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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not regularly vacuum when you have pets.

44 replies

JKCR2017 · 18/12/2018 14:52

Bit of a random one. I know that a home with dogs will never be completely hair free. I have a white dog, her hair ends up everywhere. Generally I vacuum every day to keep on top of it, sometimes I skip a day but every other day at the latest.

My DM has 7 cats and 2 dogs. She never really vacuums other than a brief go over once a week. She does work but surely a pet home should be kept on top of? You go over there and hair ends up everywhere. All
Over you clothes, socks, anything the kids take. I dread eating there as you find hair on your plates and cups. DD and OH is allergic to cats so it limits the amount of time we can spend there anyway. They sleep on the beds, the beds aren’t changed very often. I didn’t realise how unhygienic this was when I lived there. There’s hair everywhere. I believe this is why I’m quite fussy with cleaning now. I would offer to help my mum to clean but she isn’t incapable. She’s in her 40’s, only works part time and has a husband and my grown up brother and teenage siblings live there (who could muck in).

MIl isn’t much better she has two dogs and there’s hair built up everywhere...

People can live how they please but I feel it’s really hygienic when the kids go over. When DD was crawling (thankfully not now) she would crawl around her floor and be ridiculously grubby afterwards. Her hands would be all sticky and dog hairs stuck to them. 🤮

Aibu? I feel guilty but I really begrudge going over ae I feel grimey afterwards. It’s not just pet hair, it’s generally not a clean home. I swear it wasn’t as bad when I lived there several years ago now. She didn’t have as many pets when I was a kid!

OP posts:
Rocknroller85 · 18/12/2018 16:55

Oh I know someone like this. I avoid their house like the plague. Does she not notice or just not care?

Eifla · 18/12/2018 17:00

Yeah it’s pretty disgusting. Pet hair is annoying at best, and unpleasant at worst.

I have one dog but only vacuum twice a week but we are both (dog & I!) out the house 7.30am to 6pm week days so most of his hair doesn’t get dropped in the house anyway.

Deadringer · 18/12/2018 17:03

I have a dog and I only Hoover every couple of weeks. He is not allowed on the sofa though, I don't have any carpets and he doesn't go upstairs. You can't tell other people how often to clean, in your shoes I would just bring the DC to visit in their old clothes and give them a scrub when you get home. A bit of hair and dirt won't do them any harm anyway imo.

Cakeisbest · 18/12/2018 17:05

When the dog has stuck its snout into the biscuit barrel and then you get offered a biscuit!

Athena51 · 18/12/2018 17:08

I have a really floofy cat and if I didn't hoover every day (sometimes I do morning and evening) then I would basically be buried in cat hair in under a week.

I'm not excessively houseproud but me and my house aren't covered in hair and my place doesn't smell 'catty'. You can't get rid of it all but it doesn't take that much effort to keep on top of pet hair.

Fairylea · 18/12/2018 17:08

I think some people just don’t care and don’t see it. My mums like that. She has several dogs and never really cleans or hoovers. I don’t think she actually ever mops the kitchen floor, ever. It’s got worse as she’s got older (but not incapable of doing it) but even when I was younger she was pretty much the same. She thinks I clean way too much and is always mocking me about it, “oh do you really need to mop the floor AGAIN” etc when I don’t even do it excessively!

I guess we all have different standards.

Knowivedonewrong · 18/12/2018 17:14

I have two dogs, one cat, and all wood floors downstairs. I Hoover twice a day, and a couple of times a week up stairs where there is carpet.
I'm a clean freak when it comes to dogs

tryingtobehave · 18/12/2018 17:15

Oh no. I think I'm one of these dirty people. Three cats Confused

needanappp · 18/12/2018 17:19

Oh gosh this is one of my pet peeves! A family member has cats and doesn't hoover anywhere near as much as she should. The floor is gross, and it's carpet which is worse imo because any food etc can get trod in!

I have to visit with my DS once weekly currently due to circumstances and I'm so on edge the whole time! I just can't relax!

I'm far from a clean freak but we have 2 cats and I'm the same as you, every day mostly but every other day at least and we have laminate so I can sweep if need be!

BitOutOfPractice · 18/12/2018 17:19

I would just not go to a house like you mom's OP

BitOutOfPractice · 18/12/2018 17:19

And I am no clean freak!

Her0utdoors · 18/12/2018 17:20

My inlaws are like this, it was very briefly better when ds was crawling and dh told them the state of their floors was vile. Now it's back to normal. They have many vacuums, they several newish Dysons (over 3 properties) , but nope.

dalmatianmad · 18/12/2018 17:22

Sounds grim 🤢 we have Dalmatians and often hoover twice daily because their little sharp hairs drive me nuts...

Bubblysqueak · 18/12/2018 18:00

It's gross. I was so paranoid and lazy about dog hair everywhere so we now have a robot hoover who Hoover's every day twice a day when dog is shedding. Sonu get best of both worlds, little hair and no effort.

Ellapaella · 18/12/2018 18:13

I have a black lab and have to hoover twice a day due to the amount of hair that gets in the carpet and around the kitchen.
Even then if you get down close to the carpet you can still see it.
Seriously considering having wooden flooring put down through the entire downstairs next year.

PookieDo · 18/12/2018 18:15

This does bother me. If I know my socks and feet will get dirty from someone’s floors I am completely put off. I don’t find it comfortable at all

clary · 18/12/2018 18:18

I'm with you op, that is gopping. Or grimy as Ds2 would say.

I hoover every day and the only pets are 2 Guinea pigs in the winter but I think I have messy children.

sophisticatedsarcasm · 18/12/2018 18:19

We have a dog and hoover everyday, not so bad at the moment, in the summer it’s worse as the dogs winter coat start to shed. I think the kids make more mess than the dogs though. I wash the sheets every 2 weeks. Too be fair she don’t really go onto my bed nor does she moult much being a lab.

GemmeFatale · 18/12/2018 18:20

I run the roomba and vacuum daily and alternate vaccuuming properly upstairs and down. (So I vacuum upstairs the day I run the roomba downstairs. The next day roomba is upstairs and I do downstairs with the big Vacuum cleaner).

We’d be coated in dog hair if I didn’t.

Original poster
JKCR2017 · 18/12/2018 18:26

Thanks all. It’s not just the vacuuming. It’s the general cleanliness. When she does clean it’s not very thorough. The hair situation is that bad it kinda sticks to the skirting boards etc. It must just fly around the house. She also has my three younger siblings at home so things are generally quite messy anyway! The animals are allowed everywhere in the house! Even in the airing cupboard full of clean bedding.. etc.

I love animals but I feel that you need to not mind cleaning to have one lol. My own dog malts like crazy!! There is no escaping the hair but it should be kept on top of somewhat!

OP posts:
erykahb · 18/12/2018 18:31

Bleurghhh this makes me feel sick, but I'm not an animal person

I can't bare to go into a house and come out all itchy and hairy Envy

TheRhythmessCarolMan · 18/12/2018 22:31

I'm amazed at how people have time to vacuum every day.

clary · 18/12/2018 23:10

it takes me 10 minutes to hoover downstairs.

I'm always amazed that people find time to blow dry their hair every day! 😀

Fireandflames666 · 18/12/2018 23:33

I have two cats (one long haired) and I sweep up every day as it just gets stuck to everything otherwise.

brizzledrizzle · 18/12/2018 23:35

That's gross. We have a small push along sweeper and I do the lounge with that twice a day to get rid of pet hairs, it takes minutes and works better than a vacuum cleaner.