If I had a house it would always be tidy?

I live alone and it's fairly clean. Always thought lack of time was the reason I hadn't done a deep clean then lockdown hit and I realised it wasn't lack of time

Christ, I'm naturally stressed out by mess and chaos but I'm not able to have perfect control over every single member of my household, every single minute of every single day! People say it's so easy if you tiday as you go but there are six of us and three big dogs in our house. It's a big house and I also work - going to bed late just isn't enough to cover all that needs to be done to keep it in showroom condition.

I have spent the morning putting together Ikea furniture for the playroom (just having a quick break before I have to get back to it). While I've been doing this, my mother has been baking God knows what in the kitchen with my young children. She has dementia and has lost any sense of neat and tidy, plus her sense of smell. When she attempts to clean and tidy, the chaos leaves me far more work than if she's just left it alone. Therefore, by the time I get to the kitchen in a couple of hours it will have been a disaster area all day. I mean serious 'let's bring in the specialist cleaners' territory. Therefore my house is not always clean and tidy, as much as I would like it to be. There's no realistic way to avoid this apart from to ban them all from using the kitchen, which is unpleasant and unrealistic. And that's just one example of how it's ridiculous to be quite so fucking smug. I wonder what all of those 'oh no, it' so easy to keep it clean and tidy' people would like to suggest? And the OP's colleague sounds like she's in for a big shock when real life hits.

I have a house and it's always clean and tidy. I have two children.

@cadygal257

Snap. My parents were/are utter slobs. I hated it growing up. My house is always tidy, if you are a naturally tidy person and have routines in place it's not hard to stay on top off

My mum thinks I spend all my time cleaning, I really don't I'm just tidy.

-////:::

Maybe that's why people think that, people with clean tidy houses are obsessed with cleaning - when we are so not

I hate quotes like this
What's the other one, my floor might be dirty but my kids are making memories!

It's more than possible to have each tidy clean home and a full life

Snap. My parents were/are utter slobs. I hated it growing up. My house is always tidy, if you are a naturally tidy person and have routines in place it's not hard to stay on top off

My mum thinks I spend all my time cleaning, I really don't I'm just tidy.

Tidy and clean are different. My house is always clean (unless something has just happened in the minutes beforehand) but that’s because I have a cleaner three times a week. However, I have young children and pets, so it often has toys, art work etc out.

@fieldsofbutterflies

BringMeSunshineAllDayLong
I could have a clean and tidy house if I wanted to but I prioritise lying in bed, having sex, reading, going on my phone, hanging out with my kids, going out playing sport, watch sport, going to gigs, walking my dogs, working, cooking, drinking beer, playing games etc etc. My house is tidyish and cleanish.
She can go what she likes.

See, comments like this annoy me because they imply that everyone who has a clean and tidy house must be achieving it at the expense of "having a life".

It's perfectly possible to have both. My house is always clean and tidy. I also work, have multiple animals, have a social life and spend my weekends doing whatever I fancy.

*
Totally agree @fieldsofbutterflies
That post implies because me and dh spent an hour 15 between us cleaning the house yesterday, we haven't got a life.
Couldn't be further from the truth
I can still lay in bed till lunch, have sex, work full time, party , exercise, garden
Even if you get up at noon- there is still a good 8 hours to do stuff.
Anyway, was up at 9am today , so off to live life

If it was just me, I would to be fair.

Some people are naturally tidy others not.
I’m not but I don’t like mess so I clean everyday.

Dh would say he’s tidier than me. He tidies away as he goes. However if he makes the bed it’s never very neat and the bathroom cupboard is never fully closed because his toilet bag is not put properly away.

I know lots of tidy people but it’s all superficial, their skirtings are dusty and cupboards rammed.
My mil was like this. Everything looked clean as long as you didn’t delve.

One of the nice things about owning your own home is you can keep it as tidy or messy as you like. I'm not that fussed by a bit of mess and I like to spend a lot of my free time on projects rather than housework. If others are more minimalist that's fine too.

See, comments like this annoy me because they imply that everyone who has a clean and tidy house must be achieving it at the expense of "having a life".

It's perfectly possible to have both. My house is always clean and tidy. I also work, have multiple animals, have a social life and spend my weekends doing whatever I fancy.

Same

Haven't read all the responses, but my thoughts are, your house is only clean if you clean it.
Whether that happens at the weekend or otherwise...
Op is cleaning her house at the weekend. No biggie...

My house would be so clean if I lived alone 🤣

I could have a clean and tidy house if I wanted to but I prioritise lying in bed, having sex, reading, going on my phone, hanging out with my kids, going out playing sport, watch sport, going to gigs, walking my dogs, working, cooking, drinking beer, playing games etc etc. My house is tidyish and cleanish.
She can go what she likes.

I have a friend whose house is showhome orderly @IFHTTBIC - it’s a bit spooky going round there!
My house is clean and tidy because we all make an effort to keep it that way, and we have a cleaner. I hate mess and clutter, if things are got out they are put away, we have a place for everything. We also don’t have too much ‘stuff’ in communal areas.
It looks like a lived in family home but it’s kept neat and tidy and clean.
Maybe the person who made the comment would always keep their house clean and tidy and not have to spend too much time maintaining it.
Things like putting laundry away are just never ending chores though, that’s a daily task here - washing and putting away clothes, same as loads of other stuff, hoovering, wiping the kitchen sides etc, a few minutes here and there mean the difference between having to actively set aside time to ‘do the cleaning’ and not.

I have a friend whose house is always show home immaculate (she doesn't watch much TV apart from escape to the country type programs). She has no pets, no children, and a 4 hour a week job as partner is well off so she can and does spend every minute cleaning. I'm terrified to visit her in case I knock anything over. In fact I've refused to visit any longer and from now on we'll just be meeting up for very occasional coffees.

My house doesn't look like that but most people aren't afraid of coming in.

I agree that it’s just a way to put people down. It’s always aimed at women too!

It’s odd isn’t it!

I guess I know I am tidying but I see it as part of doing skincare, like drying myself and hanging my towels back up is part of having a shower, or washing up is part of cooking a meal.

I personally find I can’t settle if I haven’t put my stuff away - it’s like the job isn’t “finished” yet.

You see messages like this try and make you feel guilty for enjoying the calm of a tidy house.
I've always been tidy.
Hasn't stopped me travelling, abseiling etc , having 4 kids, working full time.
Throwing parties Etc
Working my way up the property ladder (by doing houses up )
I couldn't live my life fully from a place messy chaos.
Please tell me this quote is a lie spread by people who cba to clean to put others down.

Funny how we see it differently! I for example get my skincare bag out in the morning and pull out a product, use it, then tidy it back into bag. After all used I'll tidy the bag back into the cupboard. While I'm using my skincare my bathroom is not tidy til I've put it all away again.

You sure she wasn't agreeing with you? You said you're you're etc maybe she thought that was you always being tidy?

I said that when I lived in a bedroom. And now my house is usually clean and tidy. I know myself and I need clean to feel comfortable.

Yes to this!