House proud people

Dull women have immaculate homes

A very houseproud friend would not let anyone visit in case they made a mess. Her Husbands family have not visited his home for more than 30 years as she does not think they are clean enough.
I have visited her 'new' house, of 20+ years once. She made the kitchen floor comment, I made out to be very sorry for her and bought a 4 piece dinner/tea service as a gift.
When she asked why I pointed out that she said they eat of the Kitchen floor and I felt sorry for her.
It did not go down well at all, but her Hubby thought it was hilarious.

Thinking back to floors you can eat off maybe a comeback might be that you have enough clean plates and cutlery to use so you don't need to eat off the floor, and you are happier having clean plates to use rather than having to use the floor

All critics should be pressed into service!
I like the rhyme that begins 'Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better....'

I recently saw a poem “Dust if you must” . It sums up how to waste your life cleaning while you miss out on things that you could be experiencing. Enough said!

My old aunt used to say ‘the dust will still be here tomorrow’. My DH tends to do a lot of cleaning, he enjoys it!! My friend hates cleaning, she does it when necessary, her house is clean but not bothered about a bit of dust. My DM used to say that if your bathroom and kitchen are clean then the house feels clean.

Life's too short yo worry about cleaning everyday. I vacuum quickly daily as have four fur shedding pets and dust once a week. I wipe kitchen worktops as I prep/cook. If someone comes to visit its clean (ish) and tidy and the toilet is clean so that's good enough for me. If they don't want pet hair on their clothes (you can never get rid of them all) or expect it to be glistening they are not friends.

The American Flylady system is free and excellent. 15 minutes a day and you stay pretty much on top of the housework.
I feel much more comfortable if my house is clean and tidy. I have a wonderful cleaner who once a month comes and bottoms the house. We share the jobs between us in between.
we both feel calmer and more peaceful if our environment looks as if we care about it. Neither of us like housework and it is a necessary evil but worth it not to live in a mess.

Whole house cleaned once a week (not all on one day) as I work full time, husband at home all time (carer for his mum who lives with us) and he looks after our massive garden and he’s a bit crap at housework but good cook!!
I’ve always made sure everyone’s clothes clean and ironed (weirdly I enjoy that!) and as long as everything is relatively clean we’re all happy! Sod other peoples opinions as long as you’re happy! Life’s too short to sweat the small stuff

Always something better to do, dust will still be there tomorrow. I like a tidy clean house, but life is too short to worry about it. My two granddaughters have taught me that by default.

I guess it depends on what you mean as house proud. We do take pride in ownership; the yard and house is well maintained and tidy. I recently thanked my husband for the time and effort he takes to keep it all looking good. The shrubs are clipped, the grass mowed twice a week, trim painted every few years. No weeds between paving stones, etc. I cringe at some other houses on our street with peeling paint and overgrown gardens.

Inside we are also well maintained, but not immaculate. You will find dust if you look for it, but the house is generally clean and tidy. Squeaky doors and dripping taps are taken care of, general housekeeping done. But it is well lived in and comfortable. You can put your feet up on the coffee table, and I won't slide a coaster under your mug of tea before you set it down.

Perhaps this is far too late to add a comment as I often don't read my daily Gransnet email until late each day and the topics are usually from the previous day.
I tend to clean my house through every three weeks, although like other members here I do clean my loo and bathroom daily. I think we are 'of a group'. Having read Gransnet for some years I suspect we attract contributions from similarly minded people despite the endless political sniping and one/upmanship comments.
My son used to work for a major facilities company and initially was shocked by some of the properties he had to work in where he found floors inches thick in almost soil-like conditions. He said seeds would grow in the filthy floors of properties which looked quite presentable from the street.
We are all the products of our upbringing and experience and live as best we can.
I had several years working with Samaritans and do understand the damage poverty and deprivation can do. It wasn't always the answer.

I've done a lot more cleaning since lockdown but only for the want of something/anything to do to occupy my time. Our house is generally tidy as we mostly put things away after us but a bit of dust doesn't bother me. I've just been cleaning BUT only because we have family coming to stay. I always think if I know people are coming a I try to make the house nice but if people turn up without warning so much the better!

DH and I have actually just thoroughly cleaned our oven. We do it about three times a year. It is nice to have an immaculate oven but I can put up with a slightly grubby one until it gets to a certain point when we have to spend hours redoing it.

Same here, just hoover, dust and clean when it looks like it needs it. These women obviously don't have much going on in there lives. I guess it gives them a purpose to get up each day.

I like a clean bathroom and kitchen work tops. The rest just gets done when it needs it.DH is very untidy and I’ve generally given up trying to keep it tidy within reason. I loathe house work. It’s a thankless task generally speaking and I’ve better things to do.

I do clear up my stuff if I’ve been crafting or sewing so it doesn’t bug anyone else. Wishing that DH was more proactive with his stuff.

Whatever makes people happy in their own home is fine by me.
Tidy, untidy, clean or grubby.

MOnica
"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."

Totally with you on this! .

Using loads of bleach is very bad for the environment and unnecessary.

I am another house work loather? I find it tedious, tiring and utterly thankless.
I have a friend (and a daughter) who enjoy it, DD3 says its therapeutic but it isnt for me! I hate it and it drives me to tears, so I do the bare minimum and resent every second of it?
I hate the sheer repetitiveness of it and the fiddly jobs that show nearly no result like plug cleaning?
I never judge other peoples houses and I am appalled if others do so, I have friends who have show homes and others who live in comfortable mess, as long as its not a health or safety hazard I couldnt care less.

My house is clean and tidy. Maybe not immaculate. No routine just do what’s needed, definitely not more than is necessary. Windows outside are seen to every other month by my window cleaner. Inside are done rarely, just now and again. If I have a better offer I’m off.

I have a coaster that says "Between me and insanity stands my friends" and that seems to be true in your case. Listen to your friend and do the same. Don't listen to anyone else.

Cleaning is pretty unrewarding, unless it is just a reward to the cleaner who knows she has done a proper job. I've never heard of anyone going in to a house and saying " isn't this so clean".

Cooking for other people is much more rewarding. It gives them pleasure and quite often they will thank the cook.

I loved your last comment about (cleaning and deathbed). It made me giggle.?

Dcba

Thanks for that - bit of a mind numbing subject. Why would anyone think it’s worth of a GN discussion thread!

Why would anyone choose to read and comment on a thread about a subject they consider to be mind-numbing?

I do like a clean and tidy house, but I don’t have a routine, so it gets done when it gets done. If there is the chance to go out somewhere, we go out and the cleaning (on an ad hoc basis mostly) is done another time. It’s probably not as clean as it should be by some people’s standards, but it’s good enough and my lack of routine has served me well through 45 years of marriage. I am a bit more fussy when I know that people are visiting - which is seldom, since the pandemic. This is when DH asks “is the Queen coming round?!”