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House and home

Clean freakery

(54 Posts)
sandelf Wed 20-May-20 12:15:46

I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours... Over the years I have developed some either very useful or totally mad habits. Here goes. Plastic home viewing/swimming pool overshoes while cleaning the shower. Clean the kitchen worktops using a squeegee as if they were windows. And I do look beyond fetching (they say we should keep our feminine mystique don't they) wearing gardening knee pads while cleaning the wooden floors. Anyone got any other hard learnt gems?

JackyB Mon 01-Jun-20 10:03:54

I love cleaning. I don't enjoy this hot weather, so I stay inside and potter. As soon as DH has cleaned his teeth, I attack the bathroom, bedroom, washing, ironing and kitchen. By which time it's time to get lunch.

He always used to wonder why I kept asking if he'd cleaned his teeth - as if I was worried about his dental hygiene! It was just to know if I could finally put my rubber gloves on and get going!

Franbern Mon 01-Jun-20 09:10:01

Gwenisgreat - I can sympathise with you on this. Back in the 1970's I had three very young children. My next door neightbour gave birth to her first child. She had been in a very high-flying job prior to that.

She struggled with this baby - and one day, the visiting Health Visitor suggested to her that she should visit me more often (we did have occasional cups of coffee together), to see how much more relaxed she could be.

Sort of backhanded compliment it turned out, The HV was concerned that the house of this new mum was always totally spotless, and she was still doing so much baking, bottling, etc. Wanted her to see my messy house.

Cabbie21 Fri 29-May-20 12:23:26

My plumber, when he last came, told me never to put a block of cleanser in the cistern as it corrodes it.

FarNorth Sun 24-May-20 13:24:00

P.s. I also put a colourless block in the cistern, never a blue one, and totally never never a nasty little plastic cage thing in the bowl.
TMI? Soz.

FarNorth Sun 24-May-20 13:20:21

I used to have a blank spot about cleaning the toilet blush.
I would simply ignore the bottle of toilet cleaner and not do it.
Now I have no bottle of toilet cleaner, and I squirt in some shower gel and give the toilet a good scrub.
Why is one easy to do and the other not? I have no idea.

caro19671 Sun 24-May-20 12:03:55

My husband has been sewing nhs scrubs at our kitchen table. Whilst this is a great thing to do I haven’t been able to use my kitchen properly in weeks - he is the most untidy person I have ever met and as much as I love him it’s getting me down. No good suggesting I talk to him about it, he has Aspergers and could argue black was white if he needed to!! Ahhhhh

Liz46 Sat 23-May-20 09:13:53

I thoroughly cleaned the bathroom yesterday. The very strong wind blew in all sorts of rubbish and it looks awful now. The moral is - don't bother!

Witzend Sat 23-May-20 08:43:12

When dh was still working and I was self employed at home and had barely done the bare minimum of housework (often!) I was ahem sometimes known to spray some nice e.g. lavender polish about, esp. near the front door.

Poor old dh was easily fooled - he’d sniff the air and say, ‘You’ve been cleaning!’ in a pleasantly surprised sort of tone.
?

sodapop Fri 22-May-20 15:52:40

Each to their own of course, I do like everything to be clean and hygienic however we have several pets so I battle every day against dog hair, paw marks and the problems of an elderly dog with bladder problems.
He ho it keeps me fit ( ish )

Kim19 Fri 22-May-20 14:24:02

I'm building up my antibodies.

FarNorth Fri 22-May-20 12:58:44

Jeezo, Naty.
(I do the shaking outside thing, but not quite everything else that you do smile )

I'm happy I don't have a shower, tho.

Juliet27 Fri 22-May-20 06:02:38

Naty do you run a hotel?

Naty Fri 22-May-20 05:01:51

People complaining about this thread don't have to read it.grin

Naty Fri 22-May-20 05:00:43

Squeegee shower after EVERY shower.
Wipe sink morn and night.
Wipe toilet morn and night.
Vaccum once a day.
Keep hair up at home to avoid shedding.
No pets.
No shoes in house.
Shake out all sheets and towels outside before laundering.

hollysteers Fri 22-May-20 01:42:27

Through lockdown, I have tackled one dumping ground room and piles of papers stretching back years. I do believe the papers and boxes are copulating behind my back, as the more I do, the more appears..This means I have ignored everything else and I have the bedroom of a teenager...then the sun calls me out.
I’m not sure if I will ever be really sorted.

hollysteers Fri 22-May-20 01:36:40

Lupin, you reminded me of the late Kenny Everett who said he was getting concerned as he had started polishing the hoover!?

Bluegrass Thu 21-May-20 22:51:44

grin sorry.....zzzx

FarNorth Thu 21-May-20 20:52:22

Bluegrass thanks for your useful input. grin

Mamma7 Thu 21-May-20 17:09:28

My house is a bit of a tip as I’ve been saying for 8 weeks I’ll do lots of major housework on the rainy days ? (I do a speedy, essential day to day clean). So my husband and I work in the garden and outside jobs....and since last week play golf according to new golf guidelines. Don’t know when house will be back to normal and decluttered etc and tbh I don’t care ?‍♂️ ? Will do my wardrobes in November!

Bluegrass Thu 21-May-20 15:20:49

Sorry, but I won't be reading this thread...?

JMarion Thu 21-May-20 15:11:59

Seefah, I too hold the soapy plates etc.under!the hot tap beca use they dont need drying

Lindylou57 Thu 21-May-20 14:25:59

I clean because if I dont I can hear my deceased M-I-Ls voice criticising my home, my sister in laws roll of the eyes as they spot something and that awful feeling I have had all my life telling me I am not good enough. It doesn't matter what the weather is I can't relax until its all done and yes that usually means I dont get to do what I would really like to do like go for a bike ride, read a book or just sit in the garden.

Puzzler61 Thu 21-May-20 13:57:01

I vacuum the curtains rather than take them down and get them cleaned.
I saw it done on a programme about a stately home and I thought “that’ll do for me”.

I have several cotton twist dusting gloves (Lakeland). It’s so easy to put one on and run it along tables, and ledges and twist it round and over ornaments and then it goes in the washing machine.

Charleygirl5 Thu 21-May-20 13:42:37

Many moons ago I knew a lady who lived in a 5 bedroom house and she cleaned it every day. It was not somewhere I ever felt comfortable.

Rosina Thu 21-May-20 13:26:17

I worked with a woman who was obsessive to put it mildly about cleaning; she sat at her desk one day looking agitated, and then exclaimed 'I know what was worrying me - I forgot to buff the taps this morning!' Tragic.