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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask for the slatterns of MN to come forward?

321 replies

MarianaMoatedGrange · 28/09/2019 11:05

Inspired by another thread. I am a self confessed slattern. Would rather read a book or browse MN than clean to a rota. I wash dishes, do laundry and am clean in person, but happily coexist with cobwebs until they get quite bad (adds to the Victorian Gothic of my home is my reasoning).

I will have a cleaning frenzy every couple of weeks or so then subside back into lassitude, draped becomingly on my sofa with a book or phone (aka slobbing out in leisure wear or PJs with chocolate to hand).

DC grown into adulthood with various views on cleaning. Oh, I lived briefly with one man when young, then never again so it was and is entirely up to me how I lived. DC taught how to clean/tidy/cook, which they did age appropriately. One enjoys cleaning.

Levels of squalor never enough to incite interest from authorities - just vaguely smug looks from my cleaner, tidier friends Grin

So, any more of you rota free, as-and-when sisters out there?

OP posts:
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thisnamechanger · 29/09/2019 20:14

I'm eating dinner out the saucepan with a spoon

Sally2791 · 29/09/2019 20:14

Laundry is fine,no ironing. Everything else I can make lists for, but they are rarely realised. We’re all happy healthy and read lots. Sod the cleaning

Laraaussie · 29/09/2019 20:23

I think I'm probably a slattern.

My house is clean enough imo, but I confess that here, beds get changed every 3-4 weeks.

Towels are done weekly.

I properly dust/polish every 2-3-4 weeks, i used to do it more but it just takes up too much time, in between I might use the dust attachment on the vac.

I don't iron anything. I actually quite enjoy ironing, but it just takes too much time and quite frankly there are things I enjoy more.

The oven gets cleaned hardly ever. In fact I'll go as far as to say I never clean it, I get dh to do it once in a blue moon.

I tidy up, the bathroom gets cleaned, I vacuum as and when it needs it which is at least once a week, we have clean dishes and clean clothes, and I keep the kitchen worktops clean. I run the spray mop round too to make wood floors look presentable, bin/recycling get taken out. That's enough.

I'd like a lovely spotless home, but with 2dc I find it impossible so I settle for clean/tidy ish.

wejammin · 29/09/2019 20:54

My DD was playing with a toy iron at nursery and declared it "the Hama bead squasher". She had a full argument with another DC who said irons were for clothes.

I'm a complete slattern. I see the dirt, I acknowledge it, make a mental note, and then do fuck all about it. I just don't care enough.

I'm always pleasantly surprised if I look for something and it's in the place it was meant to be, as opposed to A Pile Of Things.

ChickenyChick · 29/09/2019 21:00

Hama bead squasher Grin

MyGhastIsFlabbered · 29/09/2019 21:10

I'm feeling uncharacteristically smug because I've actually washed up tonight's dishes.....it doesn't happen often

SneakySnackySquirrel · 29/09/2019 21:19

Reporting for (non cleaning) duty.

I've got it to the point where I can keep the house tidy. It's daily work but not strenuous. I basically charity shopped half our belongings. Now, if I don't wash up after each meal, we have no plates.

I think it's only 2 days from disaster though.

However, cleaning is beyond me. My house is tidy but dirty. :(

My SIL does school pick up every Wednesday so that is my incentive for at least a basic cleaning clean. But I didn't even know you need to wipe the top of your doors until a thread on here. Obviously I haven't done it. I just eye the doors suspiciously and wonder if I can charity shop those too.

In a slatten sisterly suitably husky voice though... if your house is messy, how can it be clean? You can't clean mess.

elastamum · 29/09/2019 22:01

Feeling a bit smug as I have tidied the kitchen. We did get a bit of a shock though when I pulled out the bin and a huge mouse jumped out!

darkriver19886 · 29/09/2019 22:04

I swept the floor today and cleared one side in the kitchen. That's enough for today. I need to keep on top of the kitchen at least.

FunnysInLaJardin · 29/09/2019 22:13

Hmm well, I hate clutter with a passion, have a cleaner every 2 weeks, wash the bedding and towels every week, keep things generally clean and tidy.

However I hate housework and never iron.

There is a balance to be struck for me. Clutter and mess makes me very anxious and so I avoid at all costs.

