Some people can’t stand even just one dirty spoon in their sink. Other people don’t even notice if their sink is overflowing with dirty dishes. Some people are in the middle.
What about you, where do you fall on the spectrum? Would you ever leave dirty dishes in your sink overnight? If so, would it bother you a lot? A little bit? Tell us in the poll below and, of course, feel free to leave a comment.



Actually my habit is to let the dog clean them first and then leave them in the dishpan for morning washing….
Our dog is a picky eater so he would undoubtedly leave something for me to clean up. Since DW is the cook I’m the dishwasher, sounds fair to me.
We did that too with dog #2. We made the irreversible error of giving him people-food on occasion, creating a dog who begged every meal, for all the meal. The solitary upside was he typically removed every bit of food from every plate or bowl we presented to him, ditto for pots and pans. This did eliminate any food going into the gray tank or becoming lodged somewhere between the kitchen sink and the gray tank. 🙂
I hate doing dishes so I have an apartment style roll around dishwasher in my RV. I wait until I have a full load, that way the dishwasher uses less water than I would doing it manually (I Boondock 99.9% of the time).
I let my dishes soak overnight in the sink. They are much easier to wash the next morning.
Heard that lame excuse before. Didn’t work for me.
That’s just laziness, pure and simple! Don’t tell me it’ll save water by doing more washing of dirty dishes later on. Lazy, just lazy. Yeah, I’m one of the 41% who answered, “it bothers me a lot”.
NO WAY! Can’t stand to see dishes in the sink, or next to the sink. Not in our RV – Not in our stix & brix. Can’t stand clutter – anywhere. As mom used to say, “Don’t put it down, put it away”.
I’m really not OCD – really.
Yup. Not even a coffee cup…..
As long as they don’t stick above the sink, I’m OK with it.
On a related note, my step-dad, when travelling alone, would stick his dirty dish and silverware in the freezer. He could go a whole week without washing up, using only one dish!
Did anyone read the child’s book called The Man Who Didn’t wash his dishes? It used to not bother me. But as I’ve gotten older it bothers me a lot. The stench, the attraction to insects, the emotional aspect of laying eyes on a sink full if dishes just needing to be washed.
I have done both laundry and dishes by hand. I know that one is a lot easier than the other. When we inherited the house from my wonderful FIL, we had the dishwasher taken out and in it’s stead, we installed a European style all-in-one washer dryer combo.
Dishes get rinsed and put into the RV dishwasher until there’s a full load.
Yes it bothers me a lot and my wife even more. Just pure laziness not to clean up dishes!!!
Keeping the dishes washed greatly helps to mitigate insects, pests, and rodents.
I prefer to leave dishes – soaking – overnight. If especially dirty, I add a drop of dish soap to the water. It is then much easier to remove stuck on food. The exceptions: cast iron cookware, early morning pullout, company coming.
Yes, I grew up where there were cockroaches in multitudes if any dishes were left out. So it is ingrained in my daily routine never leave dirty dishes.
Since retirement, I took over cooking and washing dishes for wife. I clean pots and pans as I go. Wash all else soon once dinner is done, while wife takes her evening walk.
Dirty dishes and silverware left overnight bothers me a lot. (I’m an anal-retentive, first-born child.) Most nights I am the last one to bed. I usually rinse any/all dishes and silverware in the sink of our sticks-and-bricks and put them in the dishwasher. If I am not overly tired, then I’ll also wash any that we deem unfit for the dishwasher (because it will damage or discolor whatever it is) and leave them to dry overnight on dish cloths. If we are traveling in the RV, then the dirty dishes and silverware go into the sink until a critical mass is accumulated, then all get washed, dried, and put away. Until then all languish in the sink beneath the sink covers and out of sight. 😉
Thank you for approving this, Diane! You had to do it twice because I tried “cleaning” it up by adding “-retentive” after the offending word. 🙂
No problem. I hadn’t noticed it in the Spam folder earlier (was out running a couple of errands before things get crazy[er] this afternoon🙃). Sorry for the delay. Have a good afternoon/evening, Neal. 😀 –Diane
Thank you, Diane! 🙂 Good night, Diane. 🙂
Ha! A “good night” is a loooonnnnng ways away at this point, Neal. But I’m having a great day in the meantime. Thanks! 😀 –Diane
Absolutely bothers me. Its like when our RV is washed and waxed, same with toad. It is so much nicer to use and seems to operate better. Same with not leaving dirty dishes overnight. So much nicer when we get up.
