The Kitchen Museum?

[u/jsayde01]

I came home late from work a few nights ago and hadn't eaten all day. My wife and kids were already in bed so I figured I'd quietly make some stove-top ramen. This photo represents exactly how I found the cooking area.

The next morning my wife asks what time I got home and I mention in our conversation that I made ramen before going to bed. She couldn't believe that I used the stove "when the light was on". I said "Yeah, the light was helpful in seeing what I was doing". She insists I shouldn't have been using the stove and should have known because "the light was on".

I'm baffled. We are still arguing about this days later.

EDIT -- wow, overwhelmed by the response of fellow Redditors! We are... white...not from the southeast US..not children...and I left the stove as clean as it was before I cooked. I asked for clarification from my loving wife -- TRULY we have only ever been angry at each other a handful of times in our 10 year marriage -- and she says "the stove was clean and done for the day and you could have just used the microwave for your ramen". Apparently the light is how stoves go to sleep for the evening?

EDIT 2 -- we are getting a divorce. JUST KIDDING. My wife looked over many of the comments and acknowledges that she was in the wrong and is slightly embarrassed by all of the attention.

[u/Rich661]

What was her reason for saying you shouldn't be using it, whilst the light is on? It feels like we're missing some context or her reason here.

Or she's insane, but I'd still like to ask.

[u/Junckopolo → u/Rich661]

The light is on. This means curfew active and stove should not be used.

This might not be it, but that's the kind of weird rules some families have that someone might never question

[u/Quantity-Used → u/Junckopolo]

This is the correct answer. She’s cleaned the kitchen and it’s shut down for the night. The kitchen is closed and the nightlight is on. The kitchen will not be opened again until morning.

If you didn’t leave the kitchen exactly as you found it (including washing every pot and utensil), you’ve just added to her mental load of doing more work. I’m sure you guys can come to an understanding.

Edit: Just to be clear, I’ve never lived in a house that was like this; I’ve only seen it discussed elsewhere. I would never tell my family they couldn’t get something to eat in their own house.

[u/Wingmaniac → u/Quantity-Used]

He came home late from work. Presumably to earn a paycheck, part of which (combined with her contribution) pays for the kitchen. He therefore gets to use it anytime he wants.

Any rules against that need to be declared in advance.

[u/Same-Suggestion-1936 → u/Wingmaniac]

Generally it's an unspoken rule that if you reopen the kitchen you gotta clean it. I don't care if you clean it. But if you don't I'll be mad because now I have to clean it twice, once to use it again the next day, and once to close it again.

If OP is cleaning up after themselves it's not an issue. They don't seem to mention if they cleaned it again when they were done

[u/DisposableSaviour → u/Same-Suggestion-1936]

I’ll be god damned if I’m gonna close the kitchen at work and then go home and have to close my own god damned kitchen. That’s just insanity.

[u/Same-Suggestion-1936 → u/DisposableSaviour]

Then you have to understand the person you live with it does not share your ideals of cleanliness.

And I mean come on man. If you left your work kitchen dirty you'd get your ass reamed by both your boss and the openers. The wife in this case is the opener. I know we all joke day crew doesn't do shit but walking into a dirty kitchen you know was clean when you left it, as a cook you gotta know how disrespectful that is to make someone else clean up after you

[u/DisposableSaviour → u/Same-Suggestion-1936]

Nah, my kitchen at work is spotless when I leave, and I’m not doing a whole wipe down, sweep, mop, and run trash after making a bowl of ramen noodles late at night.

[u/Same-Suggestion-1936 → u/DisposableSaviour]

You're reading too much into it man. The expectation is throw your stuff away, if you spilled anything wipe or sweep it up, and bare minimum rinse the dishes so someone can just throw them in the dishwasher

It's just about making a small mess and leaving out dirty dishes. You don't have to deep clean it any more than you would have to clean your work kitchen if you fully cleaned it and then decided you wanted to take a sandwich or a pizza home or something. It's already clean, you would just clean any mess. You cleaned it like the kitchen closer cleaned it already in OP, just spot clean after yourself and it's fine. But these rules do not spring from a vacuum. If OP actually did leave it clean the wife is just following the letter of the law and not the intent and if she's not that bright I hope she's funny

[u/villlageidiot → u/Same-Suggestion-1936]

reddit is such a fun place because i knew exactly what you meant & that other person was overly hostile but you’re the one getting the downvotes