To ask if you clean your home before having guests?

[TheHoneyPot]

As title really. In the last few months, we’ve stayed with two sets of friends for the weekend ( I should add both these sets of friends have stayed with us plenty of times over the years) the latest ones this weekend and for the second time in a row, I’m not trying to be horrible, but there was really grotty bathrooms and carpets that crunched under foot everywhere, hardfloors covered in dog hair and just bits etc.

I’m now starting to think I need to lower my standards when we have guests because I spend a good couple of hours making sure the house is tidy and hoovered, the bathrooms are all clean and that the bedsheets are changed/ fresh. I thought this was ‘normal’ but after this weekend I’m wondering whether I’m just anal/ abnormal?!

I don't do the panicked before guests arrvie clean now we have a cleaner, but I do change sheets, provide clean towels, clean the bathrooms and hoover if anything obviously needs doing.

I think you need better friends! 😉it sort of depends. Do your friends have young kids?

I don’t understand why carpets would crush underfoot? I do clean before people visit but I wouldn’t judge friends who don’t. You don’t need to copy your friends and lower your standards, it’s not a competition

I always try to clean before guests come; however there have been times in the past with clingy, screaming toddlers that I haven’t been able to do as good a job as I’d like.

They do, but so do we so I don’t really think that’s an ‘excuse’ if you like.

Yes. Always have a manic clean before guests are coming, whether just for a couple of hours or staying.

To be fair to the dog, we can hoover, turn our back and he’s shed more hair.

Yes, my house is always spotless before guests but I do keep it at a good enough standard that not much needs before they arrive. I would be horrified if I arrived at a house like your friends

It‘s not, no. But I work full time with two young primary aged children, it‘s not easy for me to get our home spick and span before overnight guests arrive, but I do it because I myself hate mess and dirt and honestly kind of believe that it’s just good manners to ensure your home is clean before having overnight guests.

To be honest, I’m thinking of not bothering anymore with these two as they obviously couldn’t be arsed with us!

Young kids can cause untidiness , dropped toys etc. Does n’t excuse basic cleanliness.

Having people over is the best incentive for me to get the house clean!! Having said that, I don’t think I would really mind if my friend hadn’t cleaned, they obviously feel comfortable having you around!

Of course. I work like a demon to get the house 'guest ready'

I agree with this. I tidy and clean because that’s what I want to do.

Yes, of course. Wouldn’t dream of having guests to stay without clean bedding, setting out clean towels for them to use and making sure the house was clean and tidy (though to be fair it is anyway as I can’t stand it otherwise).

Your experiences sound grim and I can’t really fathom why people would invite guests to stay in a dirty house unless it was to ensure you never visited again.

We are veterans of the scurryfunge here!

The guest bedroom & bathroom are not used between guests but are cleaned after every visit so only need a freshen up and clean linen before visitors arrive.
Likewise, we rarely use the living room ourselves so that just needs a flick over with a duster.

Guilty about going around to make sure the rest of the house is spick & span before visitors arrive.😆

Yes, i clean when guests come over. My flat is usually clean to the point where it takes 20min to do but I alway make sure I've hoovered and bathrooms are clean etc. To me that is good enough.

However, i have friends who aren't fussed and I might walk in and they haven't cleaned at all. They are clean-ish in general so bathrooms etc. Are not exactly dirty but I would colled clothing from the living room and would make sure that dinner tables are whiped etc. If it was my place. But it isn't so they can do what is good for them

Yep, but unless they are staying over, (which is seldom nowadays) I don't change sheets or clean bedrooms.

Unless guests go around rooting, used sheets are not a problem.

I would make sure the bathrooms were clean, clean bed sheets on the guest bed but I cba to clean excessively so I just don’t have guests.

Of course I make sure the house is clean and tidy before guests stay. The house will be clean but also

clean bedding
clean towels on beds
clean bathrooms
great food

Sounds like a bit of a shitty friendship on both sides if you’re that judgemental and tit for tat about it. And what do you mean about crunchy carpets??

I’ve got young kids and the only cleaning that happens in my house is because we have daily household help. If we didn’t it would quickly be carnage. I think everyone’s situation is different and just because you’re able to find time to clean I wouldn’t assume your friends can. My kids only sleep from around 8-5:30am and wake multiple times in that. They’re 1 & 3 and have energy of Duracell bunny. My friends kids slept 7-7, without wakes. Her & her house always look immaculate and she can’t understand why I can’t just do stuff when kids sleep, but she’s got an extra 2.5 hrs a day plus unbroken sleep. By time I get mine to bed I just eat, shower and sleep. Give them benefit of doubt

I mean they were filthy, like bits all in them so when you walked on them (I put my slippers on pronto) it was like they were crunching. Those carpets can’t have been hoovered in weeks.

In all fairness, we love them to bits, but I do feel a bit disappointed if I’m honest, especially with this last lot. Whenever they visit us, we cook the majority of the meals except one. Usually on the Saturday night we’ll get a takeaway or go out for a meal, but the rest of the time we’ll cook. They didn’t cook once all weekend and after the first evening where we paid for a meal out for us all, we weren’t paying out for everyone for breakfast/ brunch and dinner again the next night. Out we all went anyway, it’s cost us a fortune and again, I just think they’ve been to ours so many times over the years and we never expect them to fund all their own meals yet we were expected to do that.

The whole thing has left a bit of a sour taste if I’m honest.

But really, I just think making sure your bathrooms are clean and that you’ve hoovered is so basic and something that the majority of people in their late 30’s are capable of doing.

I’m posting this whilst breastfeeding youngest to sleep

Yes. Its the only time I do a deep clean (so should invite people more often!)

Always clean bedding, clean towels, clean room, clean bathroom.
The rest of the house is clean but not immaculately tidy. My house is pretty much clean and tidy anyway.