MIL watering down my fairy liquid

[Whack]

The thread title sounds trivial and I know it is but it's driving me nuts. DH and I have recently celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary and this has been ongoing throughout married life.

MIL is on her own, and only really has us. She is a 20 minute bus ride away and will come to our house approx 4 times a week to see DH who WFH. (This annoys me as if he's working she should let him work IMO. He's too soft to tell her he is busy as if he does she flounces off telling him he's rude.)

She means well but IMO has an issue with boundaries. Her issue is, she doesn't have any boundaries. She likes to "help" although I've never asked for any of the help. DH however does appreciate it and for the sake of peace I have stopped making a fuss about her coming to our house when I'm at work and cleaning. It's tricky because I appreciate some elements of it but the boundaries are non existent, eg. Folding my knickers in my knicker drawer, leaving little items for us she thinks will be useful (but I just see as clutter) etc. Some things like hoovering and cooking are appreciated so for the most part I bite my tongue although I wish she would ask me first instead of doing it all the time.

She is quite sensitive to any kind of confrontation/ questioning and would be deeply aggrieved if I said this and/ or just ignore me and carry on. Also DH is wonderful in many ways but very over protective of his mother and thinks I'm being mean if I criticise her over any of this.

One thing in particular I want to put a stop to is she always waters down our fairy liquid. So the first few days worth of squirts are normal and then one at you turn up the bottle and go to squirt some in the sink and it pours out like water. It's so annoying! Also I resent that she does it in my home! It's a small thing but it's bloody maddening.

How can I stop this in a sensitive way? I don't want to upset her and I sometimes think I should put up with it as anyone will think it's really petty, but I don't like watery washing up liquid!

[WindyWednesday]

Hide the fairy liquid or buy a dishwasher.

[Wando1986]

Keep a 2nd bottle hidden under the sink.

[ThisIsStartingToBoreMe]

Why can't you ask your MIL not to water down the washing up liquid because you like it how it is?

[KingJoffreysRestingCuntface]

Hide it. Keep a bottle out which is for her to fuck around with.

DP has a mate who likes to mess up the towels in our bathroom. Dries his hand on them the flings them down.

I hide them before he comes over.

[SomethingBorrowed]

Just say out loud (when she is around) "oh no! Another faulty bottle of watery fairy! I'll have to throw it away again, so annoying"

[EtonMessi]

Was going to say what wanda said - buy another and hide it!

Yes, you shouldn't have to, but it might be the most effective approach.

[Cheby]

Christ OP this would drive me INSANE. No amount of free cleaning is worth this amount of intrusion.

I think the best way to tackle it would be to get your DH to ask her to stop it. In the absence of him doing that, I would probably just leave passive aggressive notes on stuff 'please don't put water in the Fairy Liquid' etc.

[Siwdmae]

Tell her straight and tell her to keep out of the fucking bedroom. I would go nuts at her folding my underwear. It's invasive and massively oversteps boundaries. If she flounces, so what?

[FizzyGreenWater]

Fake bottle of Fairy Liquid.

Lock on all bedroom doors.

Ignore DH sadface at bedroom locks as you tell him to get what he needs from the bedroom for the day as the keys are coming to work with you.

[StillDrivingMeBonkers]

You lost me at knickers drawer. Sorry. She'll have to be rehomed.

[littlepooch]

Omg this would drive me mad!!!

I think your DH should have a word with her. She needs to know boundaries!

[ThisIsStartingToBoreMe]

"DP has a mate who likes to mess up the towels in our bathroom. Dries his hand on them the flings them down."

Seriously???? Someone does this deliberately?

[littlepooch]

Sorry pressed send too soon. And if he won't then I would tell her myself. Hiding the bottle is an easy way out but it doesn't actually solve the problem.

[CantChoose]

Superglue the lid on when you buy them.

[SaucyJack]

Gaffer tape round the top of the bottle.

[MissEliza]

Omg I'd rather split up with my dh than put up with someone going into my knicker drawer. I'm not joking. Do you have dc?

[happypoobum]

Agree with PP I couldn't tolerate this at all.

[Whack]

Actually cackling reading these responses!

Trying to decide what's best, superglue which is more diplomatic, or the out and out passive aggressive gaffer taping the lid on?

[Whack]

I did start hiding it under the sink- she found it! Honestly it's like washing up with green piss.

[LEGOisMyMiddleName]

My MIL waters down fairy liquid - why would you do it ???

[Whack]

I don't know Lego what is the thinking behind it?

[Whack]

She does it to nearly new bottles.

[SaucyJack]

Actually if you want to be really passive-aggressive, then get a large HD print of a tarantula or snake (or whatevs) and place it face up at the top of your knicker drawer.

Just don't forget you've done it next time you go in for a pair of clean briefs.

[shinyredbus]

when my mum came over to help out with my newborn, she folded all my underwear and my husbands underwear! urghhh - she has form for this (used to do it when i lived at home) but my poor husband was completely embarrassed! what is it with mums and underwear drawers!