Page 23 | What's the weirdest house rule you've ever experienced as a house guest?

Creativemode · 2016-09-21T13:49:25+00:00

Just that really. Mine is someone that wouldn't let me flush the toilet incase it woke their children. Also another wouldn't let me go upstairs to the toilet incase the stairs creaked and woke their children (there was no downstairs toilet). I had a school friend that wasn't allowed fish and chips in the house because of the smell.

Zaphodsotherhead · 23/09/2016 18:24

My mother again...

She had everything in our airing cupboard organised (somehow, never did find out how, possibly alphabetically). If I EVER tried to take anything out, no matter how carefully I would slide it out without disturbing any of the clothing either above or below, there would be a tirade about how the cupboard was now 'a mess'.

Honest to god, most of the time I didn't even disturb any molecules, so I never knew what the hell she was on about...

But then, she's the one who used to call me a slut because there were clothes on the chair in my bedroom. You know, clothes like the school uniform I was going to be wearing the next day....

jessicarabbit0411 · 23/09/2016 18:41

karmanomore sadly our relationship didn't survive mummy's behaviour, we rowed about it all weekend...he just didn't get why I didn't think being shut in a utility room for an hour was normal behaviour !!

Mozfan1 · 23/09/2016 18:51

I went to live with my dad for a while before buying my house, he is a clean/tidy freak to the point where I felt like I couldn't cough without him going loopy. His cupboard with tins/non perishables everything is in order with labels facing the front etc like in a shop. He doesn't use the living room, not allowed to sit on the sofas. And he doesn't have a tv! And at the same time every day all the windows had to be opened to air the house even in the bleak mid winter. Oh and shoes had to be taken off outside the flat and put into a carrier bag!

whirlwinds · 23/09/2016 19:05

A bit puzzled to why people think it weird to take shoes off before entering someones home. My 5 year old has that perfect, takes shoes off as soon as he's through the door. All of my family, friends, ils- everyone does it. Except for dsc, they keep needing reminders. I find it disgusting that soles that have been through who knows what is dragged into the house. First rule I made, second is no smoking inside and third is mi casa es su casa, make yourself at home.

Zaphodsotherhead · 23/09/2016 19:14

Re the whole 'how can people do that, it's abuse' and all that...

Certainly, in the case of children, you accept that what happens in your own home is normal. You have nothing to compare it to, so it is normal, until the day you go somewhere else and they are utterly bemused by the rules you live your life by. Presumably mothers who do bizarre things had mother who, in their turn, were also bizarre, and it used to be a lot less common for people to go and stay with people they weren't related to, so maybe it perpetuated because no one was ever confronted for their batshit craziness?

Mozfan1 · 23/09/2016 19:18

Whirlwind I don't think it's weird to take shoes off in someone's home, I do it automatically. In the case of my fathers house who made us put them in carriers outside the door, he had a mat in the vestibule so you could easily take your shoes off on the mat inside (this is usual/common I have found). It's as if he's convinced if you step on the mat the dirt will leak through to the floor or something Which has always seemed a bit ott to me. Maybe I'm wrong!

MerylPeril · 23/09/2016 19:50

I had nearly forgotten MILs obsession with the 'big spoon'.
She'd bought these ridiculous big metal spoons and they had to be used to serve up food.
They are no good as all the weight is in the handle and if you try and leave it in a bowl etc it will flip over and throw food everywhere.

I'd served up a takeaway at hers and she asked part way through 'did you use the BIG SPOON'.
'No cos it's shit' rest of meal is interrupted with huffing and puffing and food was apparently spoiled by non use of big spoon.

I got 2, I've managed to 'lose' one but there is still another DH will use (then he also had to clean the food up from the floor).

Veryflummoxed · 23/09/2016 20:31

Timtamterrier Most of these are very weird, but am I the only one who thinks that one toilet being for the sole use of the mother of the house sounds like absolute bliss?

Me too

Veryflummoxed · 23/09/2016 20:31

Timtamterrier

Most of these are very weird, but am I the only one who thinks that one toilet being for the sole use of the mother of the house sounds like absolute bliss?

Me too

whirlwinds · 23/09/2016 20:33

Mozfan no worries there as I found that a more extreme side of the taking shoes off rule 😄 But noticed in a number of post that people found this rule weird which has me wondering to why that is weird and not walking inside peoples homes with shoes on. 😕

Swirlingasong · 23/09/2016 20:35

Whirlwinds, it's not strange to take you shoes off in the house. It is strange to not allow anyone to even step over the threshold into your house wearing shoes. It is strange to not allow a policeman you have called to step through the front door because he has shoes on. It is strange to not allow shoes to be put on a child in the house whose feet will not touch the ground until outside. It is strange to risk missing an important appointment by insisting on the shoes off then on again rigmarole because someone literally needs to take one step inside the house to fetch a forgotten coat. It is strange to make an elderly guest suffer as their shoes provide vital support and they have not brought slippers with them. It is strange to be worrying about the footwear of the person who has dashed to save a child falling down the stairs. Just to give a few examples.

