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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to ask where you get your motivation to clean!?

33 replies

Crisscrosscranky · 30/05/2016 08:41

It's before 9am on a bank holiday monday. I've been up for an hour as I wanted to get the housework done early and have the rest of the day free.

So far I've opened the back door, watched an episode of NCIS and had a crumpet for breakfast. We have friends coming over for dinner at 2 and I need to get dressed, clean my house, go food shopping and cook a roast.

AIBU to ask you to give me a kick up the backside....!? Grin

OP posts:
DontBuyANewMumCuntingDailyMail · 30/05/2016 08:42

You're a better person than me. If I had guests coming over and cleaning and cooking to do I'd be flapping.
Can you make a quick list of what needs doing and get everyone to help a little?

AliensInUnderpants12 · 30/05/2016 08:44

Erm...usually I have a mad hour cleaning spree before friends come over 😆 I try my best to keep things reasonably clean and tidy so I don't ever get to the stage where it would take days to tidy and clean!

NightWanderer · 30/05/2016 08:46

It's so boring, isn't it? I sometimes watch a bit of Hoarders on YouTube to get me started.

Nothavingfunrightnow · 30/05/2016 08:48

Switch off the tv.

Try the 15 minutes per room approach. Set a timer, do as much as you can as quickly as you can in each room that needs sorting, for 15 minutes. Set a timer.

Take the stuff out the fridge and cupboards for the roast.

Shower and dress

Have a cup of tea.

Maybe?

TheWeeBabySeamus1 · 30/05/2016 08:48

I'm the same today. House is a shit tip and DS is with his dad from 10-4 so have told myself that I'll blitz the whole house while he's gone - I said this last week and took a 4 hour nap instead Grin.

I time myself and see how much I can get done in an hour, when the hours up I have a brew and sit down. Then repeat until it's all done.

witsender · 30/05/2016 08:48

I can't stand a messy/dirty house, so little and often here. Wipe round the kitchen while kettle boils etc etc

TheDuchessOfArbroathsHat · 30/05/2016 08:49

Are you me OP? Grin I always find an hour on the internet, some tea and toast and another hour on the internet precedes all of my good intentions. I'm useless at cleaning - absolutely useless. I always have been and probably always will be. My family know this about me and they seem to manage ok!

venusinscorpio · 30/05/2016 08:50

Is there anyone you can send out to do the food shopping? Your DH/DP?

flanjabelle · 30/05/2016 08:51

The panic (irrational I might add) that someone would report me to social services or judge me horribly if my home was not clean and tidy. I literally cannot let anyone in the door apart from one friend who is messier than me if my home is not clean and tidy. The one friend would happily sit in a pile of rubbish in my home to spend time with me if needs be, but the rest of the world would never ever see my home untidy or unclean.

user1464519881 · 30/05/2016 08:54

It is just a personality thing. I don't like a messy house so I tend to prioritise it although I am at my desk going to work for the next few hours from home by the way. In fact a spot of cleaning would be a nice distraction.

I do the little and often mentioned above. I just about never go in the kitchen without clearing crumbs. SO it never really builds up too much (and I do have a cleaner although when it's a Monday she gets a paid day off - I'm nice like that but it certainly works to her advantage as bank holidays are Mondays.......)

Also we have very clear surfaces so things are easy to clean in most rooms (not children's bed rooms however).

I wouldn't worry about it. Just leave it if you aren't into cleaning up and enjoy the bank holiday. It makes other people feel really good to see how messy someone else's house is so in a sense yuou are doing your friends a huge favour and making them feel very good if you DON'T clean up!

Original poster
Crisscrosscranky · 30/05/2016 08:57

venus I wouldn't trust my DH to go food shopping - he doesn't do veg!

sigh I really need to turn the laptop off now...

OP posts:
TendonQueen · 30/05/2016 08:59

Do you have to do a roast? It's hardly the weather for it! Get one of the fresh roasted supermarket chickens at about 1.30 and do some sauce and bread with, followed by ice cream. Cooking time saved!

TendonQueen · 30/05/2016 09:00

salad not sauce!

PlaymobilPirate · 30/05/2016 09:01

we have friends coming... i need to clean, shop, cook... is dh doing anything? If not - go out for lunch!

elQuintoConyo · 30/05/2016 09:04

Tell your DH to grow up and buy some veg. Or he cleans, you food shop. Share the cooking.

My other tips:
Never sit on the sofa.
Never turn on the tv.
Wetwipes are your friend.

Thataintnoetchasketch · 30/05/2016 09:06

I second Tendons suggestion - rotisserie chicken, big salad & fresh crusty bread.

I said I was going to clean when DS went for a nap yesterday but instead I crawled into bed with DH for a two hour nap myself. I hate when he's nightshift & their both sleeping!

Notso · 30/05/2016 09:13

Who else is in the house? Get everyone helping.
Write a detailed shopping list, surely a grown man can follow that.

OohMavis · 30/05/2016 09:15

I watch OCD cleaners, gets me right in the mood. I'm strange though.

venusinscorpio · 30/05/2016 09:25

I definitely wouldn't be cooking a roast. Loads of summer recipes that wouldn't be too much faff.

Numberoneisgone · 30/05/2016 09:28

In our house everyone including the 3 kids pitch in. I don't think I would be very motivated if DH did not pull his weight. I quickly do up a list and assign tasks to the kids and then it is one in all in and the work gets done in no time.

Teresalosingtheirleaves · 30/05/2016 09:32

In your situ, get everyone capable to helping to do so.
Tv and gadgets off, or pausing them gets my dc moving as they are keen to return to them.
Assign jobs
First to finish gets a small treat
I hate mess that's what motivates me.

chickenowner · 30/05/2016 09:32

I agree with the chicken, salad and bread suggestion, with some fresh fruit (maybe strawberries?) with ice cream for pudding. Delicious!

Also, I only really clean the dining room about an hour before we have friends over!

MsJamieFraser · 30/05/2016 09:36

We are in the middle of cleaning, 4 full cars worth of shite (vectra so not a small car) have been taken to the tip, and cupboards are now clean and empty, we are also decorating at the same time.

It's been a day hard slog as we are all full of head colds, but it's been worthwhile, today is cleaning day, and then tomorrow we are a lovely day off.

However thinking of doing that later on this evening and taking the kids to beamish instead!

readytorage · 30/05/2016 09:38

Get a cleaner OP. If you always hate doing any cleaning then It's has its benefits two fold.

  1. I clean a wee bit for the cleaner which is motivation
  2. The house gets a right good scrub when the cleaner comes.

People say it's expensive but £20 a week is worth it in my view

BlueberrySky · 30/05/2016 09:58

For friends coming round, I will have quick clean and tidy in the rooms they are going to be in. I have three teens so do get them to hoover and tidy a bit. It usually involves at lot of shouting. I love cooking, so am happy to start on that. Though if I had friends coming to lunch today, most of the food preparation would have been done yesterday.

I hate cleaning, and my three kids and DH are all very messy. So I changed my child minder to a cleaner when the kids got to teens. Now I have a cleaner three times a week for after school, she cleans and keeps an eye on the kids. Perfect solution.