Is your home always 'guest ready'?

[Bigbonesmeatandgravy]

If someone drops by unexpectedly would you be happy to let them in or would you feel embarrassed about the state of it? My house is always a bit of a mess and I feel conscious of unexpected visitors more often not. Things like the bin needs emptying, crumbs on the floor, dishwasher needs loading, clothes strewn around randomly. I feel like I spend half my life tidying so it's not laziness, it just gets messy again straight away. I also have one spare room that is a dumping ground and such a mess at all times that I would be mortified if anyone entered it.I have 2 kids under 4 so that's my excuse! YABU My house is always visitor ready YANBU My house is rarely visitor readyAnd if your house is a bit of a mess, do you care what people think?

My house is always guest ready in the sense that there's no mess that I'd be ashamed for a visitor to see.

There might be crumbs on the counter, a few hairs in the bath or teas stains by the kettle, but I don't strive to maintain an illusion that I live in a state of perpetual domestic grace.

All guests are offered food, drink, and a sanitary place to clean thems. If they're staying the night, their room and bed are clean and tidy.

I don't want a guest who expects any more of me.

Jesus, no. Not even close.

Currently can't see a single clear surface. It's properly tidy and clean about 1 day a week.

It's never a total tip. Less stuff, enough storage and put things away, not down. It's just as easy to put a plate straight into dishwasher than making a pile of dirty dishes on the counter.

I wash the floors twice a week to mitigate the dog, but have found one cycle of an Aromatherapy Associates room diffuser is almost enough to disguise her presence should a guest appear between swabbings.

I'm also grateful for whoever thought to fit a stable-style front door, so I can open the top half, and conduct all business on the doorstep without exposing the chaos within.

No I hate clutter but I find it hard keeping on top of it. I have a lot of issues that need addressing. I grew up with a mum who spent all her time keeping things guest ready, she would literally tell us off for making a mess (toys everywhere, leaving a dish in the sink) and would always say “what if someone came to the house?” I get it, in her culture even nowadays women are judged for not being good housewives (doesn’t matter if you excel in other things) but she wasn’t there for us emotionally so I am more relaxed and don’t care what others think, in my culture I’m most likely seen as a rubbish housewife or wife but it’s fine by me as i can’t do it all so I prioritise spending the time with my children until I get to grips with it all. I am looking at getting a cleaner as even though I don’t really have guests, I hate it as I feel my mind becomes a mess too.

My house is always visitor ready in that I'll always offer you coffee, supper and a comfy sofa to sleep on. It's usually a tip though 😁

My house is always visitor ready, I have 4 under 6 and 3 dogs and a 3000 sq ft house. Here’s my tips (as the OP asked for them)

• have regular declutters. Less stuff means less mess
• encourage your DC to learn from an early age that when they’ve finished with something they put it away
• when cooking dinner, load the dishwasher or wash up and tidy as you go
• hoover or sweep main rooms every day after DC have gone to bed

• wash floors every day or every other, again when DC are in bed. Once you’re in the habit it really doesn’t take long
• load of washing everyday

• clean bathrooms when DC are in the bath or have a quick wipe round when you’re in there, bleach the loo etc. Staying on top of it means it doesn’t get messy
• wash a main item every week or other depending - dogs beds, sofa covers, cushions, curtains twice a year that sort of thing.

• open the windows everyday to let the fresh air in (and the dog farts out 😬)
• a nice scented candle (fresh sort of fragrance) or diffuser with oils will give a visitor the feel that your home is clean and tidy even if it isn’t!

and lastly, don’t stress! Mess is part of life, especially with animals and DC. Just do a bit here and there and maybe once a month have a deep clean of that fits in for you x

No. I can't be arsed to hoover and clean every day. I work full time, have a small child and dislike housework. I'd rather be in the garden or out for a bike ride.

If the guest is a friend, yes. If the guest is the Queen (or Mrs Hinch), no.

My house is always clean, especially the kitchen and bathroom. It's often a little bit messy though, e.g. piles of toys or laundry.

My god how braggy did the first part of my post sound 🙈😂 it wasn’t meant to be sorry! I was just giving an indication of what I’m dealing with 😂

If anyone has any tips on how to clean the windows without leaving streaks id be up for those!

Nope. I've got two small DC so there's not a hope it's always guest ready. I would feel awkward if someone just dropped in when I hadn't at least had an hour or two to straighten it up. That said, it is always fairly clean and tidy though as it really helps with my anxiety to stay on top of it.

Heck no. I work full-time, suffer from chronic fatigue, am a carer for my elderly mother and we also have four cats, so... just no. 😂

Having said that, I'm working to change things as I'm sick of living in a grubby mess. I struggle with my MH as a result of the fatigue, and that's definitely better when the house is clean and tidy. I'd also love not to be stressed out by the prospect of impromptu visitors, or have to spend so long getting ready for scheduled ones. DH helps out, but not 50/50, as according to him these things don't matter and I should learn not to care about them.😫

I used to have a cleaner, who had to stop working due to health issues, and I'm planning to take on another sometime. But it's a bit of a vicious circle as I don't want a cleaner coming in unless the house is tidy 😂which it categorically isn't atm. I do have to say that when I had a cleaner I was better about putting stuff away, so she'd be able to do her job unhampered by mess, so it was a good thing for me in that respect too.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... no.

I have 3 kids, 2 pets and a husband who has never put an item away in his life (but he is good at cleaning, just NOT tidying) my house has never been guest ready in our entire time here... with a months notice and a deep tidy it'll still look like a bombsite within 2 minutes.

Yes, very much so, because I'm just unable to relax if my flat isn't tidy.
Also I'm on my own so I don't have much work to maintain perfect tidiness.

I must say that my flat is way more visitor ready than I am. I'm always dressed up and neat but I don't really like having guests.

Rarely visitor ready and couldn't care less what people think, particularly if they drop in without warning. It's an active home not a museum.

Friends yes, because I have also been around their house when it is less than tidy.
Someone I treated like a guest, no.

Always visitor ready here, I get the majority of it done before the school run so only things left to do in the day time are hooving, mopping ect and I do those after lunch so it's completely tidy and clean before school pick up. Quick straighten living room and clean of kitchen after dinner and before we go up to bed so it's tidy when we come down in the morning. But I cannot live in an untidy environment.

I havent tried it but Kim Woodburn always use to say white vinegar, warm water and scrunched up newspaper and its always stuck in my head.

Yes! But I live alone and it’s much easier to keep clean and tidy when it’s just you.

Thank you I’ll try that!

Our living room is generally ok as is the downstairs bathrooms. Kitchen might have washing hanging up to dry and be slightly less than spotless.
I try to keep guest bedroom made up but I also use the room to work in so it would need tidying for someone to stay.

😂 To be fair, I found your post and @Kanaloa’s one really helpful, thanks. I think my main issue is that neither me or my partner put anything back, let alone the kids. So by the end of each day there’s so much to reset as so much clutter has built up.

Given you clean the bathrooms and hoover and mop every evening, how much time do you spend doing this per day?

10% of time I could welcome anyone in without shame
70% of time I would be happy enough for non-judgey friends and neighbours to pop in
20% of the time I would barricade the door rather than have someone cross the threshold and witness the carnage.

No and I'd think it really rude if someone turned up unannounced and wanted to be let in.

I live in a really small place and have to hang up my washing etc wherever it will go, I don't want people coming in and seeing my smalls etc.

Give people notice!