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Original poster

How house-proud are you?

50 replies

Pekitothebunny · 26/12/2024 16:08

I have a few questions, just because I am interested in what other people are like and how they feel.

If someone is coming over, even just to pop round, do you go around cleaning/tidying and wouldn’t want anyone to come in if the house isn’t tidy?

Would you expect/tell visitors to take their shoes off before coming in?

If you have pets, so you let them on the furniture?

Are you able to relax in your home if it isn’t completely tidy and clean?

OP posts:

Loafbeginsat60 · 26/12/2024 18:22

I do clean / tidy if guests are coming but it's generally clean and tidy anyway

People take off their shoes here because outside is muddy (farming community) and we all do that in everyone's homes!

No I can't relax until the house is tidy. I could never leave dishes in the sink or not clear the table and then go and sit down and watch tv.

StarMincePies · 26/12/2024 18:22

I am fairly relaxed. I like to make sure everything is clean but may not be tidy.

Eg my Mum would have had all the Christmas gifts tidied away by now. But I find my DC don't really play with things unless they are still out. They enjoy being surrounded by their new things. So the chaos and mess stays for a few days/ a week or so. Even with visitors.

Loafbeginsat60 · 26/12/2024 18:22

Pets! Yes they sometimes get on the sofa for a cuddle at night but then I would hoover it afterwards.

DancingFerret · 26/12/2024 18:24

I come from a long line of non-houseproud women and am fortunate in having a DH who's equally laid back.

Our home is just that - our home; it's not a show home. The kitchen, bathrooms, and cloakroom are always clean, and bedding is washed and changed weekly, but beyond that we don't stress over the odd dusty skirting board or haphazard pile of books, and the cats are free to settle wherever they like.

Life's too short, but I do appreciate others have different priorities.

greengreyblue · 26/12/2024 18:26

My house is tidy most of the time. But yes I would have a quick whizz around quickly if not. Have a dog and she is allowed on sofa sometimes. We have mostly wooden floors downstairs so not too bothered by shoes and wouldn’t ask a guest to remove shoes though I would in their house. Always have a proper clean before guests come.Shows respect I think and is just more pleasant .

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 26/12/2024 18:28

I think I'm quite house proud if I have guests I'll definitely tidy up.

I get a bit twitchy when the house is messy but I'm not OTT about it.

The dog (small breed) and cat go where they like.

I prefer shoes off in the house but I wouldn't ask a guest to remove them unless they look really muddy or something.

Kitkat1523 · 26/12/2024 18:28

My home is only ever 5 mins from being completely clean and tidy….clean floors daily ….showers and toilets cleaned daily….kitchen left spotless every evening…..lounges tidied every evening…we have no clutter

JollyHollyMe · 26/12/2024 18:30

I dont think taking shoes off is house proud
My homes are pretty neat but I would never dream of asking a guest to remove their footwear- it is just rude.

greengreyblue · 26/12/2024 18:30

Kitkat1523 · 26/12/2024 18:28

Yeah before bed, kitchen surfaces are cleaned, dishwasher on, floor swept. In living room cushions are plumped, throws folded autmafically before bed.

Bluecat7 · 26/12/2024 18:37

I thought was quite messy until I started tutoring- people don’t bother cleaning up for the tutor. So I actually think we’re quite average. But I have also worked in homes that are absolutely show home pristine. Which I find a bit soulless.

bluebee17 · 26/12/2024 18:41

I'm extremely house proud and always guest ready.

Guests can keep their shoes on the hard floor but must take them off on the carpet sections of the house.

I have a 3 year old golden retriever who is allowed on the furniture but she get bath once a week and I wet vac all carpet and sofa is once a fortnight.

No, I can't relax if my house if it's a mess or untidy, it gives me severe anxiety and is really bad for my mental health.

Even when I worked very long hours still found time to clean.

I now work from home and my daughter started school a couple years ago it's much easy to help on top of things.

LindorDoubleChoc · 26/12/2024 18:41

On a scale of 1 to 10, probably about a 3.

Our kitchen and bathroom have to be hygienic (but by no means spotless in every single remote corner), everything else gets quite messy and the house is never visitor ready.

We don't hoard trash though and don't have towering piles of unused stuff. Maybe we're a 4.

LittleRedRidingHoody · 26/12/2024 18:44

Pretty spotless these days, as have caved and upped cleaning hours significantly. Before that, probably messy but clean - I'll definitely move piles of stuff to a shut-door room when someone comes over!

