My apartment doesn’t have a dishwasher. The last place I lived had one, and, of course, I always had one growing up. Between taking this luxury for granted and my jaded attitude toward the nonproductive antics of my last dishwasher, it didn’t even occur to me to look for apartments with dishwashers. I was more concerned with location, square footage, closet space, rent and a useable oven.

After moving in, it didn’t take me long to realize that my new apartment didn’t have this measure of convenience, but it didn’t bother me in the least, truth be told.

A single guy, living by himself, does not generate that many dishes and given a sponge, a bottle of overpriced, concentrated, eco-friendly, biodegradable dish soap, a dish-drying rack and drying towel, can conquer even the most tenacious breakfast dishes.

On the other hand, I tend to soil quite a few dishes. I own almost all kitchen devices imaginable; glassware for any possible beverage and dishes to match. Along with an extensive cutlery and silverware collection and a propensity for excessive baking and cooking, it is possible that in a given day, I may completely fill my sink with soiled dishes.

There are two tricks to keep this under control — aside from being “gifted” with a fastidiously organized natural disposition. The first is to do dishes as often as they are made. The second is to embrace hot soapy water and the sink as a refuge of relaxation. A chore is only a chore if you don’t like doing it.

I love doing dishes. There are certainly times when I let them pile up a bit and, after entertaining guests, will sometimes go to bed without cleaning up. But otherwise, I keep a pristine kitchen.Sometimes, I’ll put on music, but most of the time, I just allow myself to think.

I’ve written in the past on the merits of iPods for their ability to dissolve the outside world, allowing music fans to move about their daily activities oblivious to their surroundings. However, in your own apartment, you really shouldn’t have to do this. This is the domain where you can relax, let your guard down, and unwind.

The repetitive, mindless activity of dishes allows the perfect opportunity to go over thoughts by yourself. In fact, this is why I like cooking. These are opportunities to take, especially for those with chaotically busy days of school, work and socializing.

You can balance your mental checkbook, plan your week, organize your thoughts, dwell on issues of angst, daydream about your crush, or brood on your dislike of the neighbor who parties too loudly. The point is to take the time to be with yourself. Doing dishes is essentially a productive bubble bath that doesn’t clean you and requires much less drying off afterward.

For those people lucky enough to have a machine to wash their dishes, I recommend finding ways to revert back into a thinking pattern. Give the dishwasher a night off once in a while, or think while folding laundry.

Of course, a bath is always a perfect time for thought and reflection, but nothing gets done in a bath. I don’t even think you could find much scientific evidence that baths are that hygienic. For the sake of efficiency, it is ideal to use chores or mundane activities as a background activity to the new, pensive you.

The daring may even choose to take time to think in public by putting away their iPods and cell phones, though this is a bold move.

Whether sitting in an aromatherapy-bubble bath, washing dishes, or sitting at a bus stop sans musical diversion or text messages, take some time to be one with your thoughts. It’s refreshing and peacefully different from the rest of the day.

Reach columnist Matt Jackson at opinion@dailyuw.com.