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How clean is your house?

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  • sweetilemon
    sweetilemon Posts: 2,243 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I'm not sure if there's more cleaning when i'm not working or if I just notice it more but it certainly is neverending. I hate clutter and get stressed in a messy and unclean house so I definately try to keep on top of it. When i'm working I vaccume once or twice a week, when i'm off I do it daily. I try to make sure the kitchen is cleaned daily. Dusting I do as and when I see it getting dusty. It's a lot easier now we are in the house rather than the flat but I need to sort through a lot of boxes still! At least they are hidden away.

    I've warned people (family) I do NOT want a house full of clutter and get quite stressed when people bring me 'stuff' that I could really do without. I politely accept and keep it for a while but I do prefer the minamalisyic look! I'm sure it'll only get harder when I have a child and a house full of unnecessary plastic toys!
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 12,067 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    We live in a retrofitted industrial unit, put up around 1780.
    Three floors, sundry period features - and that's just the house.

    Pour in me, Himself, three teenager lads & a bunch of hobbies and interests that will not fit behind a door (like the anvil, lathe, full workbench, beltsaw) and the stuff we've removed from elsewhere to eBay (why is is it so hard to start?! Something to do with the others being around) and it's all a bit of a state.
    Until you realise we can put our hands on things - reference books, knitting gear (even which of several kitbags contain the stash as opposed to other kitbags containing clothes), arrows, firelighting kit (although you may be asked to specify which decade - historians, after all). We've even got a healthy rep for having PE kit sorted!

    However, when the parents/in-laws visited there was a certain amount of lamentation as we had to move things around a bit & finish some get-around-to jobs. Like repainting two bedrooms.

    Is the house clean? For a given value of clean, yes. For Her Grace? Ye gods, no, but give us warning & we try. Bathroom & kitchen have startling features but function. Livestock fed, clean, & even in ironed clothing (first I taught them how to use a kettle, then set them up to learn to iron...)

    Plus one for ignore the tall stuff (I'm the shortest - if a tall person objects I can steer them towards dusters, hoover & even demonstrate damp dusting on a surface nearer my height.)

    Plus another one for teach the offspring. I think dogs wielding the hoover are apocryphal, but the seeing eye dogs are amazing animals - who am I to judge? The lads can all wash up & operate the washing machine & tumble drier - and have observed me defrosting the freezer. (I still hope for further development, there!)

    Finally if the lads want friends around, they can of course bring their pals. Just to avoid distress, the hall stairs & landing, the bathroom & whichever room they propose to hang out in all need a once-over. My sociable chaps are getting deft at bringing the bathroom up to a high gloss in minutes. I may have to ask them how...
  • Birdie85
    Birdie85 Posts: 9,330 Forumite
    DKLS wrote: »
    166million wrote: »
    I think mines worse. Not as messy but probably dirtier
    Is someone in bed in this one? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40159122.html

    Blegh. I'd be mortified if my house looked like that! I love how in the first house on Pic#6 they've hidden a load of rubbish on the bed under the duvet... like it makes a difference! :p

    I'm naturally messy (and, admittedly, lazy), my DH is naturally tidy. This has caused many arguments over the years! I am a lot better than I was and do try to do a once over every night as I do prefer a clean and tidy space, even if I CBA most days. I think having DS has helped as I want to keep things clean for him and I hate having toys all over the place so tidy up his stuff when he goes to bed then just continue until everywhere else looks neat too. My craft cupboard is a different story though and has turned (yet again) into a Cupboard of Doom which scares me every time I open it! :o

    As for clean, it's clean enough. The kitchen is wiped down daily, the floor hoovered every couple of days, the bathroom wiped down most days with a decent clean once a week but things like windows, skirting boards, general dusting are done rarely.

    I have been following the KonMarie thread on the OS Board and have taken on the ethos and have decluttered a lot recently and have become quite resistant to bringing in more 'stuff' which all helps with keeping the place tidy and is MSE because I've changed my shopping habits! :)
    Overcome the notion that you must be ordinary. It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary!
    Goal Weight 140lb Starting Weight: 160lb Current Weight 145lb
  • Bryando
    Bryando Posts: 1,464 Forumite
    Live alone with two pets. Hoover once a week if that, do my dishes and laundry. That's about it. Just seen my house as a place to keep dry, warm, eat, sleep and retreat from the world. Hate spending money on doing things within it. Lack motivation .
  • missg2210
    missg2210 Posts: 76 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I am awful. I clean everyday, i just cant bear the house being untidy and not clean. I always hoover, wash up, washing is on top, polish, and anti bac wipes around the house.

    Bleach is my favourite,

    It may be that I have 4 cats and want to make sure no one comes to my house and says 'it smells like cats'
  • dragonette
    dragonette Posts: 879 Forumite
    I hope none of your cats are the kind to lick surfaces that smell of bleach, I can't risk using it in case one of my two poison themselves (or worse, want to use it as a new litter tray). Thankfully both of mine are outdoor cats so i can just open the window and air everything out that way.


    I'm really bad for getting hoovering done, but damp dusting I'm now good at since it sets off my allergies. Just need to get my flatmate trained up ;)
    :AStarting again on my own this time!! - Defective flylady! :A
  • givememoney
    givememoney Posts: 1,240 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts I've been Money Tipped!
    I am fairly tidy and as there are just two of us at home now it is easy to keep tidy. When the GC go home, the place looks like a bombs hit it.


    Something quite obvious but I have done as of this week. We have visitors coming tonight and I always like the place clean and tidy for them. What I normally do is run the vacuum round on the day they arrive, or sometimes get DH to do it for me. I decided though, this really isn't necessary. I love to do things in advance if I can, so did the vacuuming yesterday instead and today it looks fine and something off the plate for today. I have a hand held vacuum and can pick up any odd bits with that.


    I also took a home made Victoria sponge cake with butter cream and jam out of the freezer for tonight. Always make cakes in advance and freeze them.
  • This thread has made me want to get up and clean now lol!

    Am a very tidy person, everything has it's place and most things are cleaned once a week. Bathrooms wiped down daily, but the kitchen oven needs a clean and I might just go and do it now before I feel really guilty!!!
  • I am neither particularly clean nor tidy. But a quick wipe of the bathroom a couple of times a week keeps it under control. I keep cleaning supplies in there.

    I find keeping clutter to a minimum helps in keeping the place tidy. I enjoy life better when I live in a clean tidy place, so I do make an effort. My friends would generally consider us to have a clean tidy house - but that was because I'd clean up before they came :D

    However, I do remember when I was studying and I'd books and papers everywhere - and I'd no children to keep fed and watered.

    Aim to keep it clean enough for you so that there will be no big jobs - that is a quick wipe in the kitchen / bathroom so that you don't end up spending ages scrubbing in there. I love the idea of the music up loud for 10-15 minutes for clean up time on a daily basis to get the kids (and adults) motivated. There are lots of sites that will tell you what age children are able for different chores. I think with children you need to be explicit and say exactly what you want done. I would also consider it entirely appropriate to explain to them that you need some extra help while you're in college / working extra shifts. Similarly on years that they have exams I think it's okay to take work off them. That's what family life is about to me - helping each other out when needs must. Kids are generally able for a lot more that you allow them.

    The house doesn't need to be show home ready. Just clean / tidy enough for you. PS - be nice to your self. you're under a lot of pressure with that work load.
  • givememoney
    givememoney Posts: 1,240 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts I've been Money Tipped!
    I remember reading, years ago of someone who had `dusting parties`. She gave each child a duster, they'd put on the music and dance round dusting and after completion there were cakes for a treat....sounds good.
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