I hope you all enjoyed a beautiful Easter weekend! Ours was kept very simple and this year we didn't even have a formal Easter lunch or dinner. I missed seeing family but it was nice to do something different this year, just us two (I guess I should be saying just us three now). ;)
It's been a few weeks since I posted a Manners Monday post and like nearly all of the posts I write, today's post was also inspired by a personal experience. Last night after a late church service we were famished and decided to head out to any sit-down restaurant that was open at that time. Thankfully living close to an airport, that area always has restaurants open later. Upon finishing up our own meal, Paul and I were shocked by the mess left by the table of four sitting beside us. It was a table with two adults, a 10-year old and an 8-year old. There were paper wrappers from straws left on the ground, napkins under the table, on the seat and food as well as other paper wrappers from sugar packets, etc., all over the place. I would have been ashamed of myself if I was that family, they left the table looking like a pigsty.
Today's post is a reminder about the importance of cleaning up after one's self and any kiddos you may have with you. I sometimes hesitate to write certain posts because I don't want to insult my readers. However, when I see certain behavior continually taking place in society, I feel compelled to write such posts because there are clearly many folks who aren't aware that what they are doing is not acceptable behavior.
10 Ways to Clean up After Yourself
1. Tuck in your Chair-When dining anywhere whether it be someone else's home, your own home, a restaurant or fast food location, always tuck in your chair when you leave. Tuck in the chairs of anyone at the table that hasn't done so (I find myself doing this the odd time for hubby). Servers can easily trip over the chair leg and people can get a bag or sweater snagged on a chair back. It just helps create more space and keep a tidy area AND it's the way you found it upon sitting down.
2. Bathroom Paper Towels-Many times in public restrooms there will be the option for paper towels along with hand dryers but I find many just toss the paper towels on the floor, especially if they are handling the door on the way out and there is not a trash can nearby. If this is the case, hold onto the paper towel and toss it into the nearest garbage bin upon exiting. Sometimes if I'm in a washroom and it's relatively clean minus a few random wads of paper towel on the floor, I'll take a clean one to pick them up and toss them. It takes but a few moments to make a cleaner space for everyone.
3. Disposal of Chewing Gum-Many of us endured finding blobs of hard gum under our desk in school or having the unfortunate experience of stepping in hot, melted bubble gum in the summer sun. It's no fun. I see people wad up gum and toss it on the street, sidewalk and other areas all the time. The simple solution is to place it in a tissue and put it in the trash or use the wrapper of a new piece of gum you're going to chew (if it came in one). In a pinch, if I don't have a tissue, receipt or any paper and my gum foil package is near the end, I'll put it into the package until I'm near a trash bin. More on chewing gum etiquette {here}.
4. Clean up After Pets- Your pet is an extension of you. We discussed this topic in detail already here during a previous Manners Monday post on pets. Just a quick reminder that if you have a dog, not only should you have it leashed while going for a walk and carry a plastic bag to pick up any waste that it creates, equally important is to clean up the waste left in your backyard. I have a next-door-neighbor with three dogs that they do not walk. They simply allow the dogs to do their business in the backyard and I'm yet so see them clean it up although I don't see it lying around everywhere per se. All it takes is the first wave of hot weather to remind me it's there and it's not pleasant when we open up all of our windows. Not only is it the polite thing to do but it's one of the jobs that comes with choosing to be responsible for owning a pet.
5. Take Everything You Came With- About a year ago hubby and I had some free passes for Epcot so we decided to spend the day there. While on the monorail, a couple took their belongings and left a bag filled with garbage sitting on the seat. Whatever you choose to bring with you, pick up along the way or purchase, becomes yours. If you no longer want something, it is also your responsibility to take that item with you and dispose of it properly. I also see this happen a lot on subways, airplanes and particularly in church. Bulletins, candy wrappers and all kinds of things are left for the staff to clean up afterwards-completely unnecessary. I cringe when I see people picnic in a park or spend a day at the beach and leave their trash behind to end up in the ocean. It's comes down to laziness and disrespect.
6. Don't be a Slob in a Hotel- Since housekeepers come in just hours after a hotel room has been vacated, many think they can treat their room in a way that they never would at home. They throw trash on the floor instead of placing it in the waste bin, toilet paper gets left on the floor instead of making it into the toilet itself, tissues are left all over the counter along with soap wrappers, etc. Yes you are paying for a room which includes cleaning but the amount of effort it takes to put things where they truly belong is minimal and it shows respect for not only the hotel and housekeeping but for yourself as well. The same holds true for cruise cabins or any other accommodations you'll be staying in. Treat others as you would wish to be treated. If you were the one cleaning the room, how would you hope to find it?
7. Clean Up After Your Kids-Like pets, children of course are always an extension of you. We first discussed raising polite children {here}, which include tips on cleaning up. Sometimes I'll be shopping in a store and see a child spill soda or eat a snack the parent has brought along and pieces are falling out of the cart all over the floor. What's sad is when I see the parent recognize it and keep moving like it never happened. If a child pulls clothing off a store rack, removes items that they shouldn't be touching, it is the parent's responsibility to put the items back where they belong. The same is true in a restaurant where a quick tidy up before leaving is a must. Where I find this to be even more concerning is in the home of a family member of friend. I've watched kids track dirt into someone's home on a muddy day, leave their toys strewn all over a room while 'visiting' and even spill drinks or color where they shouldn't be coloring. It's so important to be respectful and value the property of others when in their home.
8. Properly Disposing of Cigarette Butts- One way to quickly make a beautiful place less attractive is to fill it with discarded, stepped on cigarette butts. Throwing lit cigarettes out the window of stepping on one outside of a storefront is not only unattractive but it litters our earth with trash. I would highly doubt that the person who does this also acts the same way at home. I find it particularly irritating to see stepped-on butts at the end of our driveway from those who walk by via the sidewalk. They are not different than any other kind of trash. If you smoke and must step on the lit part of the cigarette butt, be sure to dispose of it into a trash bin or the cigarette disposals filled with sand outside of an establishment. More on smoking etiquette {here}.
9. Recycle any Recyclables- As someone who has recycled as a young child, it pains me to think of tossing a glass bottle into a garbage bin because where I'm visiting doesn't have a recycling bin. I'll typically take home a glass or plastic bottle if there isn't one nearby. Our city provides us with a large rolling cart so it would be irresponsible to toss it and requires pretty little effort on my part. If we all chose to take home that one bottle or container and recycle it the way it was meant to be, our planet would be a much cleaner place and it's truly the proper way to clean up after yourself and it teaches children at an early age what goes where.
10. Dining as a Guest in Someone's Home- While many hosts will sometimes insist that you should sit because you are the guest. Try to be mindful of what it takes for a host to prepare their home and meal for you to be their guest. Offer to clean up when everyone is finished eating by clearing plates, silverware and discarding napkins, etc. It's a small gesture but every little bit helps your host out. Always offer to help with the dishes or tidying up wine glasses in a sitting room, etc. The host will have a lot to do after the event has ended and will be most grateful for anything that contributes to the clean up. It's also a sure way to get invited back as a guest in the future.
Remember, it's always best to leave an area that you've visited cleaner or at least as clean as you found it. You never know when you'll be the next person in line and besides it's the classy thing to do.
Do you have any you'd like to add to today's list? Is there one thing you see happen over and over that you wish others would be more mindful of? Leave a comment and share your thoughts! :)
Thanks for Reading!
XO
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