Housework, am I alone?

I once read a brilliant book called “Giving up on ordinary”by Isla Dewar, as a cleaner she had clients she called Mrs Terribly-Clean-Pearson or Ms Oh-Just-Keep-It-Above-The-Dysentery-Line McGhee.
I used to be a Mrs Pearson I’m now unashamedly MS Dysentry level.
So far nobody’s noticed 🤩

No you are not alone. My mother was a house proud, cleanaholic. She never stopped cleaning and I know a couple of people the same but not for me.

i hate it with a passion

I hate housework too and increasingly hate changing beds as the mattress is heavy.
I have a cleaner who comes to my neighbour and then to me every second week for one hour. Its the best spent £15. She does so much in that hour and the house feels so nice forwards. I occasionally get her to do 2 hours and that involves more deep cleaning. I quite enjoy doing the laundry and cooking etc.

I always say I was born to be a lady but ended up as a simple serf...lol.

In India ,where they still have a lot of help in the house, older people get stiff and old as they are not very active. So I see the housework that I do, to some extent keeping me fit and young.

I'm clearly in the minority but I do not feel 'right' unless I have done some housework. I hate clutter (although I have too much, I know) and everything has to be in its place - apart from books, which belong everywhere IMO. I actually enjoy moving my body, not being 'sat' at my desk, but everything has a balance. I love my long walks and treasure my reading time, and lunches/chats with friends - I think it's all about not wasting time or energy. While cleaning I listen to Radio 4 to cope with the tedium of it.

I call it crisis housework. Two grandchildren staying for the weekend now so that bedroom got a deep clean. It won’t be touched again until their next stay. Unfortunately we live in London so even the rain comes down dirty. My mother lived on the coast. She wouldn't let anyone clean the rooms that weren’t in regular use and to be honest they hardly got dusty at all. In London it takes two days for everything to need dusting again and I just can’t be bothered. Kitchen and bathroom are the exception.

Very reassuring that many of you are like me and it gets done when it gets done (or when visitors coming). I don’t enjoy housework, but do like a (relatively!) tidy house. I like the concept of a tidy house looking like a clean house. That will be my mantra!

Jaxie ........that made me laugh. It reminded me of when I met an elderly neighbour for the first time.

She was very posh and obviously well to do. She had been married to a diplomat and had travelled all over the world with him, and was accustomed to being waited on by an army of servants.

It was about 11 am and she asked me if I would like either a cup of coffee or a gin and tonic. I took one look at the kitchen and opted for the gin and tonic, 😂🤣. I figured the alcohol would kill the germs.........lol.

I agree with dogsmother, in fact my daughter, when aged about 3 asked ‘Who’s coming?’ if I got the vacuum out.
Still want to keep things hygienic, but don’t fuss over much about a bit of dust (unless expecting visitors!)

I am definitely a neat freak. I find that as my house is now normally tidy and I de clutter regularly, therefore doing housework doesn’t take very long and I have masses of time to go out, to indulge in hobbies, or frankly just laze around. I have had dogs most of my life who have always had free range of our home.

I am certainly no paragon and although I love to see the garden looking it’s best, I really do not like gardening and put it off for as long as possible, despite coming from families of keen gardeners on both sides. Each to his own, what suits one person doesn’t suit another, I don’t see that there is a right or wrong, it’s your home do what you want in it.

I’m happier in nice clean tidy home I can’t settle knowing things need doing. I lead full busy life but always make time to clean house once a week. Tidy house tidy mind. Each to there own especially at our age.

I don't think I do a lot, as others have said, but I do the bathroom and kitchen surfaces daily, a quick once over with the cleaner every other day or when I see bits on the floor. I haven't got a dishwasher since we moved so dishes are done after every meal and not left to soak , I hate a messy kitchen.

My cleaning gets done only when it's needed and not before. I just do not like housework and it's lucky that there's only me here and no one to please.

Good to hear I’m not alone. I thought when I met my partner 7 years ago that he was a liberated man - huh dream on! I seem to do far more than my fair share. I only do what’s necessary but that still doesn’t leave enough time for my painting and exercise. I can’t live in a dirty house (we have a large hairy dog) and I can’t ignore piles of ironing. Any thoughts ? Tried talking about it but it creates more of an issue - need some sneaky ideas please.

MillieBoris

Good to hear I’m not alone. I thought when I met my partner 7 years ago that he was a liberated man - huh dream on! I seem to do far more than my fair share. I only do what’s necessary but that still doesn’t leave enough time for my painting and exercise. I can’t live in a dirty house (we have a large hairy dog) and I can’t ignore piles of ironing. Any thoughts ? Tried talking about it but it creates more of an issue - need some sneaky ideas please.

I hope you're not ironing shirts!!
Go on strike- in a friendly way! Smile when you say it!

I also loathe housework and have a brilliant Brazilian cleaner who speaks little English so can’t slag me off to her other ladies! I pay her £15 an hour, where on earth to you live Fluerpepper to be paying £25-30?? I might struggle with that, but I’m happy to be a little more frugal with other things at the moment. It’s just the fact that nothing stays done, the sheer monotony of it all makes me thing what’s the point? Kitchen and bathroom excluded.

definitely not alone, but i feel guilty if i am having "me time", thinking i could/should be doing this and as i live alone i only have me to please.

Oh yes, you are not alone. In rare moods I’m pleased when I have slaved away and everything is gleaming, and I feel healthier afterwards! Generally it’s last thing I feel like doing. I do clean the kitchen, bathrooms, hallways regularly, but as for skirting boards, tops of kitchen cabinets etc- once in a blue moon. Strangely, if I’m cleaning with another person (rarely the case) then I feel OK. And I don’t disrespect people who do spend hours “ polishing their furniture”. I feel a bit sorry for them. I would prefer to travel, read, watch a good film, see family, and be out in the world. Too late to change now. Getting older has made even clearer to me that the things that matter in life are love, experiences, and giving to others as much or more than you have been given. Not objects, possessions, and grossly more wealth than you need.

Oh definitely not alone! Life's too short to be weighed down with drudgery.

No, I do very little housework except cleaning toilets, wiping in the bathrooms and kitchen worksurfaces. My husband does the rest when he's in the mood, but basically does a bit of vacuuming and washes the floors when they look bad.
I always had a cleaner when I worked, but he reckons that it is not necessary now. To be fair, we do live in a much smaller place now.
I do all the shopping and cooking which I enjoy.

And ironing? I can't remember when I last did any, though I might iron a pillowcase if they've not dried reasonably flat.

What's housework?

I rather likes housework and positively enjoy washing and ironing! Weird, I know. I just find it therapeutic to turn a complete mess into something neat and tidy.

Urms - love it!

To add to my previous comment, I read something somewhere to the effect that as we all return to dust, dusting might mean we are disturbing someone who has previously passed on, and I'd hate to be disturbing any of my previous acquaintances....

Witzend

kwal

I'm a crafter so housework is at the bottom of my list. When it gets to the stage where it HAS to be done I do it but not willingly. Life is too short.

Me too.

Just to add, the items I mostly make are much in demand - there’s always a massive waiting list - so that’s an even better reason for saying sod the housework and get on with the knitting. 🙂