To think that "how we haven't got mice" is a direct criticism of my housekeeping

[Mrneedy]

or lack of?!
How can I take it any other way

depends on circumstances. was it said with nose in the air while tentatively looking around clutchin pearls or do you live beside a landfill?

Nope, going to need a bit more here I'm afraid.

I'm with Worra need more information it could just be as simple as having a compost heap which a lot of people believe encourages mice/rats into the home or decking that they can shelter under.

It is a comment on the unsanitary condition of the house, certainly. Whether it is a criticism of you depends on whether it is your agreed role to be in sole charge of the cleaning of the house.

When our house is a pit, I sometimes make this joke to my husband. I don't hold him responsible for the crumbs on the floor. (normally it's the kids! ) We just get the hoover out.

by we I mean him.

Dh
"How we haven't got mice I don't know"

Muttering about a few crumbs

MY PIL often have mice in their house - their house is very clean, it's just in the middle of nowhere & the mice pop in for a visit.
But back to your post - it does sounds like someone is saying your house isn't clean.

Tell him to learn how to work the hoover then just in case you are invaded by mice so desperately hungry in this freezing cold weather that they risk it all by entering your home for a few crumbs of biscuit.

Ah. In which case, you need to point him in the direction of the hoover, unless for some reason his arms have fallen off, and he can sort it out.

yup. hoover

in his hand or up his arse.

You choose.

'Maybe snide comments are a mouse repellent, DH. They're certainly repelling me.'

or

'Knowing you have a problem is half the cure. Now all you have to do is clean more.'

Put a mousetrap in his cornflakes.

I'm sure mice are partial to cornflakes; really, it all makes perfect sense.

@ cumfy

And a matching one in his pyjamas!

We had mice. Nothing to do with crumbs - they found a place they liked in the roof void and came down here looking for crumbs! Tell DH you don't actually DIE of mice!

OP please can you stop over explaining things and make your posts a little shorter?

Honestly, that wall of text has made my eyes hurt.

Oh worra! You are soooooooooooooo sarky!

Counting down till someone from the ticky off brigade takes your name!

he obviously needs to do more cleaning. i mean, he lives there too right?

Moi Dearie?

If he feels so strongly about it, he should have brushed it up
He just left it!

My house is not a tip btw, it was literally a few crumbs around ds's table

What gets me is that I moaned to dh about how annoying it is to keep the floor clean, I'm constantly brushing or wiping