House proud people

Germanshepherdsmum

I loathe housework and find any excuse to do something else. As and when really necessary is fine by me so long as basic hygiene is observed. I know someone who seems to spend her life cleaning despite living alone, what she thinks of me I shudder to think. Lockdown was a godsend, no unexpected visitors! Some healthy posts on here I think - I won’t be lying on my deathbed thinking I really should have dusted more often.

Absolutely about Lockdown! Plus, we have our grandchildren after school for a few times a week and the toddler for 2 whole days so I have very little time for my garden, my allotment ( which means meals are cooked from scratch) or any other hobbies ( sewing, knitting etc), let alone doing something I don't feel the need for, like housework.
I was a teacher ( !!! ) and had no time for housework then so now ( as from 20-03-2020 ) I want to use MY time as I please! In fact, during Lockdown, we did not even have the children

Life’s to short to peel a grape and that applies to housework
The dust will be there when your gone, just do what you want to do when you want. I have just wizzed round with the vacuuming cleaner, clean the bathroom done the beds.
Kitchen can wait till tomorrow after all I gave it a good going over Monday.
My sis-in-law hobby is cleaning everyday, must be so boring.

I always to get rid of any guilt feelings by thinking what a favour I was doing visitors, who would go home feeling really good about the state of their own houses.

I have one friend (I’ve spoken to GN about her before) whose house is always perfect, to the extent that I dread her visiting me unless I have prior warning. My house is clean enough to be hygienic but very much a home and lived in. It is rarely completely dust-free and housework only gets done on days when I have nothing better to do.

Thank goodness it's not just me. I feel quite guilty and even more so that I've had the last 18 months to tidy so it should be immaculate but isn't - I'm on my own and sometimes it's hard to get motivated when all days roll into one.
I do tend to hoard -although not as bad as some shown on TV - but do find it hard to get rid and have too much stuff.
I have friends who have houses that are immaculate and other friends who are like mine - or maybe a bit worse.
I don't get many visitors anyway, never mind at the moment, but I worry if someone has to come in they'll think it's a mess and whoever has to come in and clear it when my time comes as I've got no family to do it.
I clean as and when necessary. Life is too short but why should you feel guilty that your house isn't like a showroom (I think ads have a lot to answer to as rooms they show always seem big and minimalistic - whereas I do like my bits and pieces which are dust gatherers.
My ex once commented on the dust (he didn't bother cleaning it and I worked full time) so I bought him a fridge magnet that said:
"You can admire the dust but please don't write in it".
My Mum used to iron socks, knickers everything _ I honestly can't remember the last time I ironed as I've not really been anywhere so it doesn't matter.

Your home, your standards, their home their standards, should be as simple as that.
Mine is clean enough for me.

I am not sure why you discuss it, just change the subject

My mother used to say about whether your house was sparkling: people who notice don't matter and people who matter don't notice! She would always rather read a book to us when we were little, and read a book to herself when we were grown up, than wash the kitchen floor!

I'd tell them old people who avoid living it up die sooner, and I wouldn't have time to make sure the coffins are clean!!
But I'm a bad lass. ??

I am lucky enough to have a cleaner. She does two hours, I do two hours and that is quite enough housework for the week.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste on housework!

Take absolutely no notice and spend your time on enjoyable things x

I also hate housework. It is s thankless waste of time. My mother was obsessed with spring, summer, autumn and winter cleaning. When I was young we didn't get to celebrate Christmas because she had the whole family washing and polishing , in her words " because you never knew who would be here at New Year.".

I just know when I take my last breath on this earth I will not think “I should have cleaned more”

I'm firmly in the camp of finding far more interesting things to do than housework, and in any case living with 3 other adults, all very untidy messy beings, there's no point in wasting my time, energy or life putting the house to rights behind them.
I also firmly believe that it's peoples own business what they do with their own homes, be it comfortable clutter or pristine cleanliness. My sister-in-law used to do the checking for dust, and making rude comments and luckily we fell out years ago (not over that), so I ceased worrying about her unannounced visits.
To OP, I'd just ignore them, but if they are persistent in their judgemental comments, I'd gently tell them what to do with their opinions!

My mother, when hearing people who spent most of their time cleaning and she did have one daughter (out of four) whom we called 'the Queen of Clean', would say:

Which would you rather have on your gravestone?

'I didn't have enough time to clean my house.'

Or

'I didn't have enough time with my family and friends."

Just for the record, being a kindly soul, she only said the above to us. Another saying of hers was 'Each to their own.'

My mother had never had to clean a house herself until her 60s. She never learnt how! I do as little as possible - my main bugbear is a hairy dog. However I do have a blitz if people come round.
My philosophy is that no matter how much you clean, it just gets dirty again!

Remember that dusting is no more than moving dirt from one place to another??

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202108/medium-257260-20210820-115726.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202108/medium-463896-20210820-115713.jpg

Forgot I have these up on the walls, probably forgotten because I don't dust them....

Squiffy??

Keep calm and carry on. Your house, your rules.

When I moved into my new flat, my lovely Mum pleaded that if I couldn't keep it clean would I at least keep it tidy as that gives the 'impression' of clean. She was a wonderful woman. I do note the recent Dyson advert which is able to locate invisible dust. That's the only kind I've ever had. Keeps me warm too.

varian

If things (eg oven) are not cleaned as often as they should be, it sometimes requires scouring. Has anyone else noticed how difficult it is to find scouring powder (Vim or Ajax) these days? Has it been banned for some reason?

'Bar Keepers Friend', varian. Very similar to old fashioned scouring powders. I get mine from the local old fashioned hardware shop (i.e the one that sells everything from nails to pots and pans...)

I'm with the minimalists. I do like a clean kitchen, I was going to say that's a hangover from when I worked in hospital catering, but really it's a wise precaution against poisoning friends and family. The rest gets done when the mood takes me. I haven't killed anyone yet

The late Joan Rivers used to say

So, you dust, clean, vacuum, do the laundry and six months later you have to do it all again

My mantra!

Ethelbags1- It’s called toxic shame - have no truck with it - stick two fingers up to it and continue with the routine that works for you especially as you work full-time!!!

Sounds as though they need to get a life!

Living with my husband was like the film 'Sleeping With the Enemy' so I left him .... there were other reasons too. Oh the joy of cleaning up when I want to ... or not! Visitors come to see me, not the house.