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The plane is waiting but I have to hoover, dust and clean ! WHY ???

(143 Posts)
Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 10:34:03

Right, so my question this morning has been a puzzle to me for years.

We go on our holidays the following day but almost burn ourselves out ( well I do ) by cleaning , washing, hoovering the house the day before !!!!

WHY?????

This morning I have hoovered, whipped a COBWEB from a corner that I have seen a fortnight ago ( but felt a great need to get it today !!!) Washed things that didn't REALLY need washing, taken an old toothbrush to sink taps, bath taps, kitchen taps !!! WHY ????

I mean seriously! Why is it soooooo necessary to clean TAPS before I jump on a plane to whisk me off to a place called BLISS.

Don't get it, never have and never will...

confusedconfusedconfused

MerylStreep Thu 30-Jun-22 13:29:14

Callistemon
I can beat Kim. When we had cream carpets ( silly idea, I know ?) all our luggage was in the car and I would shampoo the carpets. In my defence that was because I could give them a real good go and know that they would be perfectly dry when we got home.

Pantglas2 Thu 30-Jun-22 13:23:50

I do all this at PG Towers and at Mi Casa and it’s not just cos I’m a sad bat ? - we’ve always offered the use of either to friends and family while we’re away!

I wouldn’t want them to have to ? and ? the minute the arrived on holiday, and I’m sure they wouldn’t ?! I also do expect them to leave it as they found it, ready for the next occupants, which seems fair enough for a freebie!

mokryna Thu 30-Jun-22 13:22:15

I used to do this before holidays and Christmas when there was a family of three children. Please note used to.
I am by myself now but I do have a new habit, tidying around before going to bed just in case…..

Urmstongran Thu 30-Jun-22 13:15:02

Not me. Good enough is good enough as I lock the door behind me. Yay!
#lazygran

MissAdventure Thu 30-Jun-22 13:11:09

The Hoover was always the last thing I put away as I went out the door, years ago.
I would trail it behind me, vacuuming everywhere I had walked until it was time to go.

Lexisgranny Thu 30-Jun-22 13:03:19

I think this comes under the same banner as ‘always wearing clean underwear in case you get run down by a bus’.

I too belong to the clean til you drop group, prior to holidays, before Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. My worst offence I believe was one New Years Eve,leaving my husband sitting in the car with the engine running whilst I dashed out (wearing a full length evening dress) to empty the hoover into the dustbin. I don’t think I ever reached those dizzy heights again.

Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 12:43:04

HousePlantQueen

Oh I do it too! Clean bedding, clean towels in the bathroom, laundry basket as empty as I can make it. Unwashed towels, although not dirty, can smell a bit stale after a fortnight in a locked up house I find. I too worry, completely irrationally, about how mourners would judge me should I be wiped out on holiday.... "such a shame about Mr & Mrs HPQ, tragic, but did you see the state of her shower cubicle, and her pillow cases could have done with an iron over them, perhaps it was a blessing"

Hahahahahahaha...

HousePlantQueen Thu 30-Jun-22 12:26:23

Oh I do it too! Clean bedding, clean towels in the bathroom, laundry basket as empty as I can make it. Unwashed towels, although not dirty, can smell a bit stale after a fortnight in a locked up house I find. I too worry, completely irrationally, about how mourners would judge me should I be wiped out on holiday.... "such a shame about Mr & Mrs HPQ, tragic, but did you see the state of her shower cubicle, and her pillow cases could have done with an iron over them, perhaps it was a blessing"

sodapop Thu 30-Jun-22 12:24:22

I always clean well before going away. This time I also gave the guest room a spring clean and made up the bed. So glad I did as we were both quite ill when we got back and family were visiting.

Elizabeth27 Thu 30-Jun-22 12:20:50

After staying in a beautiful, clean hotel my house seems dirty when I return. It is not but compared to a place that is thoroughly cleaned every day it is.

