To hate cleaning when family are home

[BigFishLittleFish10]

I despise it and find it highly stressful to clean and tidy with everyone home (DH and DCs) Am I weird? I just find it really stressful with everyone walking through various rooms and get overwhelmed easily. Cleaning when I’m alone in the house is fine, not enjoyable but satisfying when it stays exactly as I left it!

I have ADHD and find the distractions when everyone is home (constantly asked questions, being talked to, noise) very difficult. I struggle to return to the task or remember what I was doing 🙈

House is a disaster zone so I know I need to get over this! Am I alone in believing that cleaning is so much nicer when you are alone?

We just all clean together (one morning a week) takes about an hour and job done

Cleaning is much nicer when you are alone but I also don't understand why you think it is only your responsibility. You don't need to get over anything. You just need to make sure everyone is involved in cleaning.

Same here!

That’s a good idea 👍

It’s not your job @BigFishLittleFish10 . Get everyone else to clean.

Of course it’s everyone’s responsibility but then delegating and cajoling and having to supervise or re-do depending on the age of the children is stressful as hell.
I’d love to get to a stage of the DCs contributions actually being any help when the house is a mess, but they are still very young, outnumber us and still need constant supervision, and when you are cleaning to a deadline (guests coming over etc.) then it’s just easier to do it alone. We take turns in my house on these occasions, so DH takes the kids out for the morning and I crack on or vice versa. Sometimes you just need a clean house reset and this is just the most efficient way!

Same - I much prefer cleaning when the house is empty (which it rarely it so not much deep stuff gets done!)

I used to clean holiday villas and doing mid stay jobs when the guests were in the house was really difficult.

If they went and sat in the garden or stayed by the pool it was fine but they often didn't and it was like painting the Forth Bridge. As soon as you'd swept and mopped and cleaned the loo, a child or Grandad would appear from nowhere and walk across the wet floor and mess up the toilet again.

Wipe down the kitchen and wash up the the mugs and glasses...that was a cue for a brew or wine o'clock.

Should I do it again? How long was I going to have to stay here?

And I felt uncomfortable being around strangers' possessions. If you are a regular cleaner for the same family, there’s an element of trust but for slightly tipsy tourists I didn't want to get blamed for lost sunglasses or jewellery. It never happened, mind you.

I hate it too. I much prefer to get things done in the house on my own...so much quicker.

However, dh WFH. I find it really hard to get things done. Like the other day, I cleaned the bathroom then he immediately wants to use it. Or I clean the kitchen and he then wants to make toast. Or I leave the hoover out and he comments that it's in the way!

I sometimes end up doing chores quite late when everyone is in bed

I do the cleaning because at present I'm not working (redundancy, but looking for work). My husband and son work full time so it's only fair I do the house cleaning. That said, my husband cooks alot and does the dishes all the time.

As soon as I get a job, which should be any time soon, we will all muck in to help clean the house.

But I agree OP, I much prefer to clean when I've got the house to myself.