How long can dishes soak in the sink before it counts as leaving them?
Guilty
The short answer
One night is soaking. After that, the court treats the dish as abandoned in a shared space.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-00231
The roommate who needed the pan v. The roommate who left it soaking
Filed 10/05/2026
- Plaintiff
- The roommate who needed the pan
- Defendant
- The roommate who left it soaking
Statement of claim
My roommate used the last clean pan, left it in the sink for three days with an inch of gray water in it, and every time I asked he said it was soaking.
Charge
Extended occupation of the shared sink by a single pan under the defense of soaking
Judgment
Guilty
Roommate found guilty of soaking a pan for three days
Sentence
The defendant will wash, dry and put away the pan tonight, and wash every pan used in the household for the next five days.
How the court usually rules on this
Soaking is a recognized defense, but the court reads it narrowly. A pan left overnight with water and soap is soaking. A pan left through a second evening, especially one the other roommate needs, is not. The court looks at whether the sink was blocked for anyone else and whether the water was ever changed.
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