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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have a very messy house because it's too hot to clean?

63 replies

hhhhhhhhi · 09/07/2026 23:10

Honestly the only way I can cope is to have a fan pointed at me at all times. I can barely find the energy to cook dinner let alone tidy up. Anyone else?

OP posts:
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justasking111 · 12/07/2026 22:33

Our eating habits are up the wall. Breakfast normal. Lunch for the last two days home made smoked mackerel pate and crackers.

Dinner tonight DH fried a few prawns in garlic, chopped some peppers with coleslaw. I just threw some KFC type chicken drumsticks in the air fryer.

Pudding was melon and a choc ice.

House work is a swish round in the morning DH does the kitchen I do the bathroom. Haven't hoovered since Wednesday nor mopped.

I had a shower before bed didn't bother with a thorough towelling just put nightie on over damp skin and collapsed on the bed.

My exercise routine has gone to pot a bit too. Physio says that's okay.

Neuronimo · 12/07/2026 22:23

I've tidied, kept the toilets, basins and kitchen work surfaces clean and hoovered the downstairs a couple of times. The carpeted top floor hasn't been hoovered in about ten days and I can't actually remember when I last dusted. The good news is the washing basket in empty and all the bedding changes up to date because of the heat.

I feel a blitz coming on when it's cooler.

hhhhhhhhi · 12/07/2026 22:16

So happy to have found my fellow heatwave slobs here! 😂I have at least been cooking myself dinner (although something which takes minimal cooking). Live on my own so it's just me to take care of but also just me to clean and do the chores, which I have been ignoring. Tonight, it finally cooled down and I did a proper clean, woo.

OP posts:
Loulou4022 · 11/07/2026 10:11

I’m not an early riser on a Saturday but I was up and in Lidl for 9. Just packed it all away and had a dairy milk ice cream for brekkie!! Probably should get some washing on and clean the cats tray but it’s already so hot!

AllotmentTime · 10/07/2026 20:45

Yanbu. We have builders in, there's stuff everywhere and it's all covered in dust. I have no energy to tackle it, am managing to wipe the kitchen down and not much else. Can't use the washing machine much except at weekends, everything is filthy. Having myself, my bed, my clothes and my house clean at the same time feels like a far off dream.

Solmum1964 · 10/07/2026 20:33

justasking111 · 10/07/2026 20:07

Physio gave me two new exercises. 3 sets of 10 she said for each one. I managed five this evening before really not being able to continue in the heat.

Tea was tomatoes from the greenhouse in a sandwich. The tomatoes were too warm 😞

I have fond memories of tomato sandwiches on school trips. Two slices of bread - no butter - thinly sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt. Just perfect. For variety I also had banana sandwiches 😁

Ellensapple · 10/07/2026 20:09

I’m off work at the moment and to capitalise I seem to have come up with the insane idea to clean my entire conservatory. It is killing me.

Minniliscious · 10/07/2026 20:08

I have a few people around for a bbq tomorrow. Usually I’d be cleaning the house in preparation but bugger it. They’ll be mostly outside anyway.

Will do the bare minimum in the morning by running hoover about downstairs and wiping around the downstairs toilet.

justasking111 · 10/07/2026 20:07

Physio gave me two new exercises. 3 sets of 10 she said for each one. I managed five this evening before really not being able to continue in the heat.

Tea was tomatoes from the greenhouse in a sandwich. The tomatoes were too warm 😞

QuietlyWonderful · 10/07/2026 19:56

KissKissByeBye · 10/07/2026 09:00

Hey, that’s a balanced meal! 😀

Yep - one choc ice in each hand is nicely balanced!

Bunniemalone · 10/07/2026 19:39

hattie43 · 10/07/2026 06:48

I’m up doing chores at 6am . Laundry on line , kitchen and bathroom spruced up . That’s it . Anything else can wait . I hate this prolonged heat and spend the days keeping my dogs cool . Have booked AC to be installed but as expected a long month or so wait . Can’t come quick enough .

Same here, trying to wfh, keep the dogs cool & just skimming through. Kitchen bathroom & clean sheets every couple of days & no I haven't sodding ironed them! I did vac & run a mop round the other day too at 4am. I am so glad no little ones running around too. I have no idea how people with little ones are coping. We've been living off Chicken/Tuna Salad & ready made dressing as can't even be arsed to make a vinaigrette. Also 2x ductless mini split a/c units ordered & sod having a holiday next year & probably year after. Told will cool our little bungalow down easily. Sadly will be back end of September before they can be fitted. Wish we'd bitten the bullet last year.

