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 🤷🏻‍♀️

And I wrapped the final presents on Saturday as well smug.

DH is currently cleaning.... wearing a santa hat 🎅🏻 I will change the beds tomorrow and hopefully get it dried on the radiator cos like a pp i cant have washing hanging around for santa to see 😂

@GwendolineWindowlene what on Earth do you do at the sink? 😆

I know OP, me too...x

Actually, I should admit that today is a wash everything day and hoover because I am not allowed tomorrow for bad luck🙈
But no deep clean itself

@StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes

DH is currently cleaning.... wearing a santa hat 🎅🏻 I will change the beds tomorrow and hopefully get it dried on the radiator cos like a pp i cant have washing hanging around for santa to see 😂

Yep, my husband seems to have the bug too. He's currently moving all the tv and audio stuff out and giving everything a good hoover and dust, then on to the rest of the living room. He only had "clean lounge" on his his list, but he obviously feels the need to do a pre Christmas deep clean too. I expect he'll do the cobwebs as well because I don't see dirt above eye level.

Yep! Not cleaning like a mad thing so much as making sure that the floors have been mopped and the kitchen has had a proper clean over and above the usual wiping down of counters after cooking - I have to clean the kitchen before I cook or bake.

The house is generally quite tidy anyway and all the rooms get a weekly go-over, it's just that I don't want to be doing anything tomorrow, Christmas Day or Boxing Day (beyond clearing up after meals). Likewise, a pile of washing still drying on the clothes horse just reminds me of the work that will need to be done to iron/put it away. So if I do that today, I can properly relax over the next couple of days.

The DC need to sort their room out but that would need to happen regardless of whether it was Christmas.

I too am breaking my neck to the entire house sparkling which most years sort of makes sense as we will have visitors but this year literally no one is going to see the inside of my house except me, DH and DS and they wouldn’t care if it was falling down around them as long as they had WiFi.

I have no idea why I am doing this but I can’t stop. It. Must. Be. Clean.

I’ve even washed the sofa covers. I don’t know what is wrong with me. Conditioning I except.

I don’t feel like this . I keep my house in about the same state of cleanliness year round. The bathroom needs doing but DH did the kitchen after dinner last night. I have no burning desire to do ledges and doorframes!

I am annoyed that a shelf in my room is about 3 inches thick with dust but not annoyed enough to clean it.

Never underestimate the impact of your environment on your mental health.

I've just stripped the bed and will have new bedding on, no the Christmas stuff but proper bedding! Don't know where I think FC will be going.

One thing I've never understood is why some people get their oven professionally cleaned before Christmas. Surely that's a job for after Christmas!

@hansgrueber

One thing I've never understood is why some people get their oven professionally cleaned before Christmas. Surely that's a job for after Christmas!

Ours has just had a clean because it's getting smoky. I don't want to be dressed on my finery on Christmas Day and smell of acrid smoke from the oven.

@nosswith

Mum always did the same before going on holiday, I think because either to save having to do it for a few days when we got back, or as neighbours came in to feed our cat.

A neighbour, years ago, would clean the house before going on holiday then when husband and children were sitting in the packed car she would go back in and hoover and dust everywhere again!

Never underestimate the impact of your environment on your mental health.

Yes, but don't underestimate the impact of stress caused by striving for perfection.

There is a balance to be struck.

I can live with some dust on my skirting boards and clothes that are not ironed- we are having no guests anyway, and on full lock down from boxing day here- plenty time for spring cleaning and ironing after christmas.

I had the ovens cleaned last week;
Thoroughly cleaned the fridge on Sunday;
Had carpets cleaned on Monday;
Cleaner came yesterday
Changed beds this morning.

I agree OP but I just sub-contract it. We are very tidy though.

Yes! So funny. I just told my DH that we needed to clean the house today.

@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 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not read replies...but you’ve just described me. I’ve just de-limescaled the bathrooms and now going to do all the window cills in the house. Utter madness.

Before holiday I get anxiety if the house is not clean!

Personally I like to have lovely xmas photos with a clean house and not one I'd be embarrassed about.

Nope. Not a thing here at all.

I have found my, admittedly, weird people. :o

At last I have an excuse: it's summer in Melbourne and the Aussie sun exposes all dust unforgivingly. When I lived in the UK I could just turn the lights down.

As a consequence, as much attention is paid to the garden because we'll sit out there. And I'd forgotten the legal requirement for all Aussies to mow their nature strip (fnarr, fnarr) and have it pristine for Christmas Day. It's amazing: they all do it.

Love a spotless house most of the time but essential for Christmas!

I used to do it but can't be arsed anymore. Life is too short.

Finished cleaning an hour ago. Have no more shopping to do. A few presents to wrap and some to deliver locally on my morning dog walk. And I'm about to set off to my friend's house for a coffee. And relax .....

Lol. I do this too. I should really get off MumsNet and get on it.
I clean because if everything is nice before Christmas it doesn’t matter if standards slip a bit over Christmas, because I don’t want to do more than a quick whizz round with the Hoover, loading the dishwasher and wiping the kitchen sides and table down.