Pointless activities anyone?

That wins I think!!

Unless demolishing the garden wall when reversing out with a car full of children and suitcases counts. (DH, not me!)
We had to pick up the pieces of wall before we left.
Oh, and the time the next door neighbour rushed over when we were all sat in the car with suitcases etc ready to leave and asked DH to help him bury his cat which had just died.....

My DH glossed the stairs one year. He said it was the only way he could ensure that no-one would tread on it before it was dry. Me and the kids were sitting in the car with the suitcases waiting for him to finish the bottom step

although the beams do look quite strong, with good rafters and some of it boarded.

Badenkate
I will be up there tomorrow

BUT - and rubylady may perk up her ears at this:
Most of the rubbish stuff up there belongs to DD2

Poor man? He put the crap in the loft. What if there had been an innocent child under that ceiling.

I've emptied the attic because when my DS leaves home I won't be able to get up there so that's sorted out. Trying to get other areas in order, paperwork, cupboards, sentimental etc.

I tidy up before I go away because I don't want to walk back in to an untidy house and have to start cleaning. No use having a break and then having to start again as soon as I land back home.

Thanks Jalima , certainly hope so! Do you remember the case of the poor man who had stored many years worth of magazines in his loft and one day the ceiling gave way under the weight and (I think) killed him in his bed?

Have been sorting the loft today shysal - you never know!
Actually, I was getting worried in case it all gave way under the strain.

Any of us could drop dead while at home, not wait until holiday. Does that mean the house has to be up to scratch the whole time? My family will have a fit when I 'go', especially when they see the loft and under my bed, which I cannot move!

I don't holiday any more, but did used to have a clean round and empty the laundry basket.

I am beginning to think I'm a hopeless housewife; I probably vacuum the day before we go on holiday.

jalima yes, it goes in the garage.

Badenkate have a safe trip!

petra perhaps you can answer my question further up the thread then. What do you do with the carpet shampooer when you shut the front door? Then I may know what Kim did with the vacuum cleaner. (does it go in the garage or get tidied up by the refuse collectors )

Please don't laugh, but the last thing I do, literally as we are going out the door is shampoo the carpets. That way I know they are completely dry before we walk on them again.

I'm now feeling depressed, thanks to all of you, by the thought that I might not get back off holiday next week

My pointless activities would include making (say) a curry when I could get one exactly the same out of the freezer. Even I don't know why.

My cleaner comes in while we are away.

DH always says 'why worry, why get yourself in a stew? - if you don't come back you'll never know what they say about you when they have to clear out the house!'

The only reason I tidy the kitchen before I go out is in case I don't make it back... Same reason for my quick late night tidy of the worst bits of the living room!
Relieved to find I'm not the only one who has that morbid thought in mind!

I like to leave it tidy - and DH is an enthusiastic hooverer so I just let him have his head. We have 2 dogs, so I usually put some of the carpet foam stuff over the carpets so it doesn't smell doggy when we get back. The thought of not coming back and somebody having to come in to clear up had honestly never occurred to me!

Don't think I could relax if the house wasn't good to come back to. No matter how much I tell myself it doesn't matter, it does. I have a count down list. Oh dear. No hope.

Definitely the big clean before we go away. I'm sure it's that fear we might not come back, so want the house to look pristine!

Trouble is, as we usually rent holiday homes when we're away I end up doing a big clean at the end of our stay there too.

I never seem to get time to clear up before we go away. OH leaves everything to the last minute.
When I have been off on my own though he does tend to vacuum up before I get home.

I also try and leave the house in a tidy and reasonably clean state, although I draw the line at doing an actual spring clean!
I used to always change the bedding so we came home to a fresh bed, but as we usually go long-haul these days and arrive back early morning after an overnight (sleepless) flight we jump into bed for a few hours when we get home so don't bother with changing anymore.

Son staying at the moment I went on holiday and came back to find he had steam cleaned bathroom and kitchen! I always put bleach down sinks, basins and loos before I go. Think it's because my mum used to do it.

Remember Kim and Aggie?
I do remember Kim saying that she 'hoovered her way out of the house' when she was going away. So - where did she leave the vacuum cleaner?

Now on a mission to clear out unnecessary junk - just in case!