The Home Depot. She told me that the big stores tell Whirlpool et al that they want a fridge that will sell for $1199. If the compressor has to be made from tinfoil, they will do that to hit the price point.

She can sell you a good appliance that will last. But she can't tell you what to buy over the phone if you don't live nearby. She did say that smaller independent stores CAN get you good stuff, but she didn't promise that they would, because some are honest, and some....; 9/6/18, 11:21 PM