We have 3 kids, 3 and under, and I maintain this rule in our household, as well. Once the kids are asleep, I clear the counter, clean it, and make sure the sink

We have 3 kids, 3 and under, and I maintain this rule in our household, as well. Once the kids are asleep, I clear the counter, clean it, and make sure the sink is clean and any dishes that need to be washed by hand are cleaned, dried, and put away. It's made a big difference in my personal quality of life to come downstairs first thing in the morning and have a clean kitchen. I have the opinion that if I didn't stay on top of this that it would quickly cascade into messes elsewhere in our lives/home. The countertop around our sink/island is the default dumping ground, I believe, because it's convenient and the space is clear, so it acts as a containment zone. I also quickly rinse and load dishes as soon as they are able to go in. When I cook, I go through the cookware in parallel to the cooking process. I also skip the heat-dry. We run the dishwasher after dinner every night and things are almost always fully dry by morning when I come down and unload it.