What's happening
ADHD and washing up can turn a ten-minute job into a week-long standoff. You put the plate by the sink and tell yourself you'll do it after a sit down. Then a pan joins it, then the mugs, and the food dries on hard. The NHS lists finding it hard to organise your time and finish tasks as common ADHD signs, and a growing pile by the sink is often where that shows up.
How to get moving
Don't try to clear the lot. Fill the bowl with hot soapy water and do one load, whatever fits on the draining rack, then stop. Start with cutlery and mugs because they're the quickest win, and leave the worst pans soaking while you go. Put a podcast or playlist on so it's not just you and the pile. After that, wash your mug and plate straight after using them, before you sit down.
Important tip
Set a "nothing in the sink at bedtime" rule, not a "spotless kitchen" rule. Last thing at night, just rinse what's there and put it in the bowl or dishwasher. You then start the morning with an empty sink instead of a crusty pile, and you're only ever one small load away from sorted.
This is lived-experience content. It is not a promise that a particular idea will work for everybody.