The lockdown gave us a much-needed reminder of how hard and exhausting it is to do household chores like cleaning, sweeping, etc. While it should ideally be a joint family responsibility to complete the tasks, more often than not, the burden lands on our moms. But one woman decided to come up with a creative experiment in order to be heard, respected, and not being taken for granted.
Recently, a Twitter user Miss Potkin reached her breaking point while doing household chores. The exhausted mother then decided that enough is enough. She went on a ”cleaning strike’ for 3 days as an experiment to see how her husband responds in such a situation. She documented the entire journey on her Twitter account.
Two days ago, I decided to stop doing the dishes. I make all the dinners and I am tired of having to do all the cleaning too. SINCE THEN this pile has appeared and at some point they are going to run out of spoons and cups and plates.
Who will blink first? Not me. pic.twitter.com/IZkOwP3a6B
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 17, 2021
She started by posting a photo of her kitchen counter which is filled with dinnerware and baby bottles waiting to be washed. She wrote that she would not cave in, and let the chores sit unfinished till someone else decides to clean up.
Day 3 – they’ve used the last of the big bowls and they’ve run out of spoons. No one is saying anything about the big pile but I can hear their brains ticking. No, family, I will not be loading the dishwasher today.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
She enjoyed a small victory of her husband taking the trash out. He also resorted to some unusual means by using their baby’s weaning spoon to make his tea instead of cleaning up the utensils.
Spoke too soon. Irish has resorted to making tea with the baby’s weaning spoon and it using the emergency cup. pic.twitter.com/BMR6kuXLzs
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
She added that she would stop doing the laundry and replacing the toilet paper roll of their bathroom.
There is a pan on the cooker with a single sausage in it. It’s been there for two days. I can’t look at it because it’s turned the colour of the man that washes up in Cast Away.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Her updates are hilarious!
Going for a shower to cleanse my soul.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
*David Attenborough voiceover* Now this is a most fascinating pile, a rare mix of items that historians will struggle to explain in years to come… pic.twitter.com/9QGuXk8hbG
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
SOMEONE JUST FORGOT THAT THERE’S NO TOILET ROLL IN THE DOWNSTAIRS LOO. Omg this is exciting.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
The most harrowing moment came when a pan with a single piece of rotting sausage on it was lying around for 2 days. And her husband didn’t put it away!
The sausage of death. pic.twitter.com/a8DcDulfFT
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
God give me strength. pic.twitter.com/Sp5870VmcV
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
27 seconds of trying to scape that bowl, now multiply that by 6, and then multiply that by 7, then subtract the number of fucks I have left to give.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
In some much-needed progress, the man loaded the dishwasher. She shared a snap of the same.
Guys…
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Q – Do I switch on the dishwasher? It’s killing me. Knowing the dishwasher is full but just sitting there is KILLING ME. pic.twitter.com/2fXovlwpIR
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
for me, the past two days have been funnier than anything else. I think we're all entitled to run our own experiments, be amused, push a situation to its limit if we so choose. No one needs to be lectured by those that have failed to see the silly joy in what's happening here.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
BUT LOOK! Toilet roll has appeared! The downstairs loo is back in action! pic.twitter.com/103UXXUimi
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
We keep our homes tidy because love. We cook food and set tables and fill the air with scents of roses and fresh laundry because love. Love is patient but love is also fucking tired because she works 14 hour days.
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Dinner is happening. I have used two pans and one knife. The last knife. I’ve got 3 more pans and then it’s baking sheets 🙁
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Me: Did you not want to switch the dishwasher on earlier?
Irish: I ran out of time
Me:
Irish:
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Me walking into the kitchen
Him: Don’t step there! There’s mess on the floor! *starts cleaning*
Wait what?
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
Well it’s happened ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2Xzt2DtYhe
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
And here she ended the cleaning strike after 3 days.
WE MADE IT! (I’m not doing that again) pic.twitter.com/3UK3mSD59A
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
While the kitchen was cleaner, but the sink was still filled with utensils and dirty water, and she called it a “swamp sink”. She commented sarcastically that she seems to be the only one who knows how to drain it “pick out all the onions and potatoes.”. She added that the “sausage of death” was no more but the dishwasher wasn’t still turned on.
THAT IS NOT WORSE THAN ‘LIVE LAUGH LOVE’ but yeah, it’s close. I fucking hate myself. 🤮
— Miss Potkin (@MissPotkin) March 18, 2021
We have no choice but to stan this awesome mother! This reminded me of another badass mom who set up a vending machine at home, and asked her kids to earn their treats via household chores.
Would you like to plan a ‘cleaning strike’ of your own at home? Tell us.