I don't just mean clearing the table...but to me it seems like you should enjoy visiting with your company instead of worrying about getting your dishes done.
2007-09-04 12:31:52 · 24 answers · asked by keri gee 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
If offers to help are refused, it seems rude to me.
2007-09-04 12:48:10 · update #1
Yes, I do! OK to pile it all on a tray and take it through for later the next morning, but no way would I demonstrate to them what a mess they made!
What if they started telling me the water should be hotter, or I didn't cook the meat enough? Same thing! I think it's good to leave the table for the comfortable chairs and chat, too.
2007-09-04 12:56:22 · answer #1 · answered by WomanWhoReads 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think the table should be cleared and any perishable leftovers can be put away. The rest should wait until the company leaves. Chances are, they won't stay around long after the dinner is over. If the company does stay till it't very late, then the dishes could wait until first thing in the morning. If there are older children in the house that are not participating in the company, perhaps they could do the dishes while the adults visit with each other.
2007-09-04 12:40:22 · answer #2 · answered by poppywest1223 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is probably rude. But I have compulsive disorder which means I cannot sit down until I have whatever I KNOW needs to be done or taken care of.
I will keep dreading putting it off and waiting around even though I know it is the polite thing to do.
Additionally, I have found over the years that people do not mind coming to your house and letting you do all the cooking and then not even offer to help clean up the dishes. I think that is rude also. I have never gone to someone's house and not offered to help in the kitchen. I dont think anyone wants the kind of company who is so inconsiderate as to just get up and leave the mess for one person to do.
.
Recently what I try to do is just do a quick scrape of the dishes and put them by the sink and then enjoy my company but like I said it is hard for me to do.
Best of luck to you.
2007-09-04 12:41:48 · answer #3 · answered by Patti Z 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
With family and close friends it depends on the occassion, and whether we feel like it or not. There have been many times that the guests have taken over the cleaning duties and made the hostess 'sit & supervise'. Much of the time is spent in the kitchen/dining area, and we need to make some room anyway, so we just have fun, and get the clean-up out of the way while visiting.
Just look out some of the other times when the dirty dishes can get piled dangerously high. That's when we go sit in the living room. (lol)
2007-09-04 12:51:12 · answer #4 · answered by sandyblondegirl 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think they offered just to be polite. It's best that the dishes be left in the sink (roughly wet them to avoid ants) while you return to your guest to enjoy coffee/tea with them. Cleaning dishes is not a priority when you have guests. You can clean after they leave. I do not subscribe to the policy of getting guests to help clean the dishes or me cleaning them while guests are around. The table should be cleared and cleaned, but dishes should be left for cleaning later.
2007-09-05 05:03:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yep, it's rude. You have plenty of time to do the dishes and clean up after they leave. They are there to visit, not watch you clean. Guests only stay for a short time, you have all the time in the world to do the dishes :-)
2007-09-04 12:40:58 · answer #6 · answered by Angelbunny17 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends upon the level of familiarity involved. If the guests are casual friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc., then yes, it is rude. If the guests are family members, very close friends and such, then it's acceptable.
My family has a close family friend that does her dishes immediately after a meal. She won't allow anyone to help her, but she will ask you to pull up a chair and converse with her. No one in my family considers her rude because she's like a family member. That she's comfortable including us with such a casual activity speaks of trust.
2007-09-04 12:55:08 · answer #7 · answered by Avie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Friends are different than company. With friends I would clear the table for dessert but not clean the kitchen. For company I would serve dessert elsewhere and clear the table after.
2007-09-04 12:39:58 · answer #8 · answered by plyjanney 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to think it was just being efficient and staying ahead of the power curve of dirty dishes, coffee cups, etc. But I've come to understand that people do consider it rude. And I've come to appreciate that the dishes will wait, but precious time with friends and loved ones is fleeting.
2007-09-04 14:42:03 · answer #9 · answered by buddhamonkeyboy 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It wasn't rude the way I was raised, it was normal. The women all head into the kitchen to help out the hostess. The dishes got done faster and was a polite thing to do to help out. The men all talked in the living room, then we'd join them just as fast as the dishes were done. (Plus the women would get their women-talk done in the kitchen while washing and drying and putting away!) To me it's just tradition and nobody ever complained.
2007-09-04 12:41:07 · answer #10 · answered by chefgrille 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