How do you signal that dishes are dirty? Is there a spectrum?
For me, the thought process goes like this:
1. This dish is relatively clean but not clean enough to go into the cupboard. So, I’ll leave it on the counter.
2. This dish is dirty, but I could use it again if I’ve got nothing else handy. So, I’ll leave it next to the sink.
3. This dish is dirty and I’m not going to use it until it’s washed. So, I’ll put it in the sink.
However, there have been times where I put the dish in the sink but then realized that I could have used it again. But now that it has entered the sink’s domain, I am not able to reuse it until it’s cleaned.
Jeffrey's Thoughts 