NeopreneMermaid · 23/09/2016 20:40

I'm all for recycling but MIL has a NINE-BIN system in her house which everyone has to adhere to (inc when we had a massive family party with 50+ people):

Compostable food in box on draining board
Food scraps for the dogs in bowl next to box
General food bin on kitchen floor
Recycling in bin under sink
Nappies in bin bag by front door
Combustibles for the fire next to the fire
Basket in bathroom for used tissues for the fire
Breadcrumbs and fat for the birds in another box by the sink
Anything that doesn't fit any of the above in basket under sink.

We do openly mock her for it. ☺

Alicebannedit · 23/09/2016 20:41

My experience was mild compared to some on here and not sure whether it counts as a rule - but when I invite friends for a meal it is usual for us to relax after and chat for a considerable time just enjoying each others company.

Years ago I had invited a very good friend to lunch, and another woman (acquaintance really) arrived unexpectedly and was invited to join us. Within a couple of minutes of us finishing the meal she offered to take my friend home as she had a car... at the time my friend who was eight months pregnant was grateful for the lift, though normally she'd have been happy to stay.

I felt miffed and deprived of a nice afternoon!

Anyway some time later this acquaintance asked me to lunch at her house in a nearby village, and her husband drove over to fetch me. Directly lunch was over and before we had even left the table, she said 'Roger will drive you back home'. Which he then did.

Just seemed a bit bizarre to me.

Mozfan1 · 23/09/2016 20:54

whirlwinds I'm with you there

And the smoking thing!

AliciaBASZ · 23/09/2016 20:55

At my grand-ma (which I love so much for always being cheerful) we have to use a squeegee to wipe the remaining water on the glass wall of the shower... You are not allowed to leave it dry... as it makes limestone marks... so you have to do straight after your shower... and you're getting cold... Very unconfortable... And grand-ma knows if you don't do it this way... erm... a camera somewhere ?!?

Sniv · 23/09/2016 21:00

I was told "make yourself at home, and help yourself to tea or coffee - the teabags are in the top cupboard and the mugs are under the sink".

When she came back and saw me with my drink her jaw dropped. She took my mug away (she literally had to sort of take it out of my hand because she'd startled me and I couldn't work out what the hell she wanted), then she decanted my tea into a different mug and handed that to me. The original mug I'd picked was briskly washed, dried and put back in the cupboard, and then she sat down and, after a meaningful look, carried on as if nothing had happened.

I had used the Wrong Mug. It was a mug that was Not For Me.

Canyouforgiveher · 23/09/2016 22:16

When she came back and saw me with my drink her jaw dropped. She took my mug away (she literally had to sort of take it out of my hand because she'd startled me and I couldn't work out what the hell she wanted), then she decanted my tea into a different mug and handed that to me.

Do you think maybe that mug was used to collect the dog's urine samples or similar?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/09/2016 22:18

Leaving a wet shower encourages mould and water marks- we have a Karcher vac AND an E cloth to wipe down after every shower. Make of that what you will

e1y1 · 23/09/2016 22:32

Agree whirlwinds

Only rules in this house are

No shoes in the house, ever (broken in exceptional circumstances)

No smoking in the house, ever (and never broken)

NO TOUCHING THE WALLS and , but seriously I really can't see a need to touch a wall that much. However, if that's what floats your boat, there are some lovely country parks nearby, with much better walls than my interior ones.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/09/2016 22:33

Why aren't walls allowed to be touched?

PinkSwimGoggles · 23/09/2016 22:35

Why aren't walls allowed to be touched?
because they get grubby unless there is this plastic sheet like in schools

littlefrenchonion · 23/09/2016 22:38

MIL doesn't turn any lights on until it gets really dark to save electricity. Their house is quite tunnel like anyway so you don't get a lot of natural night in even during the day. It's a wonder they aren't all wearing glasses from squinting!

They also leave the patio door open pretty much all the time to 'let fresh air in' - their house is bloody freezing. Everyone will sit shivering in a coat on the sofa, and still they leave it open! The radiators are often on too, wasting energy and being utterly pointless. Argh! Drives me mad.

e1y1 · 23/09/2016 22:38

I just don't see the need, skin oils, hands maybe not the cleanest etc etc.

I know it sounds mental, but it just is not allowed.

Saying that, I am honestly very relaxed and even if a guest were to break any rules (except the smoking one, there is no one I know who would flout that as nearly all don't smoke), it would not be mentioned. A good host never embarrasses a guest.

My "rules" are day to day ones for us and visiting family.

PigletJohn · 23/09/2016 23:13

Grrrrr, won't turn the lights on.

Here is a good modern lightbulb. You might use one or two of these on your hall or landing. You might use about two in a living room. It uses 9.2Watts. It costs about £4 and burns for about 25,000 hours, maybe six years heavy use.

1000 Watt Hours (1kWh) currently costs about 11p.

So you could run this lamp for 100 hours for 10p. That's 24 hours a day for four days. Or 12 hours a day for more than a week for roughly a penny a day.

Modern light bulbs are not a significant use of electricity, and are not worth fretting about.

I am very much in favour of keeping stairs and porches lit throughout the hours of darkness. At a penny a day each, hang the expense. I might get into a row with someone who complained about me leaving a light on, and give them 10p.

TwatbadgingCuntfuckery · 23/09/2016 23:16

NeopreneMermaid I have a system like that!

General waste, raw compostables, cooked food for wormary, bird food, recycling and packaging for reuse (egg boxes to friend, fruit punnets to other friend, loo roll tubes for spring planting, jars for reuse)