Fabulouslyunfabulous · 26/12/2024 18:48

I wouldn’t run around tidying up if we had guests. Our family and friends aren’t coming to view our house.

We do take shoes off but only because we are surrounded by countryside and our drive is extremely muddy!

The pets rule the house and can go where they want!

I’m always relaxed regardless of what state the house is in (although it’s never that awful so maybe I just don’t know).

JBJ · 26/12/2024 18:50

My house is always clean, but tidy is another matter as I'm a terrible clutter bug! Wouldn't take me too long to be visitor ready though.

I always take shoes off at the door, but it's all hard flooring downstairs, so I'm not militant about guests taking theirs off. No shoes upstairs at all though.

I have a non-shedding dog and he's allowed in the dogs, but there's always a throw covering it which gets changed/washed regularly.

KneesUnder · 26/12/2024 18:52

Our house is always ready for visitors (in that it’s clean and tidy although not a show home). Wouldn’t dream of asking anyone to take their shoes off. Cats go where they like, dogs stay downstairs and off the furniture (although this is DH’s rule- if it were just up to me, all pets would go everywhere).

EnglishGirlApproximately · 26/12/2024 18:54

I'm pretty house proud but as a tidy family it doesn't really take much effort to keep on top of it. Family of three who all tidy as we go, robot hoover goes around daily and kitchen and bathroom briefly wiped down most days mean that we stay visitor ready. We don't buy much to cause untidiness really as none of us like clutter (we spend on holidays and days out more than stuff). Ds room is probably the untidiest with loads of teddies but it's still clean and ok.

RaveToTheGrave1 · 26/12/2024 18:55

Eh not very tbh. My cats go everywhere but they don't shed loads, my home is very comfy hippy and maximalist, hoover every couple of days, washing up usually done same day, sometimes, floors mostly free besides bloody beanbags, everyone always says they feel welcome and feel at home so I concentrate on that more ❤️

Upstartled · 26/12/2024 18:55

So, yeah, I keep the place pretty neat and tidy with a little and often approach but will freshen things up and make sure things are right if someone is coming around. We don't have pets. I don't tell visitors to take their shoes off - but the hoover would be around pretty swiftly once they'd left if they trailed in mud.

ItsCalledAConversation · 26/12/2024 18:58

I think my house is lovely, comfortable and reasonably clean. We tidy up hoover and clean bathrooms etc, when we have visitors (and just regularly anyway). I’m perfectly happy with it. My germ-phobic SIL won’t put her baby down on the floor when she’s here. We’re all different!!

HereForTheAnimals · 26/12/2024 19:02

I'd say that I would want my house to look presentable if someone was visiting, but I wouldn't need it to be immaculate.

I wouldn't ask visitors to take off their shoes, but I have wood floors downstairs. If I had a carpet, that might be different. I would not think anything if I was asked to take my shoes off whilst visiting someone else.

The dog basically owns the sofa. Anyone who has an issue with this would never be invited anyway.

I am able to relax if not absolutely tidy and clean.

WalterdelaMare · 26/12/2024 19:02

Don’t care about shoes, pets welcome on furniture. House is always clean and tidy and absolutely no clutter.

Thethruththewholetruth · 26/12/2024 19:22

I’m neurotic to be honest and it’s not great. I drive myself insane, I can’t relax if there is anything out of place, I hoover and clean everyday, I cant settle at all, I am a slave to my house, it looks like a show home. I wish I could be different!

Moveoverdarlin · 26/12/2024 19:25

I’m quite laidback about cleaning but if someone was popping round, I would go to town and tidy. Don’t have loads of clutter but would hoover, tidy kitchen.

Would never ask anyone to take their shoes off.

I let the dog on the sofa but put a blanket down, if guests were coming I’d whip the blanket off.

Original poster

Pekitothebunny · 27/12/2024 09:15

Thanks for answering everyone! I had started to wonder how many people truly care about the house being spotless for guests because every time I have someone coming over, even just to pop by, I immaculately clean and tidy the whole house. I don’t know why I feel like I will be judged if it’s not like that. However, when I go to other peoples houses they look very lived in and I can tell that they haven’t ran around cleaning up before I came. But I don’t actually care, I don’t judge them for it or think anything of it at all. So it made me think maybe I’m OTT and actually no one will mind if my house is a bit messy. I like hearing about how everyone is different though.

In terms of shoes, I wouldn’t ask anyone to take them off, but I would hope that they would, out of respect for my home and carpets. I always automatically take my shoes off in other peoples houses, as I think this is polite

OP posts:

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