to think everyone has become obsessed with cleanliness

[palamino]

i have been reading other threads, eg frequency of changing towels/pyjamas/sheets, frequency of cleaning house/bathroom/toys. I must be a complete slob, towels changed weekly, pyjamas changed weekly, sheets every 2-3 weeks, house cleaned once a week. I don't squirt everywhere with disinfectant multiple times each day, if food drops on the floor briefly I would not automatically throw it away, and I have never minded the DCs getting mucky. We are the most healthy family i know, the house never looks dirty or untidy (apart from teenagers rooms-i just shut their doors!!), i am definitely not into this obsessive cleaning lark !!

Probably easier if you simply refrain from making assumptions, judgements, and sweeping stereotypical generalisations rather than expecting everybody else to provide you with their life stories.

Spot on dearth

I don't feel like housework is my responsibility, many a time my husband has cleaned the house while I've been out with DS, however I find cleaning therapeutic and genuinely enjoy it. He feels the same way about cooking yet I detest it, so he does all of the cooking and I clean. He does do the ironing though.

Agree with the posters who say keeping on top of the housework actually saves time. I spend 20-30 mins a day wiping down surfaces or hoovering, and as a result I don't have to do a 'big' clean every few months that takes days.

I don't watch TV, my DS is asleep by 7pm so those 30 minutes spent cleaning while DH cooks dinner barely register. I still have time for a hot bath and a good book most evenings!

I dont like the insinuation that because I clean often, I must be neglecting my children/husband/work. I don't judge how anyone else keeps house, each to their own.

Mrs DV - calm down, dear. This is a discussion forum, I'm interested in the views of the men in your working class bubble but not if it stresses you out so much.

Found my specs and read your rantings in full, Mrs DV. You have form for completely overreacting if someone disagrees with you and hurling insults. For the record, I've not given my views on the OP as I genuinely don't care how much or how little cleaning anyone does. I was interested in something you said but you're so anxious for a fight with anyone you just flare up and hurl abuse.

You're making yourself look like a bellend cate and goady to boot. Why read a thread you're not remotely interested in just to single out one person?

Is it chilly up there on your lofty perch?

Yes and you are really shrinking back from a fight Cate

I do think that there is often a class issue to this. DH and I are both working class and when we were both working we would get up at 5am every day to clean. Our house is the cleanest out of all of our friends and we are definitely the most common. I am often quite taken aback at the homes of some of my more "middle class" friends. In fact the only ones who have houses as clean as ours have cleaners.

AS a SAHM it seems bizarre to me that I ask my DH to do half the housework. We have equal free time, in fact we don't I have hours more free time I than him every day. Again my more middle class friends seem to throw their hands up in horror at the thought of doing housework.

For us owning our own home is a dream, people like us don't own their own homes and therefore keeping it clean is important.

Of course there are working class people with filthy homes, my home growing up was a hovel and I could never have friends back. I love the fact that in almost a daily basis my children have friends round and don't have yo worry about wading through crap.

I agree with the class issue.

Being houseproud can be perceived as "common"

Don't come on MN for a fight, Fanjo - feel free to have one if you want one though.

Gamerchick - you're calling someone goady

Don't try to take moral high ground while flaming mrsDV

Yes... that's what I said wasn't it?

If you're happy making yourself look like a tit just to have a go at someone you've hunted out then crack on.. but it doesn't read well.

Gamerchick is honest not goady

I'm perfectly calm but awfully bored with the three of you trying to kick off. Why not get back to the subject matter?

No kicking off here. Just objecting to you making personal remarks to others.

Umm can i just get back to the topic here for a sec?

Just in case it helps we have posh clients and working class clients and everything in between and have not noticed a correlation between poshness and cleanliness!

I was always thought of as posh at school as i'm from a nice background (but I'm not really interested in any of that) and yet I've chosen and settled into a career in cleaning as my absolute passion!

I am not exaggerating, I am house-proud for myself AND on behalf of my clients and love to make others feel happy in their homes and then we hear about how happy we make them! I can't be that abnormal, all my friend in my trade association seem to be of middle class and we all love the industry and can talk all day at meetings without deviating from the topic at all!

It's horses for courses, it is a good honest living for those who enjoy it!

I think nether regions should be washed daily. And armpits.

Towels and sheets changed quarterly here. When I remember.

Bedding once a fortnight in winter, once a week in summer, I live in Cyprus. Towels when they start to get smelly, once a week usually.
Tiled floors throughout and many cats so need sweeping/hoovering every other day and mopping at the very least once a week.
Just changed my PJs today after wearing the same for over a week.