Icebox Issues

I hate cleaning my fridge!  There, I wrote it for all to see and therefore confessing my deepest domestic engineering secret. My fridge is a hot mess and on my “To Do” list for today.  Instead of tackling it right now, I have decided to write about how much I hate doing it. 

For those who know me personally, it is apparent that I enjoy cleaning. This is what makes my detestation of refrigerator organization even more baffling.  I would like to say that I get my adoration of neat and tidy from my mother.  Growing up we were always taught to clean up after ourselves and help around the house.  Daily chores included wiping down bathrooms (my personal favorite) and drying the dishes after dinner (my sister’s least favorite).  To my sister’s defense though, I personally did not love drying the dishes either.  I think we both wanted to be the “washers”, but my mother NEVER relinquished this role.  When washing the dishes, you get to play in warm soapy water.  Drying the dishes involves holding a cold, wet rag. My mother knew where the fun was at!

I equate it to the modern version of loading and unloading the dishwasher.  No one groans when I say, “Please load the dishwasher.”  But when I make the similar request to unload, I am greeted with grumblings about how much they hate to do this.  I am not sure of the difference here, but clearly there is one. If you know, could you please enlighten me?

So today I am faced with the dreaded chore of taking everything out of the fridge, wiping it down and organizing it.  It is just so overwhelming to me.  Maybe it is the decision making that is involved with cleaning out. Do I want this? Is it still fresh?  Will my husband eat it for lunch?  Is it good enough to pass off to the dog?

Or could it be being faced with the fact that I need to throw out items?  Maybe it will be the angst of realizing that I have wasted money by not consuming the rest of the cheese I purchased from the speciality cheese shop for the virtual wine tasting last month? (Which was AMAZING by the way!)

Or perhaps it is that I am unable to see the fruits of my labor. When I mop the floor, I can step back and look at the glistening white tile with a sense of accomplishment.  When I look at my icebox, all I see is doors.  If I open them up to admire my work, my husband will be right behind me telling me to shut the doors because I am wasting electricity.

Whatever the reason may be, I just do not want to do it. But, unfortunately in life, we all have to do things that we do not want to do.  For me, today, it is undertaking the task emptying the refrigerator and magically applying the skills required for food storage and organization. 

Right after I take my online fitness class…

What one household job do you detest doing? How do you psyche yourself up to complete it?  Why do people like loading the dishwasher better than unloading? Does your husband follow you around turning off lights in order to save money too?