To think it’s not normal to have thick grey dust on skirting boards?

[GosPort]

Went around to SIL house today and I’m by no means a neat freak but just thought it was unacceptably dirty. Not cluttered, just nothing was cleaned. For example her skirting boards had thick grey dust on them, on top and falling down like snow. Paw marks on them from the rabbits as well so it was so obvious. And the hair that had built up on them too was visible and a bit gross.

AIBU to think you should regularly clean and dust your house if you are inviting others into it?

Meh. I can't remember when I last dusted my skirting boards. If I could see a thick layer of dust of them then I would give them a wipe but some people are too busy or simply don't notice.

Everyone has different standards of cleanliness and it's not for you to judge. I could understand your disdain if she gave you tea out of a filthy mug but how do her skirting boards possibly affect you?

Sorry but I think it’s more rude to be a guest in someone’s house and not just judge them - but post about it on the internet!

Our house is very dusty, as I am bone idle with housework and so is DH. Weclean the kitchen and bathroom and hoover. Rarely dust. DD wrote her name in the dust on the TV earlier so it definitely needs doing.

I like hygienic kitchens and bathrooms but not fussed about dust. We live in a thatched cottage and as soon as you dust it is dusty again. Especially with the windows open.

You do you and let her do her 🤷‍♀️

I'm sure she doesn't like your house either

YABVVBU. Unacceptably dirty? Check yourself OP!

As my MIL says "I visit to see my loved ones, not to check on their cleaning skills".
Do you not like SIL?

Mine would be worse if I didn’t have a cleaner!

My house is constantly dusty. After working all week I can barely keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean. I usually only dust once a month if that. And the skirtboards i may do 1 or 2 times a year.

Excessive dust affects breathing and tbh she isn't doing the health of her rabbits any good. Rabbits can't be treated for many illnesses and respiratory issues are one. Don't have pets if you can't keep up with all aspects of care.

Laughing here as in a book I read the housewife was saying who on earth has time to get to skirting boards and I took a long hard look at ours and then cleaned for the first time since we moved in three years ago😅I’ll admit they look amazing clean but everyone is different op, people have different priorities in cleaning (my kitchen is pristine, the bathroom is a hellhole as I never get down that far!!) I also have a thing about cleaning windowsills and the outside of cupboards since my sil (ironically) kind of threw the windowsills a look one day😅

I'm a clean freak, and a housework nutter, but I must admit that unless there is actual hazard to health and life filth at a friend or family member's house, I have never noticed it. And when I have, it was out of concern about it being a potential symptom of something wrong.

That's pretty normal in my house I'm afraid! I just can't be arsed to do loads of housework these days. I just do the bare minimum, which doesn't usually include the skirting boards.

Wow - thought this was the one place I wouldn’t be greeted with this kind of response.

Could never live in a grotty and grimey house! How do you never clean your bathroom? That’s a room literally full of s*!

Can't imagine caring about the state of anyone's skirting boards. Ours are probably awful.

If the whole house is grotty then YANBU to not want to go there but YABU to expect that somewhere is cleaned to have the privilege of you attending it. It's not about you.

I don't dust skirting boards before receiving guests; it's more making sure the loo is clean and the place generally tidy (washing up done, laundry out of the way).
But I don't think I've ever had so much dust that it's falling like snow! The ones I can see get hoovered.
There's a good layer of dust on top of the door frames I think,

Rabbits INSIDE a house ?

I would find it yucky too. That’s excessively dirty if it’s falling like snow.

OP. There are plenty of threads around where people do a deep clean fairly frequently.

Well, the most compelling reason I have heard about dusting is that nowadays our dust is made up of loads of microplastics so dreadful for our lungs and general health. It makes me want us to dust although we haven’t for ages…

What a weird attitude. How can someone expect guests to go into a house (when invited) with toilets caked in feaces and dust everywhere? Health hazard! 😷 😷

God I’m feeling better about my house after reading this! Mumsnetters are pretty gross it seems! A year’s worth of dust on any surface is 🤢. Literally dead skin cells

Is sil a single parent?

My mum was incredibly houseproud but she used to say that if the beds, kitchen and bathroom are clean the rest doesn’t matter. Anyway, I expect your observation made you feel very smug @GosPort.