Well at least that has made me tidy up!

Expecting visitors always motivates me too, but I do clean daily due to two dogs, one cat and one husband. I can't relax until my chores are done.
I always had a cleaner when I was working as I didn't want to waste precious leisure time changing beds, vacuuming etc. There is always a good book waiting to be read or a TV programme to watch and of course GN.

In those circumstances I amaze myself at how quickly I can move!

What you need is someone from the family to suddenly ring you up and say "We'll be down in half and hour to see you for a coffee". Believe me, if anything get me tidying, that does.

I have to wait until I get hit by a 'whim'. These 'whims' galvanise me into action immediately and I try to take advantage of them in case it's a long time before another 'whim' hits me.

I have a cleaner who does what I think of as the easy bits - dusting and vacuuming. I can’t bring myself to have anyone other than myself clean the bathrooms and cloakroom as it seems too menial. When she leaves the rest of the house always looks like a show home, so it’s worth having her every two weeks.

The sun is at work and I had to walk around with my fluffy lambswool duster, it is a magician at picking up dust. Ahh the stainless steel fridge door, by the handle, the sun showed that up to and then I went closer, I never saw the other drips until then. I blame older eyes

We are having a blitz at the moment as we are planning to move nearer on of my chidren. Although we weren't planning to move until next year, we have someone who is interested in buying it and is coming to view next week! My husband has a lot of books & mags.

gosh i wish i could be galvanised into action
I am the sort of person who people say in whispers ' iwent round Jane's house and she was in her pyjamas and the house was in such a state' even though it was 8pm and they were not invited

Family visits always galvanise me/us into action. But it can take us 3 weeks to get visitor ready as we just do a little bit each day, we find it really exhausting now. It's just as bad when they leave and we have to strip and remake beds. On a day-to-day basis bathrooms and kitchen are kept clean but the vacuum cleaner only comes out when the dust bunnies gather in the corners. As for tidy, if I can walk around the house without tripping over things then it's tidy!

Going on holiday for me too, 4allweknow. Our neighbours come in to water the plants while we are away and I can't abide the thought of them seeing a grubby house or coming home to one myself either.

Germanshepherdsmum

I’d love to have a cleaner as I loathe housework more with every passing year, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask someone else to do what I don’t like doing, even for money. Obviously it would be different if I were disabled. I have always felt this way, doubtless because Mum didn’t have a cleaner. I know it provides someone else with money, but …

My Mum never had a cleaner either but envied her friend Mavis who had. When asked why she wanted a cleaner when she actually enjoyed housework she always said. "So that people can see her scrubbing the steps like Mavis's one does".A step up in the world I suppose.
I am not like my mum but keep things tidy so it looks as if I do. My paternal Gran hated cleaning like me and if someone popped in unexpected she pushed everything under the setee and the cushions. As children, we used to dive under them and find her stockings or granddad's socks which she had been drying in front of the fire.

I dont encourage visitors but when they come they take it as they find it. If they dont like it I am happy to point out the route to the door.

Inviting visitors makes us tidy up, but actually, the place is reasonably tidy, as I happen to like housework.

I have a weekly plan and a fortnightly one that together cover the basic minimum (bathroom every week) hall and wash-kitchen floor washed every fortnight , kitchen bins emptied and washed the day before bin-day- you all know the sort of thing.

Where I need the help of a good old-fashioned kick in the pants is with things like making a dental appointment, cutting the grass, or the hedges or de-freezing the freezer!

Can I have his phone number please, MawtheMerrier? ?

This morning friends and I were discussing having a cleaner/cleaners occasionally, the ones who do a complete deep clean rather than flick a duster and a vacuum around (I can do that still).

Another friend once said that it's surprising what you can achieve in 15 minutes if someone phones to ask if they can pop round! That is so true.

Knowing visitors are coming to stay means a much more thorough clean.

I have just waved goodbye to DS&DDiL and DGS who stayed for a month. I did make up beds and a little advance cooking but I left plenty for them to help with!
We had a family party while they were here so the house is looking quite spruce for a change.
Day to day, I do the minimum but I do have a gardener each week.
When my DC were small I had a cleaner once a week so I could pretend I lived in a beautiful house if only once a week.

Going away for a week. I have to clean everywhere. Suppose stems from fear of being burgled and the house not being tidy. I know, nowadays a burglary usually means your house being turned upside down. Also when window cleaner has done the outsides and I can see the film of dirt on the inside.

Sandy73

Elspeth45

I haven't stopped cleaning since my cataract op 3 weeks ago. Am shocked at what I haven't seen before!

Oh, I experienced that last year!! The place suddenly looked shocking!

My aunt had the same effect when_ driving_ after her cataract op

Usually when guests are expected, but I always say I dont live in a showhouse and i like the place to feel "lived in". This is probably to cover up my embarrassment at being found in a mess! My biggest cleaning shame was when my first grandchild was nearing his 1st Christmas. Hearing my daughter say "take a good look at Grandma's, it only looks this tidy at this time of year"

We have the perfect strategy, if you have the space it works like a dream. We have three reception rooms; a living room, dining room and formal sitting room. The formal sitting room and family bathroom are ALWAYS clean and tidy, so if we have unexpected visitors we go into the formal sitting room and the family bathroom is also clean and available. All the other doors are closed and it doesn’t matter if the rest of the house looks like a bomb has gone off. Obviously this only works if you aren’t open plan and have the space. It certainly saves my stress levels! ?

Good question there, Maw! I'm afraid my answer is nothing. Since Covid I have become lazier and lazier. Yes, if someone is coming I do a quick flick round and make sure the downstairs loo is clean-to-visitor-standard. I do keep the used bit of the house up to scratch really anyway. But oh dear! The paperwork!! I need someone up there to say "Right. In four weeks' time I'm coming to get you, so get that lot sorted! Oh and make a will!!"

With a mother who worked full time in the days when everyone else’s mother was at home I yearned for a clean and tidy home, whilst my mother much preferred a cigarette and the Telegraph crossword. I think therefore that I did my life’s worth of housework by the time I was 16 and have had a cleaner for 55 of my 60 married years. My present friend and helper has been with us for 26 years and means reasonably high domestic standards. She was wonderful with DH during his last illness and knows me better than I know myself. My trouble is that I value order and cleanliness, just don’t enjoy the effort involved.

I also do a big clean at holiday time, though my daughter in law has been known to do a seriously big clean while I’m gone.

It was disconcerting when Alexa asked me if I would like her to give me some cleaning tips.

I'm surprised by the number of people that have a cleaner! Personally I wouldn't want anyone else rooting about in my home. Even though there's only myself and hubby at home, I still work and he's messy. I do one chore every day after work. I either do the ironing, change a bed, hoover etc. This way I can keep things down. I do nothing at all on a Saturday.

An old friend I hadn't seen for over 30 years was coming to visit me a few weeks ago. I went round the whole place like a wild thing, and also tidied the garden up!
Luckily I keep the place tidy-ish most of the time and blitz each room every 3 months or so.
I have to wait 30 minutes each morning after taking tablets before I can have my breakfast. I do some cleaning then and it's surprising what gets done in half an hour so I feel on top of things.

I can honestly say some rooms in my house have not a complete blitz for…. Years! DH does not let me touch his study, though I push the Shark in as far as it will go from time to time. He used to clear his desk when his mother came, but since she died it has not been done. In the bedroom we can no longer move the furniture so only the most accessible areas get cleaned.