Me no, wife yes. At the campground, we let them go until we run out of some type of dish, pot or flatware and then we do the dishes. This way we can live on our tanks for over two weeks. Even if the Campground has water, we don’t hook up to it as we still would have to move before the two weeks to empty the tanks. At home, different story, dishes go in the dishwasher by bedtime.
It bothers me a lot more in the RV than it ever did in our houses. I think that because there is no way to avoid seeing them and it seems to me that the RV seems smaller when stuff is left in the sink and on the counters. So yes I will wash, dry, and put them away. Our new to us RV has a dish washer so I can stuff them in there and get them out of site.
It bothers me unless there is a need to soak some stuck on stuff for easier cleaning in the morning.
Yes…it bothers me and we rarely leave anything in the sink overnight or otherwise. However, I’ve learned, the world doesn’t stop turning if you do. Likewise with making the bed!
We try to keep the RV tidy and both small and large wildlife out of our RV, whether they crawl in though the cracks or crevices or would rip the door off to gain a meal. Leaving food out or soiled dishes laying around is just not how we live on the road or in the campground.
If something as minor as dirty dishes bothers you, you may have bigger issues to deal with.
It doesn’t bother me, but we do the dishes as we go in 99+% of the time. Funny how people will call others names if they don’t do as they think things should be done. I guess it my way or the highway for them. Come on people get in line.
It is kinda funny because it doesn’t bother me when we’re at our home base (stick-n-bricks) but drives me bonkers in the RV.
It bothers me so much that I just stay out of the kitchen, just how my wife likes it.
How considerate of you, Kelly.😉🤣 Have a good night. 😀 –Diane
Yep, I’m just that kind of guy. Inside the house is hers and the outside is mine …as long as I keep up the outside the way she wants. (I still haven’t figured out why I have to change light bulbs and vacuum inside? I think something happened when women started wearing pants. Still trying to figure it all out.)
Yeah, good luck with that, Kelly.🤣 Take care. 😀 –Diane
I for one see your humor. I hope others do the same.
I’m never growing up grumpy… (:+) ……………………
Hi, Mr. Joyce. (It’s confusing when you’re apparently using your late wife’s name on your comments. Especially when you say something like, “Back when Joyce was alive…”.) Kelly has a great sense of humor. He’s one of our sharpest commenters, which is saying a lot because he’s about a gazillion years old (even older than me!).🤣 But he’s my buddy, and he’s not grumpy, so I don’t think he’ll get too upset with me for saying that. Y’all have a good night.🤗 –Diane
Gazillion?? I happened to be talking with Methuselah just the other day and he asked about you. I told him that come to think of it, that I hadn’t seen Diane since about the Ice Age. He said to say, Hi!, next time I ran across you. (Ok, so Eve came a DAY after Adam. I’ll give you That much.)
🤣🤣🤣 Ya know, Kelly. That made me think of something. Maybe that’s why I love petrified wood so much. It reminds me of the good ol’ days, when I was a kid.🤣 Actually, my dad and grandpa were rockhounds, so it’s in my blood. And, yeah, I’m old enough that I sometimes think my blood is petrified. (Can you tell I’m getting tired and silly?🙄) Tell ol’ Meth (that’s my nickname for him, from back when it was still politically correct to use that term) “Hi” for me. I’m not much younger than you. Good thing we learned how to count really high way back when, huh, Kelly? Have a good night.🤗 –Diane
Meth, huh? Yeah, I couldn’t spell Methuselah either until I looked it up. (just kidding – I know it is your craft.) Getting tired too. I thot the days were supposed to be getting longer.
I would have had to look up the full name, also, but “Meth” was handy. The days might be getting longer, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get tired until later. (I’m getting so tired, now, that I don’t know if I have too many negatives in there so they canceled each other out.🙀) Have a good night, Kelly. And don’t believe everything Methuselah says about me.😉🤣 –Diane
I was about to ask him about the time he asked you out and then I thot it was none of my business so I just shut up. We’re cool.
Whew! Thanks, Kelly. But he probably told you I like older men, huh?😊 (Gotta go wash my hair. Done working for the day.) Take care. 🤗 –Edna…er…Diane (You might have to look her up)
It all depends on how many there are. A lot, yes, or a few, no.
The picture depicts a week’s worth of dirty dishes. By that time we would have lined up a dump/refill stop prior to dishwashing that day.
Back when Joyce was alive and we had a 19LN Terry TT, Joyce would worry about the dishes. I showed her the answer: I had a Home Depot bucket with dish soap and water and the dishes.
By the time we got home and they were bumping around in the back of the Silverado, they were clean! Just needed a rinse.