Page 7 | To wonder about the fetishisation of cleaning?

Skelligsfeathers · 2022-03-17T22:36:36+00:00

Cleaning and housework used to be just that. A necessary evil which most people did but didn't enjoy. Now however, it seems to be a hobby almost for some people and the standards expected of people's homes seem to be insanely high. Endless videos on social media of people pouring multiple chemicals into already pristine sinks. Grown adults getting excited about cleaning cloths and different fragrances of disinfectant. TV shows where people who are obviously ill with OCD are paraded as being somehow morally superior to others because they spend hours every day cleaning already clean houses.... I just don't get it. Is it all just another way of making money? Or is it saying something deeper about our society?

TabithaTittlemouse · 18/03/2022 09:55

I missed out on the cleaning fetish although I really like the organised mum method because I’m so disorganised and it helps that. I do need telling what to do so in that way I find her helpful.

I don’t really care whether others enjoy cleaning or not.

borntobequiet · 18/03/2022 09:55

I quite enjoy housework but not so much that I do a lot of it.

Competitive cleaning has always been a thing IME, and I’m old enough to remember the days when it was far more time-consuming and laborious than it is now.

MargaretThursday · 18/03/2022 10:00

It can be satisfying to change something really filthy into something new looking.

I agree. Which is why I don't clean the house too often. Making it look minorly better doesn't appeal.

LadyPropane · 18/03/2022 10:01

I clean like a lunatic when company is coming. It happens just about frequently enough that the place stays in check.

I do like a clean house purely for its own sake. I find it good for my mental health. However I do also feel that pressure to be presentable for others. The thought of someone seeing my house messy or dirty makes me feel embarrassed. I'm not sure why.

SartresSoul · 18/03/2022 10:02

I grew up with a cleaning obsessive Mother and paternal Grandmother who I spent weekends with too. Both took great pride in their homes and both always seemed to be on the go cleaning something or another. They’re still the same now, their homes are always immaculate.

I’m not like them. I like things to be tidy but I’ve accepted I’m just not as good at cleaning as they are and I don’t want to spend every spare minute scrubbing something or another either. They both pick on things in my home when they visit, they seem dismayed I’m not as obsessed with a pristine home as they are. My Mum goes to the extreme of matching her Christmas tree baubles with the room decor ffs. They’ve both always worked full time as well so not housewives. I think they use cleaning as a way to keep busy and stop them thinking about negative shit going on in their lives, it’s an escapism.

godmum56 · 18/03/2022 10:02

amazed no one has yet posted this

Dust If You Must
by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

CPL593H · 18/03/2022 10:06

I think the difference between the working class incessant cleaning of say 100 years ago and now is the fact that back then it really was a full time job to "keep house" especially with a number of children in tow. No appliances to speak of, often in areas where industry made the air very dirty. I don't think they did it for fun or as a 'hobby', at all. There was I'm sure pride in having a clean home among people who often had little else, but it was different. My grandmothers thoughts on black leading a range were to put it mildly, colourful and such tasks were abandoned with alacrity when more 'modern' things came in.

twominutesmore · 18/03/2022 10:08

This feels like a really nasty thread. Why can't people, women, enjoy something without others piling on to tell them how wrong they are? Well not wrong exactly but - boring, vacuous, mundane, ocd, good little wifeys, and various other really quite horrible and patronising terms.

The internet is awash with various hobbies and niche interests. You can find almost anything. A % of people either enjoy cleaning, or just want to do it better, or love the look and feel of an immaculate home. So bloody what. Where are the threads critiquing people who are interested in crafting, gardening or any of the other things I personally find tedious, boring and pointless.

Springwreath · 18/03/2022 10:10

Imho, along with the fetishisation of Christmas, food, interior design; it's a sign of a deeper malaise within a society where consumerist values have triumphed over community, spirituality and creativity.

WetLookKnitwear · 18/03/2022 10:14

I enjoy it. I occasionally watch cleaning vids on YouTube so maybe I fit your bill. To me-
-the results are enjoyable/to be proud of
-if you clean regularly you get to enjoy a clean house all the time instead of a dirty house most of the time prior to a big clean up
-it clears your mind
-it’s a low pressure part of the routine, you can’t really screw it up

I’ve got an interesting job and hobbies. Big achievements in my life. I’m not a sheep. I just don’t hate cleaning and I make it into a positive part of my routine.

I honestly don’t give a toss what other people do to their own houses.The best people I know are the messiest.

It’s normal to not like cleaning but don’t twist it into an insult to others and a compliment to yourself!

crispmidnightpeace · 18/03/2022 10:16

@Josette77

Generations of women took pride in a clean home. I love a clean organized home.I have hobbies, I'm an artist, but I find it meditative and calming. I'm curious why clean homes and people who clean are looked down as boring or caving to pressure. Lots of enjoy it.

Exactly. We're all different but a home is important. Many people have standards I don't such as needing a fancy house or owning the house etc. For me I'm very happy with my somewhat dilapidated house, but I want it clean and neat and organised.

