I used to do dishes about 4 times a day. For two people! In the culture I live in, having any dirty dishes left behind is a cardinal sin. And we don't have a dish washer. Well, we do. It is me.

I have since realized that I am too busy for that. I handle it three ways. One is I clean anything I can while cooking. Something needs some time to bake? I can get some dishes done. But I am not militant about it. Anything left after dinner, my husband cleans up the kitchen and puts the dishes in the sink for me. The next day, they are my midmorning break from writing as I make myself lunch. Of course, being only 2 people helps a lot. I also reduced the number of dishes I keep in my cupboards. This forces me to wash them instead of reaching for the 100th spoon I will have to wash later. So overall, I have made peace with washing dishes. Now if I could just get my laundry put away!

Great article!