House proud people

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

Dull women have immaculate homes

Before I was disabled I preferred to spend my time gardening on fine days and doing sewing , knitting and crafting when it was raining. I now have a cleaner who is not very thorough but very friendly and helpful and good company.
Used to have a friend who was always cleaning and was ultra tidy. Not a book out of place and was always plumping thecushions up. Looked like a furniture store. my husband hated visiting her and always felt on edge there.

"Dull women have immaculate homes" no they don't Lin there's nothing dull about me or my life.

One sister’s home is always immaculate, but she has no books, or things that could make it look messy, and most importantly, plenty of storage in the kitchen. When I admired how tidy it looked, she said her DH helps but “Just don’t open the cupboards!”??

Smileless2012

"Dull women have immaculate homes" no they don't Lin there's nothing dull about me or my life.

I agree smileless I don't understand why a clean home equates to a dull life. It's just a matter organisation.

Maybe the quote should be "smug" rather than dull...
(just a joke, don't get all offended!)

Exactly sodapop. I wonder why it appears to be OK to make disparaging comments about those of us who like a clean and tidy house, but wrong to say anything disparaging about those who don't.

My mother always said my aunt was house proud, it was said in such a scathing way, that it was years before I realised that it wasn’t actually a bad thing to be!
Yes, I’m house proud, I like things clean and tidy, and I get pleasure from everything looking nice, but what other people do, is entirely up to them.