I usually manage to clean up ¾ of the mess the same night: I dump everything that will fit in the dishwasher and set it to start overnight. In the morning, I empty it, and the rest of the stuff goes in the dishwasher.
Then I put away the liqueur bottles, wipe down the table, and replace the chairs. What other mess is there, beyond routine cleaning?
It's the same as any other serious family activity. Going on a camping trip, having a big garage sale, or decorating your house for Halloween can take just as much planning and cleanup as a dinner party. If you can take day off or take advantage of a long weekend to do these things, great! If not, you probably have different priorities and that's fine too.
not to mention the cleaning up is a good 3-4h after (or the next morning)
respect for those who can fit it in their schedule. i know i have no excuse because the author of the article is a restaurateur in NY which surely means a 365-day-a-year commitment to her business. where she finds time, i don't know. i sometimes feel like i can't do it and i definitely don't work every day.