To wonder how on earth people's houses are so pristine

[Cluelessat33]

So I'm a single Mum, two dogs, two cats, a 5 year old. After looking at my hallways today, which looked like it had never been hoovered, despite me hoovering it last night (and every night before). I cannot comprehend how peoples houses are so pristine. I mean honestly. I feel like I'm constantly washing up, clearing away, tidying away, hoovering, wiping, tidying. And the house still feels like a pit.

And then I stray by mistake across these Instagram video of people 'styling' their bookcase, or who have the time for a porch Halloween display and I wonder if I'm just sloppy and lazy. I take pride in my home looking tidy... it just never feels like it does. I hate unexpected visitors who need to use the loo, just in case the 5 year old has left a friendly floater in the loo since I last checked it.

Am I unreasonable for wonder where the heck these people find the time and energy. Am I a bit of a scummy mummy!?

You are my twin. I feel like I live in complete chaos no matter what I do.

I think the only way is less clutter, good organisation and storage and a good routine.

I have none of that so it ain’t happening here.

4 animals and a child to one adult is a very high ratio. Imagine a household with 2 adults having 2 kids and 8 animals!
People have cleaner houses because they don’t have so many animals, that’s really the big one.
Then it’s habits, if you don’t clean or pick up as you go along it’s going to feel like much more of a chore when it builds up.

It's definitely the animals. They create a lot of extra cleaning.

4 animals that's why.

I have also wondered that. I also have 4 animals

Honestly it's the animals and I'm astonished you don't know this!

Plus SM is bullshit. Again surprised you don't know this.

I'm super impressed you hoover everyday - I'm a solo parent with 1 child & 1 dog and I manage to hoover once a week if I'm honest, so you're doing amazing

Your problem is the kids and the animals 🤣

It'll be the pets with the carpets. But also, I truly believe we perceive our houses as messier than they actually are sometimes. Especially when we stumble across Instagram pages!

Just me, DH and 1 small dog here.

House always feels like a tip, but mainly because I’m messy and don’t really clean.

Cleaner once a fortnight keeps it to a liveable level….. Robot hoover in between. Life’s too short for cleaning…..

My house is quite clean and tidy due to a combination of factors

I think you got the point.😄

The explanation is they have been plugging away at it for years, on a daily basis most likely. Purchasing and replacing organisational storage, as it is outgrown, or better methods are seen and adopted. You get good at what you practice.

Having more time and money to throw at the problem helps hugely as well.

I know people who study interior design mags for fun, and then replicate what they see.

I suppose reframing it in your mind so you can find a way to enjoy doing it helps, too.

A lot have been brought up this way from childhood, so it’s drummed into them and it’s like second nature.

Probably many more contributing factors as well…

Because online is not real. Most fitness influencers get lean couple of times a year and shoot enough content to post for the rest of the year. I suspect most house porn influencers do a big tidy up once a year and spend a week filming the content for the next 364 days.
Also, are you seriously expecting your house to be spotless with 4 animals? I have one dog and one boyfriend. Even if I just clean before they get home, my house is a mess within 10 minutes.
One thing I find really helps is getting rid of clutter. I stripped the house back to basics so everything has its place and cleaning a three bed house takes 30 min tops.

I don't mean tidy but with spotless show homes I think serial killer

No offence but that’s too many animals to keep a home ‘pristine’ although you could get a robot hoover to come on every night

Ah don’t sweat it! Enjoy the crazy whilst your DC is little.

I don't have kids but do have a robot hoover 😀Also I only work 4 days so do anything I need to on the Friday.

Get a cleaner to help you?
Keep animals downstairs
Use a long brush and dust pan throughout the day as well as hoover everyday

I have one teenager who is super tidy and no pets.

It hasn't always been this clean and tidy.

There is a fascist brutality to it, isn’t it… reminds me of the scene in the movie Sleeping with the enemy where he checks the bathroom towels are perfectly aligned. Terrifying.

Tell us more, please?

Have you got too much stuff in not enough space?

I'm fastidious about keeping the dogs clean..... drying them before they come in. Etc. One is better than the other, one is just hairy and I think makes about 90% of the mess downstairs. Hence the hoovering all the darn time.

However walking straight into the hallway from the outdoors with mucky boots doesn't help. I used to have a utility muck room type thing, but when the marital home was sold, I moved to a very dog unfriendly house. I'd love to rip the carpet out and put wipe clean flooring down, but... money.

I'd love to live in a spotless home, but the fact is I love my pets and hobbies more. The only way I could manage an Insta-worthy home would be sacrificing more of my time and interests (or money) in exchange for it, and even then it would be an uphill battle. I don't care enough! Our home is lived-in, but that's okay, because we do actually live here.

@Gnomegnomegnome almost certainly. I do try and thin out regularly, but I have a 5 year old hoarder of crap, so it's tricky. I do need to be harsher though.