You be the judge: Should my boyfriend stop leaving the sponge in the kitchen sink?
The accusation: Marie
Thierry should put the towel aside. Letting it get wet and smelly is disgusting
I have lived with my boyfriend, Thierry, for four years. A year after living together, we had a discussion about our housework pet peeves and the things we should try to change. But he still refuses to answer one of my biggest annoyances.
He always leaves the sponge in the sink instead of the counter, where it can to dry. He doesn't think it's a big deal, but I find it both annoying and disgusting. This sponge sits around all day soaking up dirty water, food bits and grime, and gets wet and smelly.
Thierry says he forgets to move her, but I asked her several times. The task falls to me constantly. I take pictures of him from time to time, just to irritate him when he denies leaving it in the sink. I say, "See, I was right." Of course he doesn't like it.
When I first brought up the sponge problem three years ago, Thierry agreed with me that leaving it in the sink was unpleasant. But since then, it's been a recurring appointment. Obviously, it's hard to change habits overnight, but it's been four years since we moved in together, so Thierry needs to be more aware of his habit.
I also feel if I changed most of my behaviors that he found annoying. I used to leave crumbs on the kitchen counter and worked on it. But I don't think Thierry made a lot of effort. The sponge is still in the sink, getting dirty with germs and food bacteria.
And it stayed there, getting wetter and wetter, until I noticed it. I tell him that and it's just, "Well, it's a sponge." But that's not the point.
We have this competitive way of arguing, and sometimes when it comes to housework, the towel is thrown in. The sponge has become a weapon. Since moving in together, I've learned to adapt to life with another human being, and Thierry too. But I really wish he would try harder with the sponge, because it always pisses me off.
Defence: ThierryWe live in an orderly and sanitized world. A dirty sponge will help us boost our immune system
So yes, I usually leave the sponge in the sink rather than on the side of the counter wood after I was in the kitchen. Guilty as charged.
Mary thinks the sponge is best left on the counter, but the water seeps into the wood and washes the varnish and it fades. It's not an excuse, it's a fact: a wet sponge ruins the wood.
But I never left the sponge in the sink on purpose . It's a lack of concentration or, when I think of putting the sponge aside, it falls back into the sink. I'm sure there were also times when Mary left the sponge in the sink and I was blamed for it. But I guess I can't prove it.
A few months ago I actually bought a soap dish for the sponge so she had a place - and to appease Mary. She didn't mention that in her account of the argument, did she? But it was my idea. It should also be noted that Mary doesn't really clean with the sponge like I do. I use it to wipe down the sink when I'm done cooking or doing the dishes. I will leave the sponge disinfected and clean. But sometimes I forget to squeeze it and move it, and so it stays wet in the sink.
So what? It's a sponge. We live in an overly sanitized world. There is a lot to be said for building our immune system after Covid-19. A dirty sponge will help us all. And what difference does it make if it goes on a dish or stays in the sink?
The sponge is also emblematic of our relationship. Mary took pictures of the sponge in the sink and sent them to me in the past, which I found a bit passive-aggressive.
I know the sponge thing bothers her, but for me it's not a problem. Honestly in the last year I've probably left it in the sink maybe three times.
I understand that in relationships some things that don't are not very important to you could be to your partner. I tried to be more aware of the sponge. But I don't think Mary needs to get upset about it, I'm not doing it on purpose. Overall I'm tidy - and a dream to live.
Should Thierry stop leaving the...
Thierry should put the towel aside. Letting it get wet and smelly is disgusting
I have lived with my boyfriend, Thierry, for four years. A year after living together, we had a discussion about our housework pet peeves and the things we should try to change. But he still refuses to answer one of my biggest annoyances.
He always leaves the sponge in the sink instead of the counter, where it can to dry. He doesn't think it's a big deal, but I find it both annoying and disgusting. This sponge sits around all day soaking up dirty water, food bits and grime, and gets wet and smelly.
Thierry says he forgets to move her, but I asked her several times. The task falls to me constantly. I take pictures of him from time to time, just to irritate him when he denies leaving it in the sink. I say, "See, I was right." Of course he doesn't like it.
When I first brought up the sponge problem three years ago, Thierry agreed with me that leaving it in the sink was unpleasant. But since then, it's been a recurring appointment. Obviously, it's hard to change habits overnight, but it's been four years since we moved in together, so Thierry needs to be more aware of his habit.
I also feel if I changed most of my behaviors that he found annoying. I used to leave crumbs on the kitchen counter and worked on it. But I don't think Thierry made a lot of effort. The sponge is still in the sink, getting dirty with germs and food bacteria.
And it stayed there, getting wetter and wetter, until I noticed it. I tell him that and it's just, "Well, it's a sponge." But that's not the point.
We have this competitive way of arguing, and sometimes when it comes to housework, the towel is thrown in. The sponge has become a weapon. Since moving in together, I've learned to adapt to life with another human being, and Thierry too. But I really wish he would try harder with the sponge, because it always pisses me off.
Defence: ThierryWe live in an orderly and sanitized world. A dirty sponge will help us boost our immune system
So yes, I usually leave the sponge in the sink rather than on the side of the counter wood after I was in the kitchen. Guilty as charged.
Mary thinks the sponge is best left on the counter, but the water seeps into the wood and washes the varnish and it fades. It's not an excuse, it's a fact: a wet sponge ruins the wood.
But I never left the sponge in the sink on purpose . It's a lack of concentration or, when I think of putting the sponge aside, it falls back into the sink. I'm sure there were also times when Mary left the sponge in the sink and I was blamed for it. But I guess I can't prove it.
A few months ago I actually bought a soap dish for the sponge so she had a place - and to appease Mary. She didn't mention that in her account of the argument, did she? But it was my idea. It should also be noted that Mary doesn't really clean with the sponge like I do. I use it to wipe down the sink when I'm done cooking or doing the dishes. I will leave the sponge disinfected and clean. But sometimes I forget to squeeze it and move it, and so it stays wet in the sink.
So what? It's a sponge. We live in an overly sanitized world. There is a lot to be said for building our immune system after Covid-19. A dirty sponge will help us all. And what difference does it make if it goes on a dish or stays in the sink?
The sponge is also emblematic of our relationship. Mary took pictures of the sponge in the sink and sent them to me in the past, which I found a bit passive-aggressive.
I know the sponge thing bothers her, but for me it's not a problem. Honestly in the last year I've probably left it in the sink maybe three times.
I understand that in relationships some things that don't are not very important to you could be to your partner. I tried to be more aware of the sponge. But I don't think Mary needs to get upset about it, I'm not doing it on purpose. Overall I'm tidy - and a dream to live.
Should Thierry stop leaving the...
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