Shared living only works when everyone pulls their weight.

But when one roommate repeatedly left the kitchen in a state of filthy chaos, one fed-up renter decided to make sure their mess was waiting for them right at their doorstep.

Read on for the full story!

Dirty Dishes Darken theDoorway

Back in the late ’90s, I rented a room in a small house with my older sibling, a couple who rented another bedroom, a guy who crashed on our couch, and another couple who had the whole finished basement.

My sibling slept in the largest bedroom with its own attached bathroom.

It was at the end of the upstairs hallway, with the staircase on one side and the guest bath on the other, so there was a narrow egress from their bedroom.

Some of these roommates had pretty unsanitary habits, to say the least.

They were in the habit of refusing to take responsibility for their actions, often impacting the rest of us in the house.

For example, they’d come home from work, fix a meal, take the food to their room, and leave the kitchen a wreck.

No matter how nicely they were prodded, they never cleaned up after themselves.

When asked to clean up, they’d make excuses about how tired they were, yet they’d be up for hours watching TV before going to sleep.

It was common to go several days without washing the dishes they’d used, letting them pile up in the kitchen sink.

Food-encrusted pots, pans, plates, bowls, utensils — just nasty.

Flies buzzing, stinky stuff.

This began to have a negative impact on everyone else living there.

It made it difficult for anyone else to use the sink, especially when they’d plug the sink, fill it with soapy water, then flake off.

So one fed-up renter decided to do something about it.

I finally got sick of their negligence and began carting anything they left in the sink upstairs and spread the stuff they’d abandoned on the floor outside their bedroom door.

They’d have to move the stuff to leave the upstairs.

I still remember the satisfaction I got when I’d hear them curse and rant after having stepped in something in the dark.

They never knew I was the one blocking their door.

Looks like all it took to get this roommate to acknowledge their mess was to put it right under their nose.

What did Reddit have to say?

Turns out, there are lots of ways to get the attention of a dirty roommate.

When roommates won’t take the hint, you have to get creative.

Sinks shouldn’t just be a constant loading zone.

This user wonders if their petty revenge ended up making a difference.

They never found out who kept piling their mess outside their door, but they definitely felt the impact.

Out of sight, out of mind isn’t going to cut it anymore!

If you liked that post, check out this post about a rude customer who got exactly what they wanted in their pizza.