to ask you how clean your house is?

[NaomiCharles]

Long time lurker here and only just plucked up the courage to create my own account... I see a lot of threads where people post regarding their standards of cleanliness/tidiness and there is more often than not, a disputed regarding 'the norm', which has prompted me to join and ask:

• how clean is your house?
• how clean is your car?
• do you clean it yourself?
• do you hire a cleaner?
• what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable? (I bloody hate it!)

My house is fairly clean but I can see dust building up in corners and my windows need washing. My car is horrid. It's disgusting and I'm getting it valeted on Monday! I'm dreading the looks on their faces when they see it. I can't afford a cleaner, so clean myself, and have yet to find a routine or way to make cleaning fun/easy/more enjoyable...

[JaceLancs]

I hate cleaning
My house looks clean - but that’s mainly because it’s always tidy
I clean once a week usually on Sunday eve
2/3 adult household all out at work during day so never gets that bad
What I really lack is a deep clean, cupboards done, paintwork washed, furniture moved rather than vacced round etc - am seriously considering getting a firm in when I can afford it along with carpets shampooed

[LakieLady]

When I get in my car I drive it, not try on shoes, eat or do whatever to make it a mess. Sounds judgey but I don’t honestly don’t understand how the inside of a car becomes a tip.

When it's your workplace! I eat, drink, do paperwork, input data from a laptop, make phone calls - everything bar having a pee - in my car.

If only I could drive our motorhome and use that instead of a car, I could have a pee in there as well. And make a cuppa.

[Ski4130]

House is clean and tidy. The tidy is down to us (dh and 3 dc) and the clean is down to having a cleaner for two hours a week.

Being tidy is much easier now the dcs are older (13, 10 and 7) and are able to do more - change their bedding, tidy their rooms, put stuff away - and aren't exploding lego or plastic toys all over the place!

The cars are clean, but we have a dog, so we do have to get them cleaned every month or so to keep them that way.

I know that I'm not comfortable if the house isn't clean and tidy, but have no such judgement about other people's houses - it's just my own space that has to be like that, I don't give much thought to the tidiness/cleanliness of friends houses.

[shipshapeandchaotic]

Years ago, when I was a new Mum learning to cope with chaos, I was given some brilliant tips to help me keep a handle on my sanity. I still do this 20 years later.

Once you are up in the morning don't come downstairs until you have made the beds, opened the curtains, had a general tidy round etc etc. This means that when you go back up to bed your upstairs is tidy.

At the end of the day before you come to bed whizz round the downstairs preparing it for the next day; ensure all washing up done (or dishwasher stacked and on), all stuff back in it's usual place, cushions plumped etc. Sounds anal but it works!!

I agree with PP that less stuff and clutter scattered around the house means it is easier to keep on top of jobs like dusting, hoovering and washing the floors etc.

My biggest bug bear is the kids bathroom and more specifically the state of their toilet. I am gradually instilling in the youngest (as he's the culprit) to turn around and look down the pan after he's flushed. And to use the ruddy toilet brush supplied for just that purpose 🤮 TMI? Sorry 😐

[SabineUndine]

Averagely clean flat, haven’t got a car. I try and do 30mins/week in each room, an hour in the kitchen, and that stops it from getting too bad. I don’t clean the same things each time. Eg I might wash paintwork one week, windows the next, depending on the room.

[WakeUpMaggie]

Above averagely clean I would say.
Car is a bit manky. Due a clean.
Yes I clean myself.
No cleaner.
I weirdly enjoy cleaning but only if I keep on top of it. I really can't stand weekly big cleans. I just end up on MN. But quick daily cleaning sessions trigger my cleaning obsession. It's become addictive .

I clean each room for 5 to 10 minutes a day by setting a timer on Alexa and getting as much done in that time. I hoover and wipe round with a damp cloth and anti bac spray. Just a quick vaccum and the wipe away any marks or dust I can see. Sinks and loos cleaned daily. Also, one job in the bathroom per day, such as cleaning floors was today's job. I also wipe the mirrors and shower screen with window cleaner daily. One load of washing done daily. Then 15 minutes spot clean in a different room Monday to Friday. Plus lots of tidying up after ourselves and constantly getting rid of crap.

[OwlOfBrown]

The house is clean enough but there are a few places where dust is building up and a few cobwebs here and there. It could do with a tidy-up and clear out. My car is clean enough too although the outside could do with a wash and I need to clean up the dog hairs from the back seat from our weekend away last week.

