to make sure the house is clean and tidy before we go away on holiday

[GreyskullsInBed]

DH is having a paddy about me "wanting to come back to a show home"
And although I think that would be an overestimation, I do always feel wierd coming home when we have spent time in amazing places. Therefore I want to house to look it's best, rather than a pit when we walk in.

I want that holiday feeling to last 12 hours at least before i have to trip over lego or pick up stuff from the floor.

I am not talking about redecorating, just making sure there aren't cups that need washing and straightenng beds and cushions etc.

Before we go I will tidy the boys toys away in their rooms so they aren't scattered around.

Apparently I am being unreasonable.

I will let the MN jury decide and accept my fate and Whatever your opinions I will share them with DH so we can together see if IABU.

the other year as I was doing my pre-holiday spring clean my hoover broke half way through doing the living room carpet - I was in a cold sweat all the time we were away!

I think it is really important to flush all the loos before you go away. Otherwise they stink when you get back. A sweet-smelling house is so much more calming too.

Yanbu. I do a proper spring clean before holidays. If you have to come home & sleep straight away,it needs to be in fresh pressed bed linen. I have vacuumed us out of the flat on the way out.

Yanbu I do this it, is so much nicer to come home to a clean and fresh smelling house. I rope the family into help though as it's their house too. Actually I'd better confess I do lots of cleaning and hoovering if we are going out drinking just for a night because I can't bear a messy house if I've got a hangover!

YANBU. I drop my dogs off at the sitter half a day in advance so I can de-dog the house properly before I leave it for any length of time. Even clean-ish houses get that 'unaired' smell after several days, and you really notice what yours actually smells like when you come back from holiday. I hoover, wash all the throws, wash the bedding, clean the floors, empty all bins, straighten sofa, etc, etc - and I am as far from a domestic goddess as it's possible to be without appearing on a C4 documentary.

Sometimes I even leave the dogs at the sitter's for an extra half a day when I get back so I can enjoy my lovely clean house...