Auntieflo Thu 30-Jun-22 12:18:22

I do it, my mother did it, and now DD is the same!

Does it come from the same frame of mind, as making sure you have clean underwear on in case you have an accident?

Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 12:14:50

Wheniwasyourage hahaha.

She wasnt as tidy, tidy, tidy as we were lead to believe....

Ohhhh heck !!!!shock

Charleygirl5 Thu 30-Jun-22 12:13:50

It is lovely returning to a clean house with fresh bedding and then I only have to worry about the washing from the holiday and getting food on the table.

Being Scottish I was also brought up to clean the house before the start of a new year.

My mother was a clean freak and my father and I were not allowed to read the Sunday newspapers until all the chores had been done.

Wheniwasyourage Thu 30-Jun-22 12:02:02

CatCrone

I have always done this - mainly because if I don’t return from the holiday whoever has to deal with the house etc won’t think I didn’t keep my home clean and tidy. Not sure what this says about my thought processes!

Here's another crackpot, and I'm with CatCrone and Jalyn. It is indeed nice to come back to a clean, tidy house, but I've always thought about the poor souls who would have to clear the house if we don't come back. I don't want their first thought to be "Well she was a real slob, wasn't she?"

TerriBull Thu 30-Jun-22 11:57:39

As others have said, coming home to a clean fresh house it's simply that! Ideally, but I don't always have time, I like to wash towels and change our bed and not leave any dirty washing hanging around, happy to leave it washed and on an airer. My husband knows me so well, he always pre empts any of my laundry plans the night before with a "you're not going to start all that towel washing before we go are you?" me "I'll only put on muffled x washes"

Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:57:34

Callistemon21

Serendipity22

I don't know but I do too (or used to, not so much now). It's better than coming back to a mess.

Do you remember Kim of Kim and Aggie fame? I remember her saying that when she was going away, she "hoovered herself out of the door" ?

Have a relaxing time.

Ohhhh yes I remember her wow, she came across as a force to be reckoned with.....

Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:55:52

Jalyn

Another one here who cleans, changes beds etc before going on holiday so that we return to a clean home. There is also the dark thought at the back of my mind that if we fail to return, (think plane crash) then whomever has to sort everything won't have an untidy or unclean house to cope with. I feel ridiculous just writing this blush

Ohhhh heck !! But yes I see the logic in it !!!!

Serendipity22 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:54:29

toscalily

Well if your crackers Serendipity22 so am I. grin

2 crack pots hahahahaha

toscalily Thu 30-Jun-22 11:43:55

I also take a plastic bag away with me to put dirty washing in, shoes in shoe bags as I don't like the idea of the them touching other things.

Callistemon21 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:42:25

Not ridiculous at all Jalyn?

Jalyn Thu 30-Jun-22 11:40:20

Another one here who cleans, changes beds etc before going on holiday so that we return to a clean home. There is also the dark thought at the back of my mind that if we fail to return, (think plane crash) then whomever has to sort everything won't have an untidy or unclean house to cope with. I feel ridiculous just writing this blush

Callistemon21 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:40:08

Serendipity22

I don't know but I do too (or used to, not so much now). It's better than coming back to a mess.

Do you remember Kim of Kim and Aggie fame? I remember her saying that when she was going away, she "hoovered herself out of the door" ?

Have a relaxing time.

CatCrone Thu 30-Jun-22 11:39:37

I have always done this - mainly because if I don’t return from the holiday whoever has to deal with the house etc won’t think I didn’t keep my home clean and tidy. Not sure what this says about my thought processes!

toscalily Thu 30-Jun-22 11:39:08

Well if your crackers Serendipity22 so am I. grin

Maggiemaybe Thu 30-Jun-22 11:36:37

I do it more for the lovely neighbour who takes our parcels and post in, and the milk on the day we come back. Her house is immaculate and I like to keep up the pretence that ours is at least half decent. smile