I know this isn’t the direction the post takes, but generally speaking I find kitchen maintenance to be the single most important compatibility test in a roommate, whether the roommate is a buddy or a girlfriend. Aren’t on the same page with how dishes and trash get done? You will always be frustrated.

It’s a party, and there are roles for hosts and guests. Unless it’s a pot luck, you shouldn’t have to contribute anything other than a thank you gesture of a bottle of wine or flowers. And unless you’re roommates, you also shouldn’t have to help clean up.

Ahem, usually my guests leave their glasses and plates on the table and I clear them later.

Basically, you all have some great points. I feel bad for being so harsh in the post. (Really, I don’t get mad at people for doing this; I just shake my head after poker night and put dishes where they belong in the dishwasher).

For a man of many systems, I don’t have a system for the top rack of the dishwasher. So I hadn’t considered the great point that many people do.

But that does leave the counter. Trevor, I agree that if people are still hanging out, glasses on the counter mean, “I’m still drinking this.” But after everybody goes home for the night, no one is still drinking that. Thus, I think the counter is the best place for glasses.

Like several of you, I do, on occasion, use a clean dishwasher as a dish shelf. Dishes pile up in the sink. But no glasses. Once you put a glass in there, it’s all over. You have to empty out the dishwasher at that point.

Last, for all of you who may have different preferences about this sort of thing (which is fine), you totally have to agree with me about wine glasses. They simply don’t belong in the sink. They break too easily.

Thanks for all the thoughts!