To want to smell inside my neighbour's house?

[BackieJerkhart]

probably!

I had a new neighbour move in a few months ago. The houses are brand spanking new. Within The first few days of her moving in I saw her out scrubbing her front door and frame, door step, windows, frames etc and thought the builders must have left hers in a right mess (they didn't leave mine messy). But no, she does this at least twice a week after coming home from her full time job and returning from her evening walk. She also does her inside windows around twice a week too and her car is buffed at least weekly. It is never dirty. I can only imagine the condition of the inside of her home. I want to smell it. I have two kids a hairy dog and cats. My house does not smell new and fresh and not for lack of effort on my part. I want to sniff what I believe must be an immaculate home. Is it too late to offer her some sugar?

best incentive to clean a house if you are like me, is to have someone come to stay for a night or two That is so true and even more so if it's your MIL coming to stay. My house used to really look its best the day she arrived.

How can someone be so precise about their exterior and not the inside too? Where is the logic in that?

It's the domestic equivalent of Fur Coat and No Knickers.

Heck, PP essentially described my apartment: Living and dining room are as clean as they can be (clean, NOT tidy), as well as the guest bathroom. Guests are never, ever allowed in my bedroom or bathroom.

Which reminds me I have to clean them today. Beetle season starts in September and I have no wish to find a few hidden in my stuff.

NannyOgg very true

Ha! MIL is arriving for the bank holiday weekend in approximately three hours. I have just flopped down exhausted after a massive cleaning blitz.

spiderlight I remember it well. Now I'm the MIL and I wish they didn't do it, I'm not bothered but how do you tell someone that? I don't think it would go down well if I said, "I hope you haven't cleaned specially for me." I think my DIL would think I was implying the house was normally a mess, actually I suspect her house is normally cleaner and tidier than mine.

Thinking back I used to quite like feeling the house was immaculate when MIL came, it was a great incentive.

Hope the visit is going well.

I think I am nose blind. I have lovely plug ins. Clean with zoflora, use lovely smells in my washing etc., yet I never walk in to my home and smell lovely smells

It's not fair

Yet I will nip to my sisters and her washing smells gorgeous and her house always smells lovely.

I had a neighbour who never ever stopped cleaning. Her house was like a showhouse.
Her kitchen had lovely long squeaky clean worktop, probably 20 feet in total length and they were completely bare except for a polished kettle, mug tree with matching mugs and tea/coffee/sugar canisters and a matching bread bin. That was it!!
Every room was very similar including the bedrooms.
A couple of well tended plants dotted about and fresh flowers on display.
Her house always smelled of fabric conditioner.
She cleaned for a minimum of 35 hours a week.
I loved her house but never felt comfortable there.

I read in a house magazine once that leaving a tray of bbq charcoal in a discrete part of a room (under sofa, on top of bookshelf etc) eliminates bad odours. It's a useful tip if you have smelly teens or pets. You only need to replace the charcoal every 3/4 months.

I used to love it when my ILs planned to come for a visit but then couldn't make it. The house was lovely, fridge full of food, dinner already cooked but their car had broken down. That happened a couple of times and I still remember how great I felt.

I gave up on competitive cleaning the week after I moved. I was standing at the bus stop and one woman said to the other " I feel everything's got away from me this week, it's Tuesday and I haven't washed down my skirting boards yet." I thought well, there's no competing with that so didn't bother.

My friend of mine says my house is always immaculate. He's never seen the frantic cleaning and clutter hiding that happens before guests arrive.