FunnysInLaJardin · 29/09/2019 22:20

and I couldn't imagine leaving dirty dishes out until the next day Shock. Is that what defines a slattern, a general unwillingness to care about even that?

LakieLady · 29/09/2019 22:28

It took me an hour and a half to clean out the spare room

My spare room would need a week and a half!

It is so full of stuff, that it would take me a day and a half just to work out where to start.

Clockworkprincess · 29/09/2019 22:33

My house looks clean (emphasis on looks)
I do iron though.... And before anyone judges me its the only way i can get my three year old to let me watch tv that i want. Cant even con him anymore as he comes in and checks the piles to find out how much longer he has to wait for.

LakieLady · 29/09/2019 22:37

and I couldn't imagine leaving dirty dishes out until the next day

Me neither, but that damned dishwasher just won't empty itself and I can't be arsed. If you practised not being arsed, I'm sure you'd be able to do more than just imagine it!

Next time I have a new kitchen, I'm going to have 2 dishwashers and no cupboards. Then clean stuff can just stay in one dishwasher until it gets used, and once it's used, it can go in the other one.

TooManyPaws · 29/09/2019 23:11

I once worked next to a woman who went home every night and completely dusted and vacuumed her house. It was just her and her husband, no children, no animals, both in full- time work.

One day, we were talking about what we'd done the night before and she told us that she'd had a wonderful evening - she'd taken everything out of her kitchen cupboards and scrubbed them out thoroughly. Everyone else silently agreed that she was bonkers.

No doubt she now drowns everything in Zoflora.

I'd love to have a clean and tidy house but I just can't be arsed.

Bowednotbroken · 30/09/2019 06:42

So reassuring to read these messages! Especially good to find out I'm not the only person to buy a new oven after never cleaning it! 😄

wejammin · 30/09/2019 07:17

@LakieLady that 2 dishwasher idea is pure, pure genius

Gingernaut · 30/09/2019 07:23

wejammin - The Hama Bead Squasher 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Once again, a weekend is over and I've done no laundry, haven't vacuumed or mopped the floors and I haven't folded and tidied the dry laundry

I have done some tidying up and some filing, packed my bag for induction day and my breakfast things are in the sink, filled with soapy water in order to prevent stuff becoming stuck hard.

I call that leaving it to soak.

Blankscreen · 30/09/2019 07:37

I'm a slattern. I do the basics and once a week spend aboit 3 hours cleaning but I never move furniture out. It's all top show in my house.

The other night I cleaned the drawer on the washing machine and realised it was the first time ii'd done it since we.bought the machine 3 years ago.

I rarely clean the oven.

DamnaThatOnesTaken · 30/09/2019 07:45

I stick by 4 rules. Make the bed. Do the dishes. Empty the bins. Do a load of washing (this is not always needed). I stick by this every day and things seem to run smoothly. Everything else is when I think wow that really needs doing.

DamnaThatOnesTaken · 30/09/2019 07:46

I have also tried MANY times to be a cleaning schedule person. I go as for as making the schedule and that's it. Don't even do it for that day.

PopcornAndWine · 30/09/2019 08:14

Definitely me! I keep on top of laundry but never iron unless I absolutely can't avoid it (which I find is rarely), clean kitchen surfaces daily and bathroom weekly. Hoover when it seems to need it. Used to do dusting blitzes every two weeks or so but since 9 week old baby arrived that too has gone by the wayside. Frankly any spare minute to myself at the moment I would far rather spend with a book and a cup of tea (or glass of wine depending on time of day...)

theoriginaltms · 30/09/2019 08:54

Here again telling myself to get off this sofa and clean up. I will still be sat here in 3 hours saying the same 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

LaurieMarlow · 30/09/2019 09:15

We have two dishwashers. It’s actually life changing.

I’m a total slattern. Laundry gets done, but I take pride in never ironing. I try to keep clutter to a minimum (I hate mess more than dirt).

Bathrooms, hoovering, floor steam cleaned once a week. Everything else very rarely. My oven is a disgrace.

CraftyYankee · 30/09/2019 10:01

This thread is so good for my soul. I am a crafter with two dogs and two children.

I own three types of irons and have never ironed one of DHs work shirts.

Poor DH would love a clean house but the three of us don't care. He finally told me yesterday that I have won, he won't nag anymore about mess. We'll see how long that lasts!