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 think dirtiness is only noticeable when it’s extremely bad I.e sink overflowing with dishes, bad smells, grime everywhere, crumbs all over the floor, visibly dirty carpets, filthy toilet etc. I don’t think most people care about a bit of clutter, kids toys scattered around, dust etc.

I find these posts fascinating.

Two things — what hurt you into being so obsessed with house cleaning?

And secondly, no wonder so many Mners struggle with friendship if a major deep clean is required before a friend comes in for a cup of coffee?

It would no more occur to me to dash about cleaning the house before friends showed up than it would to give myself a blow dry and put on fresh makeup.

That seems a normal clean. I would do that a couple of times a week regardless of whether people were coming round even when I was working long hours and had three kids. I have a large house, keeping on top of it means it really does not take long and saves a lot of time compared to people who are less organised. If you enjoy living in a space that is clean and tidy then ignore him

Nobody needs to deep clean every day? Or your version of a deep clean is very different to mine!

I quite like it when I visit someone with a messy (not filthy dirty) house. It takes the pressure off me to have a sparkling house when they come over. Really grim hygiene is another thing though: I’ve got a friend who’s toilet is black, she never uses bleach or cleans the loo. Crumbs all over the worktops and massive piles of clutter and laundry hanging over sofas etc.

Christ no I don’t do any of this. I struggle to find the motivation to clean even when visitors aren’t coming. If you’re coming round to hang out with me then you can also accept I’m a slob

Our house is always "clean enough" as I have weekly, monthly and quarterly routines. Whole house vacuumed, hard floors mopped, weekly along with deep clean of kitchen and bathrooms. Skirting boards, furniture and pictures polished/dusted and interior windows/mirrors cleaned monthly. Furniture moved and vacuumed/mopped underneath quarterly. Daily, every room is put back to "pre use" condition, i.e. kitchen surfaces wiped, washing up done and put away, etc., toys/games/etc put back in cupboards/drawers, lounge cushions fluffed up and put back in place, etc etc. So I don't do anything special if we have visitors coming - house is always "visitor ready"!

We have a 4 bed, for someone over I'd make sure the downstairs loo was clean, the kitchen and hallway floors might be mopped (depends on last time they had been cleaned, but swept for sure), would likely wipe down any mess on the outside of the fridge and kitchen sink and then just hoover. General tidy. For a play date, less. Not sure what the point of cleaning upstairs beds and baths would be unless guests are staying over? I'd focus more on food and drink, atmosphere and you being relaxed.

My mum is a cleaning freak.
I don’t do all this deep cleaning for close friends, just for people I don’t know that well

Exactly

I’m the same as you OP- also gives me a reason to clean! So win win

For drop-in unscheduled visits, bathrooms will always be clean.

For scheduled guests staying over, then I’ll dust/hoover/sort bedding etc. I certainly won’t be checking skirting boards. Nor worry if windows aren’t sparkling. As long as bathrooms, kitchen and guest room are sorted then anything else I do t stress about.

TBF, most guests here know the score - with two Maine Coons, there is always going to be some fur lurking in the house 😹

There’s clean and then there’s clean. A relative of mine lives in what I consider filth. She never cleans at all as far as I can see. Bathrooms are disgusting. Kitchen has mouldy food and crumbs everywhere. The mattress stinks of sweat. I hate staying there.

If visitors are coming I mop all the floors, clean the bathroom, hoover and dust. Make sure the kitchen is clean and tidy. Wipe the fridge. I’m not a clean freak but I wouldn’t have anyone in the house if I hadn’t made some sort of effort to tidy and clean.

You stay there? Why?
I can't think of any reason I would willingly stay somewhere like that!

I won’t be again! It’s the house of a close relative.

Do you have any hobbies?

I think your husband is right.

Haha definitely something I would do. DH thinks I'm neurotic 😂

I'd rather someone was a scruff than a bitch 💁🏻‍♀️