I home educate a six year old, organise and attend many home ed activities, I'm writing a screenplay, I have three freelance gigs with constant work, I spend quality time with my family and friends, I devise and deliver lessons, I do school talks, I jog, and I take my daughter to four classes a week with no car, and I prioritise keeping my home clean, tidy, and organised.

I fit these things in because they are what is important to me.

I also enjoy those silly videos and I enjoy other silly things because silly things can be fun.

implantreplace · 18/03/2022 10:21

Right back at you OP

WetLookKnitwear · 18/03/2022 10:23

@godmum56

amazed no one has yet posted this

Dust If You Must
by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

That’s a lovely poem thank you. I’m going to save it.

(But I’m still going to mop the floor.)

implantreplace · 18/03/2022 10:24

Personally
I love having a clean organised home
And that takes effort. Quite a bit.
I get a genuine pleasure from providing a truly organised, clean, fresh smelling home…. For my children. Becuae I grew up in a disorganised mess of a family home.

I enjoy the process too.

I have seen many threads from OPs feeling depressed by the mess in their home and askin for help

antisocialsocialclub · 18/03/2022 10:24

@twominutesmore

This feels like a really nasty thread. Why can't people, women, enjoy something without others piling on to tell them how wrong they are? Well not wrong exactly but - boring, vacuous, mundane, ocd, good little wifeys, and various other really quite horrible and patronising terms.

The internet is awash with various hobbies and niche interests. You can find almost anything. A % of people either enjoy cleaning, or just want to do it better, or love the look and feel of an immaculate home. So bloody what. Where are the threads critiquing people who are interested in crafting, gardening or any of the other things I personally find tedious, boring and pointless.

Quite.

Just goes to show that indeed people still do view cleaning as pointless ‘wifey’ work.

implantreplace · 18/03/2022 10:25

@godmum56

amazed no one has yet posted this

Dust If You Must
by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

I suspect that most just go on mumsnet or surf the net!

linerforlife · 18/03/2022 10:26

I was wondering this today because I was thinking about how recently the cleaners I have had (via an agency so not always the same ones) that are younger than 40 seem to be more bothered about doing weird things like "stamping" my toilet roll with the tap (please make it stop) than they do cleaning the jammy toddler prints all over my kitchen cupboards 🙄 The one I had this week offered to refold all my washing for me so it looked better in my drawers... nice offer but actually can you do the cleaning you're here to do?!

justanoldhack · 18/03/2022 10:27

I agree, I think it's really sad. There is so much more of value you could be doing with your life...

implantreplace · 18/03/2022 10:28

@justanoldhack

I agree, I think it's really sad. There is so much more of value you could be doing with your life...

Like posting on mumsnet!

tearinghairout · 18/03/2022 10:37

That's a great poem, and is my philosophy too. I'd rather be reading something interesting or doing a hobby than cleaning. I do the floors and bathrooms often, make the beds and wipe the kitchen surfaces, but the rest gets left until I notice dust, basically. Bookcases get done, ooh, ... dunno when they were done last. DH said the other day, "I couldn't work out what had changed, then I realised you'd cleaned!" When I go to some of the big modern houses round here, they are pristine. One friend admitted the pressure she felt to keep it like it. Ours is more "lived-in". But yes, it's nothing new. I remember thinking about this pressure on.young mothers when I was one, years ago.

bottleoffanta · 18/03/2022 10:40

I also like the organised mum method (although I know it doesn’t work for everyone) but I like how she’s big on as minimal products and chemicals as possible and about everything being ‘good enough’ rather than perfection because there’s more to life than a sparkling house

Smokeahontas · 18/03/2022 10:55

Clean yes, but some of the people do come across as being slightly mentally unwell. It’s more like an OCD for some.

The sheer volume and variety of cleaning products used in some cases cannot be healthy. By all means, throw a bit of bleach or Toilet Duck round the bowl, but you don’t need several liquids and powders. I’m surprised there hasn’t been any explosions.

JustFrustrated · 18/03/2022 10:56

Disagree entirely.

I, and none of my friends, fit this mold. We are all comfortable, we all have hobbies. We all have beautifully clean homes.

Some are IG stylised.
Some are like mine, bit mental (looking at you Stanley the stag).

But they're all spotless. Becuase we take pride in what we've worked so damn hard for.

It costs money to have a nice bookshelf, full of books. It costs money to have Stanley the stag, or the crystal decanters, or the big open foyer...

Why would we risk ruining it.

Pinkflask · 18/03/2022 11:03

It's also a way of engaging in pleasant consumerism without spending very much - different Zolfora scents, new cloths etc are all nice to browse, they're attractive on the shelf, they bring a lot of promise with them, and they're only a couple of pounds so affordable for SAHMs for example who might feel guilty buying things for themselves. But cleaning stuff is for the house/family, so guilt-free.

antisocialsocialclub · 18/03/2022 11:09

seem to be more bothered about doing weird things like "stamping" my toilet roll with the tap

I…um…. What?

🤣 I can’t even picture what this means!