what are your opinions of what the following are: an untidy house, a dirty house, a clean house

[katak]

People have such different ideas about housework.So, in the interests of finding a shared understanding of the topic of good and bad housekeeping, in your opinion what makes a house just untidy as opposed to actually dirty? Is it "unclean" to have dust on the skirting boards? Is it unclean to have cobwes anywhere at all?I don't think that either of those = dirty- but some people might.

If a basin is not cleaned every day, is that dirty?????

WHy do some people think that you need to "dust" everything daily in order to avoid "it building up?" What exactly are they are scared of building up???How can you dust daily- there would be no dust on day 2. And these people who dust all the time- are you actually cleaning too, or just removing dust? Do you get up on a chair and clean the tops of your kitchen units? Do you pull everything out form under all the beds daily and clean under there too?

How far do you take it? If someone does a big job in the loo, does it bother you if there remains a tiny bit of it in the loo bowl after flushing, for more than one day?
Do you judge people badly if you think there house is not clean/tidy enough?

[katak]

that's 'their' not 'there'

[avenanap]

I don't really care what someone's house is like. I like them for who they are. That's just me though.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

I cannot stand dirty appliances, fingerprints on light switches, dirty plugs and dusty skirting boards. If I see these things, my clean radar does go up and I do go into judgement mode - I can't help it! It takes 5 mins to wipe a light switch/plug and give the kettle/toaster a wipe down every now and then and it makes all the difference to how clean a room can look too!

As for the loo - no excuse to leave marks in the loo! Put a bit of bleach down for a few mins and then flush it!

I think I'm quite fussy actually....

[avenanap]

I don't go to the loo in my friends who are on the messy sides houses. I have learnt my lesson after finding an overflowing bin in someones bathroom. Full of nappies and sanitary towels. I don't drink/eat/go to the loo. I sit down and chat.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

I would be horrified if someone wasn't comfortable enough to use my loo or felt able to take a drink from me! I make an effort to make sure my home is nice and welcoming for others when they visit so I expect the same back...I'm not talking about mess mind you -y ou cannot avoid that with a child, but more along the lines of basic hygiene and good cleaning standards....

[charliecat]

Dust maybe 4 x a year.
Take 2 days tidying up before people visit.
Do occasionally either wipe or paint over manky walls.
Hoover maybe twice a month(lost the hoover in the clutter for 6 months;))
If my basin was cleaned one a day id be at the doctors for treatment for OCD.
Toilet, try to keep clean, good scrub once a weekish.
Bedsheets, every half term.(reaise this was classed as RANK last time I mentioned it) We bath daily and clean jim jams every night.
Hate housework.
Admire one friends organisation and clutterfreeness, admire anothers for not conforming and just not doing it.
Judge - when the smells so bad it makes me heave.

[avenanap]

Mine's always clean. Apart from the sofa and a bit of washing up. The dirty sanitary towels and nappies were way too much for me though. I try to meet her at my house. She's lovely apart from this.

What I wouldn't do for a clutter (lego) free house.

[windygalestoday]

this is the truth - my lovely but messy friend had such a manky house her mother paid for it to be cleaned so that i could take my new born ds3 to her house in safety - shes the nicest girl in the world but doesnt 'do' housework if she can help it ....its that bad she once came home and there was a police car there- her new neighbour went round and thought shed been burgled whilst she was out

[avenanap]

Lol! The funnniest thing is though, she came around last week and offered to help me declutter!!!! I just smiled. All my neighbours do that. I have alot of books and Lego. Or rather ds does.

[harpomarx]

charliecat.

I could have written your post!

except hoover loads more cos clean carpet kind of detracts from the other stuff (in my mind, obviously!)

[charliecat]

Yay, a fellow slattern I brush daily, into a pile, in the hall that sits there for DAYS, getting bigger, and bigger, yea a brushed/hoovered floor does make the place look better, I agree

[charliecat]

sorry, i much prefer sitting on the net or laying in the garden or supping coffee or ANYTHING other than cleaning. It only comes back. Within the hour too in my house.
Waste of a life, IMO.

[avenanap]

I have a sign on my fridge 'housework is evil and must be banned'. Sums up my house really. It's not dirty though.

[harpomarx]

I do hate the tidying up 2 days before people visit though charliecat, can't we do something about that?

book them a hotel maybe?

[charliecat]

I hate it, makes me cry actually. Hate it THAT much. It makes me cull clutter, and clean places I wouldnt normally....if only I got some pleasure from it!!!!
My mum comes in when im on holiday and deep cleans once a year.

[solo]

I don't invite anyone round if my place is bad and if I'm ill, it's usually bad...But!
Never have skids in the loo. Cooker hob always clean. Crockery/cutlery always clean. Personal hygeine always A1. Clothes clean if not ironed, even though I dislike un-ironed clothing.
Usually try to vacuum before Dp gets back at the weekend, even though it's my house, not his. Make sure washing up done. Sink clean. Bathroom half decent(basin/bath clean).

Top tip;
If you leave dust for 4 years, you don't see it anymore! but don't let the kids run their fingers through it or you'll be rumbled!

[LobstersLass]

charliecat, you are a star. That's exactly what I'm like.

[thumbwitch]

charliecat, I felt so much better after reading your post! Although I do like a bit of a hoovered carpet, I can't beat DH into doing it until he thinks it's bad too (bad back so can't do it myself unless Desperate)

I do like clean work surfaces in kitchen, can't bear skiddies in the loo or tidemarks in the sink/bath and prefer washing up not to be left all over the kitchen. Apart from that, no issues really...

BUT I can't bear clothes being left on the floor! Or towels or anything like that. And I like to have clear floor space in the middle of a room; it can pile up to the ceiling around the walls but I like to be able to see the floor in the middle.

Weird split personality type problem going on there...

[1dilemma]

charliecat your post made me smile (but we do change sheets more often!)

I do have a secret (or not so anymore ) aspiration to be Scandinavian and totally decluttered

[heronsfly]

Another star for charliecat from me, my house is just the same ,although I do know where the hoover is because we keep falling over it,its the hoses that have gone missing under clutter somewhere.

[EffiePerine]

Prob in the middle. I try ad make sure everything gets done once a week and ignore it in between times

[FairyMum]

I love visiting people who have cobwebs and dirty light switches. It makes me feel relaxed and at home.