Why do we clean like this?

[lipsticklovley]

Surely it's not only me, but in top of everything else I now have this ridiculous urge the the entire house needs to be cleaned, as if Father Christmas will be doing a cleanliness inspection.
Half of me is saying sod it, the other half is saying every inch of the house needs to be scrubbed within an inch of its life.
I have no visitors planned (of course) just DP and kids here.
I'm the same before I go on holiday!
Please tell me I'm not crazy 🤷🏻‍♀️

I used to spend the days before Xmas cleaning like a mad woman...now I live with just my hubby and dog and would give anything to have that time back to spend with my children instead of worrying about non important things really....honest guys....put the cleaning products away and make memories whilst u still can

Got to be smart for Santa! Even my DS (18) got up this morning and announced he was doing his room. It’s just how it goes.

No I don;t feel like that- and no guilt either.

THe basics are done, but christmas trashes the house anyway, so I prefer a deep clean once it's all over.

I tend to wait until after Christmas when it’s time for the tree to come down to do a full clean. It seems pointless before Christmas given the colossal mess created every year.

Yanbu op, I have the same urge. I have a huge list today although I did already clean the oven yesterday which was the thing I was most dreading 😂

We also recently had a minor leak in the downstairs office which has left a few streaks down the wall...and I found myself last night seriously considering whether I'd have chance to paint it today.

How ridiculous...its totally unimportant and we'll barely be using that room over the next few days! I just had an urge to get it 'done for Christmas'.

I found myself mopping the floor at 1am Christmas morning one year. Not planning to repeat that but usually the dining room gets its annual overhaul, which it needs after a year of being the house dumping ground. This year it's worse as DH has used it as his home office, so as it's just the four of us I'm thinking of binning that job and just having Xmas lunch in the kitchen. Dunno, that won't feel as special, but not sure i can face the cleaning ...

My DH rolls his eyes that I thoroughly clean and tidy the house before going on holiday but when we come back after travelling even he admits it's nice to come back to hoovered carpets, mopped floors, clean fridge, beds with fresh bedding on etc.

Just a shame he forgets how nice it is to return to at the start of every new trip!

I also clean for Christmas! It feels more luxurious to enjoy the decorations, food and presents when everywhere is clean and tidy.

We’ve always had a good tidy/clean on 23/24th. Why? because from 4pm tomorrow we’ll be slobbing for several days (apart from cooking Christmas Dinner) and it’s easier if the house is clean and tidy before the Christmas Slobfest begins.

Totally get where you're coming from. It's just 2 of us (and my cat) - I did the bedrooms last week, the bathroom on Monday so will just be sorting out the downstairs today. Will probably take 1 hr 30 max, then I'll probably leave it until husband goes back to work on 29th (aside from bleach down the loo, kitchen etc).

Oh I'm so glad we are all the same!!!

I'm not.

I'm an out and proud non housework obsessive and have been for years. We do what we can, anything extra just has to wait. Life is too short to to worry about the odd drip on a cupboard door.

I did mine the other day, and will give it a quick going over again this afternoon.

It felt a bit daft to do a deep clean when it's just us at home. But actually, once it was done, I could feel my mood brighten and I didn't feel as penned in as I have been. It was worth doing!

I'm about to start mine, I can not have Santa thinking we live in a hovel

I'm doing the same, as if its tidy and clean for Xmas the kids won't notice its a shit tip the other 363 days of the year 😂😂

Oh I'm so glad we are all the same!!!

Count me out.

I like the house to look sparkling and festive but I no longer run myself ragged. DC and DH can do their share of hoovering and polishing too.

Me too! Just about to clean the oven because the turkey won't like an unclean oven.
I usually do a big clean on the 23rd as we usually host Christmas Eve but obviously this year we won't be however the habit is too ingrained.

I do too I think it's because I know the kitchen and lounge will end up a mess so it's nice to go upstairs and have
clean bathrooms , clean sheets on beds, hoovered etc or it just becomes more jobs on top of extra work in the kitchen .Plus nobody will want to do it as they will say ' what you doing that for it's Christmas!'

Yes, I'm the same, pre-holiday cleaning essential. For me it allows me to then chill out, knowing it's done and relaxation can commence. We've both been working 12 hour days wfh for months, so energy levels are pretty low tbh. But I will definitely take a couple of hours today to clean bathrooms, vacuum and generally tidy. Then OH will do kitchen tomorrow. Then I plan to do very very little for a few days - although we're Tier 4 so not many options!

Have to say I couldn't give a shit about the cleaning this year!

TOMM here. Although I have doubled up and moved around a couple of days this week so kitchen today, and then nothing bar essentials until next Monday. Life-changing.

I always used to have a major blitz before Christmas, but that was because we nearly always had guests coming to stay. So I wanted it looking as nice as possible, not that anybody I’d ever invite would be the types to go looking for dust and tutting.

I did have a sort of blitz a couple of weeks ago, because I’d neglected everything in a rush to get various craft-y things finished - the place was a tip. Since then I’ve done the minimum and it’s fine - but then I don’t have young children wreaking havoc everywhere.
I’d be very happy to have the little Gdcs wreaking havoc here again, though - sodding COVID has alas put the kybosh on that for the foreseeable.

I'm hoovering daily and keeping in top of the kitchen and bathroom as I can't stand a messy kitchen it makes the whole house feel untidy iykwim

on

It's a funny one - I wonder why there is this urge to clean before Christmas and again at New Year!! I did the stairs on Monday and asked DH to please not go up and down, up and down to his office as I want them kept clean. Half an hour later I saw him go upstairs in his dirty dog-walking boots! I was so cross!

I can just relax knowing that the washing is up to date, bathrooms will be ok for a while etc then I can sit back and enjoy Christmas doing the bare minimum and it doesn't matter if it gets messy because at least it's clean.