Nothing is ever going to be spotless. I don't have a cleaner but I do have a largish house with a dog and various teenagers wandering in and out. I also work full-time, help manage a community project, and run a Brownie unit - the latter two ensure my house will never be perfectly tidy as there are always bits of craft materials, equipment, paperwork, etc. around, plus various meetings and training courses to go to. Cleaning comes quite a long way down my list of tasks to do each week!

[ILoveMyDressingGown]

• how clean is your house? Cleanish. It's not super-duper clean but neither is it a hovel. There is clutter everywhere and it does my head in.
  
• how clean is your car? Fairly. There's no rubbish in it but a few stones in it. There's bird poo on it but that'll be washed off in the rain this afternoon.
  
• do you clean it yourself? The house? Yes, with my husband. The car? No, every now & again I take it to the hand car wash place.
  
• do you hire a cleaner? I wish I could afford one but alas, I can't, so no.
  
• what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable? (I bloody hate it!) I don't know but if you find a way let me know!

[Glassofredandapackofcrisps]

My house is a tip, really untidy.
It's two bedrooms and just me and my dd who's 2.
I'm a self employed cleaner, I only work 2 days a week, I sort washing, empty bins and do dishes.
Change bedding very regularly too.
Forget anything else, all gets done about once a fortnight.
My car is also frightful.
My priorities are days out with my dd, home cooked meals and sitting down with a glass of wine before bed!
I'm fully booked up at work as my standards are very high and I do a fab job!

[Echobelly]

• how clean is your house?
  

It's untidy and probably a bit dirty. I expect a real neat freak would think it really bad, but most people just a bit messy

• how clean is your car?
  

Disgusting inside, grubby out. Clean it out once in a while but it gets pretty gross. But we're not very 'car-proud', it's just a thing to get us places, and we seldom give other people lifts.

• do you clean it yourself?
  

Car? Sometimes. House, yes a bit but could do more. We have an au pair who helps with kids' rooms and the kitchen

• do you hire a cleaner?
  

Yes, one day four hours a week (4 bed house), helps keep on top of the worst.

• what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable?
  

Music on sometimes. Can't really make it more enjoyable, but you can make it more part of your routine so you do it. I got into the habit of doing the washing up before bed every night while on mat leave with my son and now I do it pretty religiously, so I don't wake up to a kitchen full of washing up. Took a few months to establish, but after that I always did it.

I also go through phases where I commit to doing 15-20 minutes of cleaning knowing I'd only waste that time faffing around on the internet otherwise. So maybe replacing short bursts of faffing with cleaning would help you (if you faff around like I do) - you can achieve a surprising amount in 10-20 minutes.

[Itchytights]

Bit anal with cleaning and have diagnosed OCD so cleaning is very important to me.

Clean two hours a day. I work and have two small children. Often don’t sit down till 10pm at night time everything is done but that’s the way it is.

House is immaculate but car needs a clean at the moment.

[MyOtherUsernameisaPun]

My house is pretty clean, and I have a weekly cleaner. When I have to clean myself I listen to podcasts to make it less tedious. My car is a bit of a tip.

[Goldmonday]

House is as clean as I can keep it, kitchen is generally really clean and stuff is always put away but jobs which creep up like dusting and polishing don't get done as often as I would like. Laundry is always a nightmare.

Car gets valeted every couple of months and gets pretty dirty in between although I make an effort not to leave rubbish/junk in there.

[Goldmonday]

And I don't have a cleaner but would absolutely love one, although to be fair we are in the middle of renovations so not much point at the moment

[Notso]

how clean is your house?
Today, not very. Usually very clean.

how clean is your car?
I don't have my own car, DH's company car is clean in comparison to other cars I've travelled in.

do you clean it yourself?
House, 90% me, DC and DH do bits and bobs. Car is always DH or he pays a child to do it.

do you hire a cleaner?
No. I don't see the point unless I could have a housekeeper. It's the putting crap away I hate more than cleaning.

what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable?
The Organised Mum Method and audiobooks or plays on the radio.

[Mammalamb]

Both DH and I work full time (my hours are compressed over 4 days). We have one DS and our DDoggy. 4 bed house with 3 reception rooms.

We clean the kitchen weekly. Clean each bathroom either weekly or fortnightly. Hoover and polish the house weekly. (But keep lounge fairly tidy and clean all week). We run over the downstairs floor with the cordless hoover every night.

Keep on top of dishes and washing all week, but put clothes away and do ironing only once a week.

We have had a lady who pops over to do some cleaning and ironing (2hours per week usually) but unfortunately she has other caring responsibilities at the moment, so cannot help at the moment. I really miss her help, but she absolutely needs to prioritise her own family!

Batch cook every week, and file all letters monthly.

