I like to make my chores interesting, even something as boring as washing dishes. I do that by reminiscing about the time when my great grandparents’ cows would come home. My great grandmother Cookie was a dairy farmer’s wife.
She was famous for keeping her hands soft even as she cleaned so many dishes and raised four kids. What made it even more interesting was that she fed the farmhands in her kitchen. According to my mum, Cookie’s secret lay in scrubbing with butter and sugar. Going by the softness of her hands, she must have been swimming in these ingredients.
As much as my hands do half the labor Cookie was exposed to, they are definitely more chapped. If it isn’t because of the hot water I shower with, it’s the bike rides. The harsh sanitizers and the constant hand washing make matters worse. This means my hands will need a little more TLC this season. Fortunately, I have discovered a process that makes washing dishes feel like a much-needed spa day.
- A homemade hand scrub
Just like Grandma Cookie I create a hand scrub from items that are available in the home. This could include; coconut oil, last bits of butter, or olive oil for moisturizing; a substantial amount of salt, cornmeal, sugar, or breadcrumbs to act as an exfoliant. Before I wear gloves and begin washing dishes, I rinse and apply moisturizer. The heat from my hands and the water allows my skin to take in the moisture as I wash the dishes.
Whenever I have loads of work waiting to for me, I ensure the paraffin bath is plugged in. It is an impulse purchase that I still use luckily. I feel pampered when I put my hands in warm melted wax before wearing gloves.
When I want to take things a step further, I use a drop of eucalyptus or peppermint oil in my hot dishwater. It vaporizes the sinus-clearing scents that turn dishwashing into a spa treatment. I turn up the music and I don’t tolerate interruptions until everything is clean, dry, and put away.
Before I discovered the magic of supple, softened skin, and the cool air that came after removing them after steaming, I hated dish gloves. I hate how they get sticky on the inside because of moisture or wax. But once turned to the other side, rinsed and dried, they become as good as new. As much as the chores are repetitive, I have no worries since I will have hands like that of Cookie even as we get into winter.