Scarlettpixie · 10/07/2026 19:09

Just concentrate on the messy bits. Don’t worry about cleaning while it’s this hot. It will wait. Do 10 or 15 minute bursts or ideally try to keep on top of things. If you don’t feel like cooking that’s fine. I like hot meals so made leftovers so less cooking overall.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 10/07/2026 19:07

Just doing what I can early morning and a quick tidy up before bed to keep things ticking over.

Fifthtimelucky · 10/07/2026 19:05

I suspect you are being unreasonable, but my house is also very messy, for the same reason, and I don’t care!

justasking111 · 10/07/2026 18:06

Netcurtainnelly · 10/07/2026 16:09

No lawn to mow it hasn't grown in the heat.

Ours hasn't either just the odd Tufts.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 10/07/2026 17:55

I’ve been trying to keep up with it because things not being clean is so much worse in the heat. Probably not to Mn standards though.

Cooking has been hellish but it’s hard to think of cold things for every day and DS is so fussy.

Wolverine23 · 10/07/2026 17:28

ConstantlyFuriosa · 10/07/2026 05:13

That works for you? Great crack on. Plus enjoy your air con.

People have the right to express their different experiences to extreme heat. And yes, it is fucking extreme for this country.

before air con in hot and extremely humid countries women cleaned, cooked and looked after children. Get up early, fling some windows open and crack on. The excuses from people in this country is silly. It's not that extreme at 34c in hottest parts and humid levels aren't that high. The mornings are lovely and perfectly doable. Granted in the afternoon I agree as even in hot countries they have a siesta

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 10/07/2026 17:18

quantify · 09/07/2026 23:55

How messy are we talking? 🤔

Our house ( kitchen mostly) is so messy it makes me want to cry but its too hot to cry so I just forget about it until the next time I pass through 😂

This, essentially.

DS chose the last heat wave to get all his Nerf guns out, I've not had the wherewithal to do anything about the chaos that's caused so they're still everywhere and it's going to have to wait until after I've recovered from this one. The way the summer is going that might not be until September. Maybe October.

Tedsnan1 · 10/07/2026 16:40

quantify · 09/07/2026 23:55

How messy are we talking? 🤔

Our house ( kitchen mostly) is so messy it makes me want to cry but its too hot to cry so I just forget about it until the next time I pass through 😂

😅

Tedsnan1 · 10/07/2026 16:38

Belladog1 · 09/07/2026 23:20

I haven't done anything this week. Last Saturday I cleaned the house as it was cooler, but even then I didn't go mad. This week I've done absolutely nothing. It's supposed to be a bit cooler on Saturday, so I'll get reaquainted with the vacuum then

32 here tomorrow. My hoover will be staying firmly put.

purpleme12 · 10/07/2026 16:33

I have not been able to do anything today at all

So bad

The house is stifling

And it makes me feel unwell

StripyShirt · 10/07/2026 16:30

Just wash the pots and clean the worktops every day - nothing else should really be pressing unless you throw food and crumbs around your house and are unable to use the toilet without missing 😄

Netcurtainnelly · 10/07/2026 16:09

tulippa · 10/07/2026 15:43

The house is ok as I managed to blitz it this morning before it got too hot. The back garden is an absolute state though. You can't exactly mow the lawn at 6am!

No lawn to mow it hasn't grown in the heat.

thejelliclecats · 10/07/2026 16:09

I'll be unpopular I'm sure but I've just been cracking on as normal. I'm up early for work so can generally get everything done before I leave the house at 7.30 - no kids though and I don't cook, lol.

Netcurtainnelly · 10/07/2026 16:08

Itsalittlebitwarm · 10/07/2026 00:05

Are you at home all day, alone or with DC? Not that it matters but of course it's not too hot to do bloody housework!

Having grown up in hot countries when DM had 3 of us, cleaned, cooked every day, no AC and DF was training with a backpack, leather boots, full military uniform in the rainforest, no this is pathetic IMO.

I'm in my 50s, menopausal, teaching in sweltering classrooms, windows only open a crack, my fan blows warm air. This is nowhere near what my parents endured in summer Asia.

Come home, house is much cooler as curtains have been shut and DH wfh so has an AC unit in his office. I strip, lie down in front of it, have a cold shower then get on making dinner and looking after DC, do some marking then go go bed still sweaty with a fan on, get up extra early the next morning for a cool shower then leave at 7.30am for another exhausting day.

It's not just the heat at work, it's exacerbated with teenagers complaining it's too hot and I feel for them, behaviour, pressure from above to ensure you're teaching the boring prescribed powerpoints, have marked in 67 different coloured pens, noted every incident with 100 drop down boxes etc.

So, if I was at home, I would be hot but be able to make myself cooler, like DH. I walk in a dripping mess, he gets it!

Not too hot . Plenty of people doing it as a job. I wouldn't want too though.