Charles and Alice, a couple who reunited later in life, are locked in a domestic dispute over kitchen hygiene. Charles finds Alice's old, soggy dishcloths and sponges repulsive, imagining them teeming with bacteria. He would rather toss them after a single use.
Alice, however, argues that Charles's ashtrays are far worse, and that her cleaning tools are not as foul as he claims. The couple turns to readers for a verdict: who is causing the bigger mess?
“Whenever I see Alice’s cloths, I imagine all the bacteria that must be crawling over them,” Charles says.
“Charles would prefer to throw all dishcloths away immediately after using them,” Alice counters.
The debate highlights a common household tension: when does frugality become unsanitary? You decide whose standards are reasonable.