@GridironGuy88 You using any mods? There are some mods that change how that works. "Don't wash dishes where you angry poop" will cause exactly that if you don't set it up right.
This may sound weird, but if you have a ceiling lamp directly over the dining room table, move it from directly over the table. I've seen in the past where that will disable the dishwasher from working. (Somehow?!?!) I never put ceiling lamps over dining tables any more because of this.
Like
@JonaO703 said, a lot of it is routing issues. Sometimes a sim will put down a plate on top of a shelf or bookshelf, and they won't gather it again when cleaning up. If you see a plate on a bookshelf that the sim won't gather, just put a plant or picture or something there instead so they don't put plates there any more.