What counts as a clean and tidy house to you?

[Namechanger67]

I get very stressed when hosting, especially if the people coming over are not close friends. So every time I have guests, even if just a playdate for DC, I have to hoover the whole place, dust every surface, tidy up every corner and fully clean kitchen and bathroom to the highest standards. I also do skirting boards lol as they are white and get very dusty very often.
DH thinks I stress too much and that as long as the place looks decent, that is good enough.
What are other people standards I wonder?

I hoover downstairs twice a week, so would do one of those on the morning of visitors. Do a quick wipe if sink, taps and toilet seat. Dust the most obvious places if I hadn't dusted for a week or so. Tidy a few things up, but the main thing I'd do if I suddenly found out visitors were on the way would be the washing up, as I don't like to see it hanging around.

As my (lovely) MIL used to say, they came to see us, not the house.

If someone is feeding me as long as they're not rubbing their bare arse on the countertops or licking their plates clean I'm just happy to be there and have food.

If I'm just calling in I feel guilty when I can tell an emergency clean has been done for my benefit. I'm there to see a person not view a show home - no dirty pants on the floor, a clean cup to have a brew in, and somewhere to sit is all I require! Any clutter, dust or random floor grit would be completely ignored.

Yes!!

First of all are they coming to see you or to inspect your house? Therefore if its the former then your standard of tidiness for you is sufficient for them. No stress required.

I wouldn’t be too fussed about freshly dusted surfaces but I’d give the bathroom and kitchen a quick once over and run the Hoover around the living area unless it had just been done.

have a weekly cleaner so house is never too bad but I would still Hoover & dust downstairs, tidy up, clean bathrooms & kitchen if guests are coming . Have 2 dogs so bit paranoid about dog hair & smells xx

Those who matter don't mind.
Those who mind don't matter.

• Dr. Seuss

Those who matter don't mind.
Those who mind don't matter.

• Dr. Seuss

I’m the same, I hate clutter yet it’s somehow everywhere. But if I know I’m having guests I go militant mode and turn the place upside down. I’ve been known to put the clean washing (still in the basket…in the attic!) I didn’t have time to put it away before the guests came so shoved it up there 😂

I like it to look like no one lives here 😂

My sisters rock up in all conditions and I don’t care. Depends who it is.

Pertinent question as I know my MIL is coming round at an unknown point tomorrow when I will be working from home. I’ve given the kitchen a good clean, tidied the living room and polished in there, and tomorrow will give the bathroom a quick clean. I always strip our bed on a Friday first thing but she won’t be in any of the bedrooms. We have a cat so I tend to sweep the kitchen floor before work in the morning as he usually uses the litter tray overnight and will kick litter over it. There’s a clothes airer with a fresh load of laundry on it in the kitchen, and it’s likely the tumbler will be on while she’s here - I think both of those are fine but would probably move the airer for evening guests/not family.

Skirting boards, no, absolutely not.

I have two levels of clean and tidy. If it's just me at home, then if it is free of dust and clumps of dog hair, then I can live with it.

If I am expecting guests, the place is IMMACULATE... except for the lampshades, because I usually forget about those. They are way above my head and I don't tend to think to look up there!

I'm not fussed by clutter. I do feel really l, really uncomfortable going to a dirty toilet though or having a drink/food from a dirty kitchen. I don't think poorly of people who aren't clean but I do feel really uncomfortable around it.

Vacuum carpets. Clean toilets. Wipe down surfaces in bathroom and kitchen. Empty bins. Eufy does hard floors downstairs. Like the house to smell clean.

Hoover carpets and sweep/mop hard floors.
I make sure the kitchen is clean, pots away and take the bin out, then give the bathroom a quick tidy. I do a bit of cleaning each day though, so it doesn’t take long to whip around the house.

Bathroom is always cleaned before anyone visits. Kitchen is minimally tidied. I vacuum most days anyway but I might do it again quickly before they came. As long as the floor is clean enough for kids to play on, kitchen is clean enough to not be put off of eating from and bathroom toilet/sink is clean then I don’t think many people care/notice. I have far more tolerance for mess in other peoples homes than in my own.

I judge people on their skirting boards and their lack of dusting. Secretly. Dust on light fittings, grubby windows, dirty cushions. finger-marks on the fridge door: I see it all. I hoover every day, sometimes twice, and there's no dust here -- it's how I live.

Of course, I wouldn't say anything to your face, but I might remark upon it, cattily, to a friend, if I didn't like you all that much. Otherwise, well... I wouldn't mention it. We're all entitled to have different standards, aren't we? Some people are scruffs, it doesn't mean they're not funny, or decent, or worthy of my time.

You’d mention it cattily to a friend? Wow! 😟

Sorry but this refreshing honesty has made me laugh! I feel I need to get out of bed now and go and check my light fittings and fridge doors …..

We no longer have toys and books strewn or craft piled up around the place as kids are older.
we tend to clear and straighten rooms then shut the door on them.
we have enough storage that costs shoes and bags are not on show in the hall.
clean kitchens and bathrooms daily (just a wipe over) pots and pans are either away, in use, or in the dishwasher.
we have a cleaner who does floors, windows and dusting as well as a scrub of the kitchen or bathroom on alternate weeks.
the kids bedrooms are awful but if visitors come they probably don’t look at those rooms.
if you arrived unexpectedly during meal prep there’d likely be pots pans and chopping boards out.
if you came round unannounced there’s always a room we could sit in that would be ok.
saying that occasionally I’ll walk in and scream at the shoes / coats / bags / piles of crap dumped but it’s only a 5 minute tidy.

when the kids were little all bets were off!

I have to say - sometimes we have had people over and I’ve visited the loo afterwards and found it resembling the battle of the Somme. Whether it’s then or one of my own idk…

Exactly what you said. I do the same plus I bake lots of things (that’s my hobby and I love it) but I feel so happy that afterwards I am done with the weekly cleaning 😂

I love clean clean clean. I would do the same as you OP.

Howwever my job doesn’t permit me the time as I would like, so I have a cleaner 3 hours a week and do top ups around that. I know I am super fortunate. She does the weekly clean and I do the deep cleans like getting a toothbrush out on the bathroom.

My granny when alive was a domestic cleaner and was so good at it. That rubbed of on my mum so house was pristine when I was younger. That hasn’t quite rubbed off to the same extent but I have high standards. I defo notice other people’s homes, carpets. Skirting boards etc.

The one thing for me is a spotless bathroom. I always need a spotlessly sparkling bathroom.

I think I tend to keep on top of my house day to day so there generally isn't lots of clutter and it's fairly presentable. Its hoovered by the eufy every day and I do a bathroom deep clean once a week but tend to clean as I go as well. If people were dropping round for a cuppa I would probably give the downstairs loo a once over and make sure the worktops were clean and free of cups etc. Teenagers make mess quicker than you can clear it up.

If people are coming to stay I would give the upstairs bathrooms a deep clean, the guest room a deep clean as it gets dusty when unused. Give everywhere a proper hoover, mop and polish etc. Help the teens make their rooms a little more presentable and less smelly.

This.

If someone comes to visit, unless they are actually coming to stay, all that’s required is a quick run around with the (handheld) vacuum and checking that the bathroom is clean and there are no dirty dishes loitering in the kitchen.