to think that a consultant should live in a reasonably clean house

[wagonweel]

The property next door to us has been let for about a year now. This weekend they have moved out and the owners have just come round with an industrial cleaning firm to have the house gutted.

They offered me a peep inside as they were horrified at the disgusting filthy state of the property. We have never really spoken to the family as they pretty much keep themeselves to themeselves, although we did try to make conversation when they moved in but the wife doesnt speak English and the husband made no effort to acknowledge anyone in our road even though numerous people have said hello. They told me that he is a consultant at a hospital and couldnt beleive the state of the house which he has been living in.

The house is a lovely 4-bed detached and was rented to them in an immaculate state. Obviously the owners have retained the bond to pay for the cleaners but it horrifies me that a consultant in a hospital could live in this squalor. The carpets and walls were awful, the bathroom and kitchen looked like theyd never had a clean in all the time they were there.

I'm not houseproud. I kind of keep on top of it but that's it. I am a foreign wife and I fully expect the entire street to be in to moan about bl* English when we move out

Altinkum, I do not know what happened to your family but I hope things will get better for all of you.

LOL at this - I am a HV but am certainly no organized housewife .

Makes me human - I scarcely notice an untidy house while some of my more anal organized colleagues express horror.

I suppose what I am saying is my house is lived in and I accept a certain level of toys and disorganization. It doesn't impact upon my work though apart from wondering how some of the Mums I see manage their immaculate houses with children and to have a bit of green eyed .

Some people just live in an untidy and dirty manner and I can understand the owners being shocked and needing a bit of support.

Disclaimer - my house is not dirty but IS untidy as I type and while away the time MNing.

Maybe he was just taking the hygiene hypothesis to extremes?

Not surprising you cannot really focus on houswork in these circumstances, I loose focus on it very often for uch much less!
I think I remeber you talking about it at the time and you were feeling very guity (appologies if it was someone else). Is your Ds still in hospital?

Altinkum - you've all been through such an ordeal; I'm glad you're getting help, and I hope you all get your holiday very soon.

And yes, it certainly puts things in perspective doesn't it - you never know what traumas someone may be going through and judging on something so shallow is disgusting.

Well the OP has had a slating but some house ads to ask for "professionals" - presumably because the advertisers imagine professionals will take care of the place? So some people must agree with you OP.
Although presumably what the ads mean is "Ideally one professional and one SAH partner" :o

Spending time with family and friends, and making money to pay the bills come higher up the list than a clean and tidy house for us. It's down to priorities. I wouldn't have personally felt comfortable giving back a rented house in that state but if he is a surgeon working long hours and they are wealthy enough to not worry about forfeiting their deposit, perhaps that was the simplest solution for them?

"husband made no effort to acknowledge anyone in our road even though numerous people have said hello. "

Can't say I blame him

Don't the ads ask for 'professionals' because they are considered more likely to pay the rent? I didn't think it was to do with their cleaning capabilities!

YABVVVU, as long as he does his job well, is professional etc than it does not matter one jot what his home is like its up to him. Not that I agree with anyone lving like that, at the end of the day its none of your business, keep out of it.

yes I suppose you're right boiledegg - I suppose that's part of it. I live in a city with a high student population and have always thought: professionals - pay rent, keep the place fairly clean, don't annoy the neighbours.
students - are always out of money, make a complete mess, have parties until 4am.

Now I've offended students, although I imagine student PARENTS are very different :o

I am a scrub nurse and my flat is often a bit of a tip. This is because sometimes I am scrubbed up for eight or nine hours involved in surgery with consultants and junior doctors. When I get home I'm too tired to mop the floors and wipe the doorhandles. I always wash my hands though.

My sister's a nurse and falls in to the 'very fussy about cleaning' camp. Won't let anyone else wash up in her house as they don't do it to her OCD very high standards. Many nurses are incredibly well organised, the sort of people who line up all their pens very neatly. BUT there's another major personality type of nurses who are really messy. I think if you are a nurse, you fall into one camp or the other and are rarely found in the middle.

Many docs do have a robust attitude to germs - partly because they know exposure to bacteria is good for you and excessive use of cleaning products isn't (air freshener is the work of the devil, v. bad for you indeed).

And most are fairly unfussed about illness/injury in their own family - on GP I know buggered off back to surgery once he'd collected his wife from hospital after a general anaesthetic, the workaholic swine. Another thought his dd was making a bit of a fuss. When his wife eventually insisted on getting the poor girl checked out, she'd broken her arm!

There's an old saying about 'cobbler's wives go barefoot and doctors' wives die young'. And every single builder I've known has a stack of unfinished DIY at home that drives their nearest and dearest mad...

FGS.

I'm a hospital doctor and until the advent of my saintly cleaning lady I lived in a disaster zone.

My working hours are not v. compatible with having a clean home. The neighbours don't apppreciate you vacuuming at 9pm!

I had to throw some chilli out last night that I'd earmarked for dinner. It had gone mouldy . We ended up having takeaway (again....)

Maybe all this means that I'm a filthy bitch and crap at my job. Or maybe it just means that I'm a busy professional and value other things in my life more like going to the gym (nice clean showers there!) and seeing my family.

Have you any idea how many hours consultants/Dr's/medics put in at work? I used to CM for a couple of DR's and I would not want their rota for any amount of cash, they barely saw their house and I'm quite sure when they were home they were too busy enjoying each other's and their young daughter's company.

My nan is currently in hospital dying and quite frankly I would rather her consultant was with her and making her comfortable than busy cleaning his house to the standard his nosey ex neighbour expects!

was invited to have a look = curtain twitched until the cleaners turned out and then barged round there for a nose, ran back to my immaculate home and posted my disdain on MN immediately

no wonder they kept to themselves!

Not sure what his being a Consultant has to do with it though. Clearly the failure to housekeep would rest with the wife

I think the difference is 'would' vs 'should'.

This statement I would agree with: "AIBU to think that a consultant would live in a reasonably clean house".

This statement I wouldn't: "AIBU to think that a consultant should live in a reasonably clean house". And would add a for good measure.

I need a bingo card for this one...

Anyway, so, are you trying to say that forriners are coming over here, taking our jobs, taking our houses, and giving us nasty diseases when we go to hospital?

Edam - I would agree with your theory. Dp is a builder and there are a myriad of unfinished jobs. He has also spent the weekend laying terrace slabs for his brother and fixing his mum's garden dence.

WE HAVE NEEDED OUR TERRACE FINISHED OFF AND OUR GARDEN FENCE FIXED SINCE LAST SUMMER (sorry, necessary shouting).

I think it is largely irrelevant that the occupant was a consultant. I'm not suggesting a trend, but my brothers worst tennant was a hospital doctor, too. A lot of my friends used to be doctors (as my first DH was also a doctor) and, like the rest of the population, some were immaculate, others very slobby and most pretty average.

It is pretty shocking to see the way some people live though. My house is far from immacuate but I just couldn't bare to live in a really dirty/messy home.