Teach Your Teens The Zen of Dishwashing

“Water is the universal solvent” my seventh grade science teacher trumpeted with unmistakable reverence.

As with so many gems, this lesson is lost on young folks.

You have to reach the age of dishwashing, and more to the point, that pinnacle of cleansing responsibility when it’s your job to scour off baked on grease from pots and pans to appreciate the marvels of water.

Any veteran of Dish Wars can attest that it is no fun trying to remove encrusted salmon detritus from a broiling pan immediately after dinner. Letting the vessel settle overnight, with just a thin coating of soapy water will gently and silently do 99% of the work for you.

You’ll be astonished how angelic and gravity defying even the hardest sediment becomes under the quietly unrelenting persuasion of H2O.

But witnessing this transformation is a pleasure reserved only for the patient, the mature and the Zen-like among us. Teens cannot and will not wait long enough to watch nature take its steady, inexorable course.

They attack pans at the wrong time, wearing themselves out and sullying the entire kitchen in the process.

It’s sad to see strapping, 6 foot 4 inch boys, who could fell trees with dull axes, recoil from this duty and shout to the heavens, “I’m not Cinderella! Why are you making me do this?”

Another dishwashing insight that eludes teens is the fact that the machine is not a garbage disposal, and cannot be used as such, lest you want clogs in your piping that only drain doctors can remove with rooters.

Being the literalists they are, your sub-adults will wonder, “Why call it a DISHWASHER if I have to pre-scrub the dishes before I put them in?”

But this is just another Zen insight masquerading as a vexing absurdity, at least to a 16 year-old.

Why do we dress crisply and pretend to be well just before we visit the physician about our pesky colds? Isn’t it THEIR job to heal us, and not ours?

Of course, there’s a ton of Zen to be found in dishwashing, insights that could help teens and everyone else AWAKEN to deeper levels of living.

In fact, and you can announce this to your adolescents with true conviction:

DISHWASHING is the universal solvent!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a best-selling author of 12 books, including 101 THINGS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW BEFORE VOLUNTEERING TO COACH THEIR KIDS' SPORTS TEAMS. He has published more than 1,000 articles and considered "The Gold Standard" in negotiation, sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Small Spaces? Choose a Compact Dishwasher

Less than a decade ago if you had a small kitchen there was no hope for a dishwasher and you were doomed to have dish pan hands. But Those days are gone and now you can choose a compact dishwasher that will take up just a small portion of your kitchen counter.

Whether you live in an apartment, mobile home, condo, trailer, or RV here are just a few of your options.

1. Haier Dishwasher
This compact model is convenient and reliable and it will sit on your table or counter. It holds a full 4 place settings and it has a silver basket that you can remove for just a little more space. It has 3 wash cycles and it comes with the adaptor kit for your sink.

2. Haier Table Top Dishwasher
This is a true space saver with easy touch pad controls and three automatic wash cycles. It even has a rinse and hold cycle which is very convenient. It's quiet and you can have it running without interfering with conversation or watching your favorite shows.

3. Danby DDW396W
Danby has a reputation for building a terrific space saver dishwasher that's reliable and affordable. It is a mini size model that's been engineered to perform like its larger counterparts. You don't have to sacrifice performance for size. Danby continues to provide a product you can rely on every year.

4. Bosch SKT5102GB
Offers you two temperature settings and it will hold a full four place setting. It has 5 programmed settings which include Intensive, Normal, Economy, Glasses, and Warm Pre Rinse. It also has an adjustable water softener. It has an easy to clean triple filter system and the rinse aid has a convenient refill indicator. The stainless steel interior looks great and it appears functional.

5. Zanussi
It has 5 place settings and residual heat drying. It is energy efficient and has a built in heating element. It also comes with a flood protection element which is a nice touch.

6. Vesta
Designed this dishwasher for small spaces. In fact it will fit anywhere including your RV yet you can easily get four place settings in it. There are three wash programs and two different temperature settings. And the super quiet operation is a real bonus. Clean up is a breeze with the stainless steel interior and easy to clean trap.

Today there is no reason why you need to suffer from dish pan hands. There are compact dishwashers that will fit your cabin, apartment, trailer, mobile home, or RV counter space with no problem. So are you ready to get convenient?

Dan is a part-time appliances repairman and with his dishwasher website at http://www.alldishwashers.com , he gives reviews of both commercial and residential models and states common problems that he encounters with each one, with solutions! To learn more visit the dishwasher reviews website.