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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is my morning routine too rigid?

296 replies

Tuliptana · 01/03/2026 10:52

Feeling upset and questioning myself.
Im an early riser, 6am everyday.

My routine is as folliws
Let cat in and feed him
Open all curtains/blinds snd windows to air the house
Make a coffee and whilst waiting for kettle il bleach the toilets, kitchen surfaces. Empty dishwasher.
Put a load of washing.on
Make bed
Put rubbish out

This takes max 20 mins and i feel relaxed when all done.

My mate is staying and snapped at me to just sit down and chill. However she was just sat, glued to her phone. She always moans she doesnt have time to keep on top of her housework.

I snapped and said if you didn't spend so much time on your phone you could do your jobs easily.
Was i in the wrong and does my routine sound odd and rigid?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
dapsnotplimsolls · 01/03/2026 13:38

You do you. Your friend is rude - how long is she staying for?

Tarkadaaaahling · 01/03/2026 13:39

Why do you feel a need to bleach kitchen counters? There shouldn't be any need for this, do you not use chopping boards which are then washed?
I have never bleached a kitchen counter in my life there's no need, I just wash them down with soap and water? Fairy liquid and a sponge.
Surely you are trashing your counters bleaching them? And it can't be good for your immune system to be constantly sterilising your environment?

ImFinePMSL · 01/03/2026 13:39

Tuliptana · 01/03/2026 11:27

To those saying no need to bleach kitchen surfaces daily...i strongly disagree.

And its bleach spray not neat but surely the toilet and kitchen should be cleaned daily?

I like fresh air for 10mins daily to air the house or it smells stale.

The only times I’ve known a kitchen or toilet to be cleaned daily with bleach was when I worked in a restaurant.

Like fuck will I clean my kitchen and toilet every single day.

Tarkadaaaahling · 01/03/2026 13:40

Tuliptana · 01/03/2026 13:10

My waste toilet water goes to a sewage plant not into a river! And a drop of bleach is not responsible for damaging aquatic life!!

Thanks for the laugh though...i feel like im in the twilight zone

It's hardly a drop of bleach you are using though is it when you are bleaching loos and counters daily, you must be going through quite a bit if the stuff. You do realise these are toxic chemicals not intended to be used so frequently?

Hayley1256 · 01/03/2026 13:41

I don't think you should have snapped at your friend but it sounds like she snapped at you too.

Surely it's best to bleach the toilet and kitchen sides in the evening? I normally put toilet cleaner in the loo at night so it has a few hours to do it's thing. I don't do it everyday and it's always clean

Confuserr · 01/03/2026 13:42

singthing · 01/03/2026 13:27

If I was staying at a friend's and they started bustling round bleaching everything in sight, opening all the windows, putting bins out and the washing machine on, I'd take it as a clear sign they were desperate for me to leave!

OP may as well have handed her coat and shoes to her on her way back from all the toilet bleaching.

Same here. Not my idea of a nice start to a Sunday

Heyhelga · 01/03/2026 13:43

AngryBird6122 · 01/03/2026 13:27

'a drop of bleach'
every day
x 1 million people

adds up!

🙄

Might aswell just close all public swimming pools with all the chlorine that goes into them....

You're never going to be able to convince people to stop putting bleach down the loo. It's simply a basic household non negotiable chore. Go to most people's homes and you'll likely find a bottle of bleach next to the loo.

angelikacpickles · 01/03/2026 13:44

Is your friend staying with you for a weekend social visit or are you putting her up? I think if she is there to visit, I would find it odd for the host to be bleaching around her at 6am. I would think it would be more normal to sit and have a coffee and a chat before starting into jobs. Different if she is living with you temporarily, in which case it's fair enough to get on with your housework as you usually would.

Heyhelga · 01/03/2026 13:45

As for cats, is society really that divisise now that we are smearing cat owners as killing machines owners?

Tarkadaaaahling · 01/03/2026 13:46

Heyhelga · 01/03/2026 13:43

Might aswell just close all public swimming pools with all the chlorine that goes into them....

You're never going to be able to convince people to stop putting bleach down the loo. It's simply a basic household non negotiable chore. Go to most people's homes and you'll likely find a bottle of bleach next to the loo.

Loos yes, but kitchen counters? They aren't smeared with faeces multiple times a day they might have a few crumbs on them that's it! They don't need strong chemicals.
Even if you are preparing stuff like meat you surely use a chopping board?

And what's the point bleaching counters unless you are bleaching all your plates, mugs etc.... Those are what you eat off not the counter.

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:48

Tarkadaaaahling · 01/03/2026 13:46

Loos yes, but kitchen counters? They aren't smeared with faeces multiple times a day they might have a few crumbs on them that's it! They don't need strong chemicals.
Even if you are preparing stuff like meat you surely use a chopping board?

