House proud people

I loathe housework - I do the minimum to keep it looking reasonably presentable, with a bit extra if guests are coming - usually meaning I make sure I’ve got my glasses on so I can see the dust. ?

Anyone trying to tell me how to clean my house would get very short shrift! Luckily I don’t recall anyone ever trying.

IMO some women positively seem to enjoy making martyrs of themselves over housework. Maybe they would like, ‘You could always eat your dinner off her floors!’ on their tombstones.

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

I had a friend who 'gave up' having an immaculate home, she said it was too much effort and all she did was clean!

I prefer it when you visit houses that are a bit untidy as you feel you can relax rather than putting a doily under yourself when you sit down.

Grandmabatty

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

It’s a good job nobody goes into my lower cupboards, I recon I’ve probably cleaned them out twice in twenty years. They are well ready for a good sort out and clean.
But I do push the ‘Shark’ round every day, and everywhere is reasonable, just don’t go in my cupboards !

We have two long haired cats so my house is never spotless. My mum ironed tea-towels and pyjamas, which I think says it all! She always used to clean my kitchen when she visited. I like a clean house but with pets and three children (well, they’ve left home now) I had better things to do than have a show home. I have a cleaner so I don’t have to clean. Some would say that’s lazy (my late mum would) but surely if you can afford it, it’s providing employment for someone.

I used to work with a lady who got up at 5 am so she could clean her house from top to bottom EVERY DAY. I felt guilty for about one minute.

My aunty has a little sign in her house that says ‘Excuse the mess, but we live here’

I had a friend round who commented on my skirting boards (they were clean) and when I told another friend she said 'Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind' I don't keep on top of things like I should but having a 24 year old that has OCD is a nightmare

We do enough housework to avoid the need to panic if we get unexpected visitors. We don’t have a routine, just decide that something needs doing. Kitchen and bathroom have always been CAYG to avoid build up.
We don’t have set jobs, except for cleaning the shower drain. Frequent and lavish praise means DH sees that as his job.

Another house work detester here too. Just cleaned my kitchen floor and hall tiles and the water was black! Don't know where dirt comes from. I was thinking of getting a cleaner but not sure I'm at that stage yet. I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself but don't ever want to. I wish I was different but I don't think I'll change now

If I got a cleaner I’m sure I’d feel the need to clean before they came.....

People say they aren't slaves to houseowrk, yet clean loos daily and the kitchen floor 3 times a week?

I trained my family to make sure loos are clean when they leave them. Cleaning materials are to hand, and I clean them once a week. Washing the kitchen floor? I hoover mine once a week and only wash it when it looks dirty. The floor is quarry tiled, so that isn't often. I have only ever owned a cooker with a black drip tray, as it does not show the dirt.

I have invested all my thought and energy in finding ways of not doing housework

All the furniture either has legs high enough to hoover under without moving it, or the base lies flat on the ground.

My mother and grandmother thankfully had lives that were far too busy and interesting to waste on housework and I follow in their grand tradition.

I think my housewifely pride is governed by the phases of the moon. Sometimes I'll go at the cleaning until there's a drop of sweat on the end of my nose and the air is thick with parfum de Mr Muscle and Domestos. Other times the mess will pile up until I can't find anything and DH complains that all his undies are still in the laundry basket. But I do have a very good sense of smell which I never ignore!

House proud people need to think of the impact that this has on other people, especially their children.
My husband has no memory of his mother doing anything other than cleaning ( and moaning ) when he was a child .
No games, puzzles, baking, watching a film on a Sunday afternoon, bike rides, making ice lollies…. Just a few of my everyday memories I have told him about .
He had his imaginary friend instead .

As long as loos and basins are hygienic, other stuff gets done as and when I notice or have time.
I put things away as I go which seems half the battle to our HOME looking clean.
Quite honestly it doesn’t get that dirty with just two of us most of the time.

plenty of "games, puzzles, baking, watching a film on a Sunday afternoon" etc etc with my boys and a home to be proud of, which they were proud of too.

My old mil used to say
“A clean and tidy house is a sign of a wasted life”.
Having been brought up by a house proud mother it took me years to shake off inherited habits. I now try to keep a healthy relationship with house work and my not so good eyesight helps.

I'm due to entertain 2 new neighbours soon and am dreading it after seeing how clutter free their homes are.

This is so me……

I had a house proud mother and I used to do more cleaning than I do now.
I can always find something more interesting to do than dusting.

Hello ethelbags1 I do so agree with you. Perhaps it is a generational thing, my Mother and MIL were both extremely house proud. My Mother tried to get me into dusting, ironing etc to as she put it "prepare your for when you get married as you will have to do this for your Husband" Not a chance! Especially when I kicked up as my Brother was not expected to do house work. I was told that is because he is a boy! It set the scene for me.

Agree with others do the bare essentials and enjoy your life, how often to you see your Aunt? Unless she comes to your house and opens your cupboards I would just say " yes I will do that from now on " I bet she has her two tins of everything lined up in date order too. Is your mum hinting that you do her cleaning? Suggest a cleaner if she does.

I can remember being told by my grandmother that my brother wasn't expected to do housework as he was a boy. What she didn't anticipate is that he now lives on his own so he has to do it!