It still feels like the house is a mess and we are always a bit tired. The house is old and scruffy but we don’t have time or money to redecorate yet (I want to build savings for emergencies first)

My mum was a SAHM and always comments on something (how dirty our windows are, the skirting boards need a clean etc etc). My MIL was a WOHM, she never says a word about our house. I think because she has lived being a working parent and knows that the house won’t always be perfect

[Thehop]

I follow TOMM (the organised mum method) on Facebook. My house os lovely now. I’m in control at last and have a routine.

[gryffen]

I have a 3yr old toddler who loves fruit and bread - thankfully we have just done a major clean up and found god knows how many bits of the above rotting away downstairs. Miltoned the place to hell and back and now only our room and the table downstairs to do before a possible C section in 6 weeks.

Bathroom getting redone shortly too and kitchen is clean but needs replaced due to age.

We have a small semi detached house though so one thing out of place and the MIL pounces on my poor housewife skills- told her if I wanted cleaning advice I would ask her husband who was assigned a cleaning chart the day he retired.

House clean but messy due to obvious works etc.

Hubby car on other hand is a bloody bomb site lol

[MeyYael]

how clean is your house?

Probably average-ish?

How clean is your car?

Fairly clean. (Well, at least the inside. But I don't really care whether it looks clean or doesn't...)

Do you clean it yourself?

I hoover the car occasionally. As for the house? Partially, yes. But we also have a cleaner.

do you hire a cleaner yes

what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable? (I bloody hate it!)

Music and dancing. Or doing it with DH.

[fiorentina]

I work full time and always try and clean up as I go along,constantly keep on top of the washing and do a good clean once a fortnight, with a cleaner in the week between. Cars are relatively clean. We have a window cleaner once every 3 months. I iron on a Sunday evening so it’s organised for the week ahead.
I don’t love cleaning but I love a clean and tidy house and can’t relax on a Friday night after work if it’s not clean and tidy enough.
These days the kids help for pocket money and my dh is helpful too.

[Pumpkin1975]

My house is both clean and tidy. I would like it to be spotless but with a messy DH and two teen boys it’s a challenge.
My car is generally clean and tidy inside bar the odd forgotten water bottle - not so much outside!
Have never and would never have a cleaner, just because I am very particular in how I do things. We do have our outside windows cleaned every other month though.
I actually enjoy most housework. On my weekdays off (work part time) I love having an empty house and just put the radio on or carry the iPad from room to room and catch up on the Sky plus while I blitz my way through! I like having a routine e.g. I deep clean the kitchen, including oven, dishwasher, fridge, about once a month. Clean bathrooms once a week, or twice a week for downstairs loo. Dirty floors are my nemesis and I probably hoover downstairs and wash kitchen floors every other day, and upstairs once a week. A couple of times a year I go through all my drawers and cupboards and reorganise so that clutter doesn’t build up. Day to day, I always wipe down kitchen and stove after each use, run the dishwasher each evening, tidy the living room before I go bed. Love getting up to a tidy house, makes me feel like I’ve got a head start on the day.

[Armchairanarchist]

I can't handle mess and although poorly I can't sit in an unclean room. It's a bit of a curse. My car is immaculate. I don't allow any food or drink in it and have it valeted at least once a month, although I'll clean any marks inbetween too.

[BlueBug45]

• how clean is your house?
  

Not as clean as I like at the moment due to being pregnant and tired

• how clean is your car?
  

My car is deliberately left slightly dirty.

• do you clean it yourself?
  

I don't clean my car myself though I use to clean my car myself in summer.

• do you hire a cleaner?
  

Nope I clean my house myself. I have a system where I clean particularly rooms/things more thoroughly every few weeks otherwise I find black dust builds up.

• what do you do to make cleaning more enjoyable?
  

Play music or listen to the radio while cleaning.

Also if you tidy and clean as you go then you only need to spend a couple of hours cleaning more thoroughly the particular rooms/things you are targeting for that week. I should point out if a floor is dirty then you clean it as soon as you notice.

Oh and I don't usually iron as it is a waste of time.

[NaomiCharles]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Really interesting! There is no norm.

I'm 20 weeks pregnant (on Monday) and am still feeling ok and like I can function as before, however I know from 20 weeks onwards is when you grow a lot more and start to get breathless, thus finding things like cleaning much more difficult! Not looking forward to this.

Just blitzed our bedroom. Skirting clean, vacuumed, surfaces, walls cleaned, everything sorted. It's beautiful! Proud of myself

[TheClitterati]

Car is a mess. Much better before I had children. I could go out and clean it now but frankly I'd rather do other things.

House moderately messy. Moderately tidy.

Window cleaner just did outside windows so I will make an effort to clean them inside now.