And what's the point bleaching counters unless you are bleaching all your plates, mugs etc.... Those are what you eat off not the counter.

er- tea / coffee and food stains?! I get loads on mine

only on Mn could people try and tell a grown woman what she should and shouldn’t do in her own home

WimbyAce · 01/03/2026 13:49

It is quite a lot to do in the 1st 20 minutes but I am similar in liking to crack on eg empty the dishwasher, put away stuff on draining board. Things like washing and cleaning would wait til later.

MrAlyakhin · 01/03/2026 13:49

I'm all for airing a house but not at 6am. I bet your mate was cold. You won't have been because you were clearly getting your steps in as part of your routine.

JumpingPumpkin · 01/03/2026 13:50

I think the only unreasonable part of this is neither of you communicating. It's probably a bit unreasonable to open windows first thing in this weather, but the jobs you could have just said "I'll just get my morning routine done then we can have coffee and a chat".

BoredZelda · 01/03/2026 13:50

Doesn’t sound like you like her very much. Probably best you kick her out and end the friendship. You clearly have an issue with people being on their phones all the time, and assume they don’t do anything else and let their houses fall in to a health hazard because of it. Sounds very judgey to me.

Your morning routine sounds ridiculous to me, kitchen doesn’t need bleached every day (unless you’re one of those who allows your cat to be on the worktops 🤢) I’m also wondering what goes on in your toilets that they need cleaned every day. You sound like my mum when she was younger, all full of “oh but if you just peel the potatoes at 7am, then you don’t need to do it later.” But, you do you. If that’s what you want to do, go for it. Expecting others to do the same is batshit.

TittyGajillions · 01/03/2026 13:51

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:48

er- tea / coffee and food stains?! I get loads on mine

only on Mn could people try and tell a grown woman what she should and shouldn’t do in her own home

None of those things need bleaching though.

diddl · 01/03/2026 13:51

My waste toilet water goes to a sewage plant not into a river!

Well ideally but not always!

BoredZelda · 01/03/2026 13:51

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:48

er- tea / coffee and food stains?! I get loads on mine

only on Mn could people try and tell a grown woman what she should and shouldn’t do in her own home

If you are doing it daily, then a wipe with a soapy cloth is more than adequate.

Mummylove2026 · 01/03/2026 13:52

Not that different from my routine but I do some before bed! I empty the bin before bed but put the clean bag in first thing while the kettle boils so that it has air to it. Bleach the toilets before bed too because I don’t tend to go overnight so they have chance to kill anything. The rest I do on a morning too. Not sure how others find it rude, I would find my friend sat on her phone rude.

C152 · 01/03/2026 13:53

Your routine is what it is. It might be too much for some people, just right or not enough for others. Personally, I don't think a toilet that's not visibly dirty and is only used by 1 or 2 people needs to be cleaned every day, and there are other things I'd rather do. My rubbish bin doesn't need to be emptied daily, nor do I have enough washing to do a load every day. But if these things not being done are your pet peeves, that's fine, carry on. If you HAVE to do these things every day or you get upset, then yes, your routine is rigid. But this isn't really about your routine.

I think you really should have asked, 'was my friend rude to snap at me?' Yes, she was. She's a guest in your house, and should either offer to help or keep her opinions to herself. That being said, I think it's rude to clean around guests, unless absolutely necessary. They are there to chill out and be with you, not to watch you clean.

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:54

BoredZelda · 01/03/2026 13:51

If you are doing it daily, then a wipe with a soapy cloth is more than adequate.

Not for stains it’s not. I know my worktops 😉

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:54

TittyGajillions · 01/03/2026 13:51

None of those things need bleaching though.

Tea stains do - otherwise they…. Remain

MyNextDoorNeighbourVotesReform · 01/03/2026 13:55

I think your routine is wonderful. I think, though, that if I had a friend staying I would rather drop my routine for one morning and chat to her. She'd have looked up from her phone for a chat, I'm sure

However if she were to stay for longer than one night, she could suck it up 😊😊

whatcanthematterbe81 · 01/03/2026 13:55

DappledThings · 01/03/2026 10:57

It's a bit weird to do all those things every morning but if it works for you crack on. Rude to be doing it while you have a guest but rude of her to comment too so neither of you come off particularly well really.

Why were you both up at 6 on a Sunday?

lol, I’m up at 5am every day, no matter what. If I’m awake I can’t lay in bed. Lots of people do this. Likewise lots enjoy a lounge in bed, neither is weird

TittyGajillions · 01/03/2026 13:57

Itsmetheflamingo · 01/03/2026 13:54

Tea stains do - otherwise they…. Remain

I guess it depends how long they've been left and what kind of worktops you have, I've never needed to use bleach to wipe up spilt tea.