Eat up, clean up, drink up

This week’s idea crossed my mind when I least expected it. I was scrolling down on items on my Facebook news feed when I came across three coffee mugs each with one of the three statements in the headline.

Dear reader, this is a procedure that I have learnt that not many people understand, appreciate or apply. You may agree with me that many people who, judging by the number of years they have spent on this planet, are supposed to know the simple etiquette of cleaning the table and arranging the utensils in a particular order.

In some homes, the etiquette may extend to cleaning the utensils that one has used.

I have at times felt ashamed on behalf of citizens who do not know the importance of leaving a place as sparkling as they found it.

The arrangement of the coffee mugs made me smile. Eat up, clean up, drink up.

What a wonderful world it will be if all of us would clean up before washing down the meal. Using the water or whatever drink we take after a meal as a prize for being a good citizen would, in my humble opinion, ensure cleaner tables and catering areas all over Malawi.

The tendency is worse in situations where people are having their meals in areas which are ordinarily used as dining areas. In such cases it is important that crumbs be cleaned up as soon as possible.

I am talking about desks where due to lack of dining facilities or pressure of work people are forced to use the same desk for serving meals. Pieces of food or drops of liquids must be removed promptly to avoid soiling documents which may find their way to the desk after the lunch hour break.

To avoid forgetting this, follow the steps adopted by the coffee mugs that I saw on Facebook. Eat up, clean up, drink up.

It is my belief that it does not require magic to learn the art of leaving a table or utensils clean after using them.

Wishing you, my dear reader, a week full of cleanliness. Remember, if you want it perfectly done, do it yourself. n