What level of tidiness is your kitchen usually maintained at?

[Mub]

I have a tidy husband. He likes to keep the house tidy but the kitchen is his particular focus. I mean so do I but I think he’s a tad overboard. He says he finds a messy kitchen depressing and puts him off cooking (he cooks a lot) and it reminds him of his house growing up (hoarder parents).

Dh maintains the kitchen at a 8 or 9 / 10. Which seems overboard. The counters are always clear and wiped, sparkling taps and a clear sink. Everyday he will wipe down bins and fronts of cupboards/fridge/kettle etc (I see this as too much). The hob is properly wiped after every use (even if we only fried eggs and not too much of a mess was made).

The worst that ever needs doing is a sweep and a mop (we have large dogs). He’s not annoying with it as he gets on with it himself. But it’s exhausting to watch! He’s always washing down the sink with the hose attachment.

for example we deep cleaned yesterday as we had people over for the evening. He’s got up and given downstairs and the kitchen a tidy. Sure it got a little messy - glasses, crumbs etc but it’s mostly still fine. He streams the floor every day. I would just use the flash mop personally

Am I crazy?

He sounds fabulous!!!

You wipe down all the cupboards, bin, kettle, taps and fridge and steam the floor every day?

I wouldn't necessarily do the doors everyday but worktop wiped everytime its used if crumbs or spills, sink with every washing up and hob daily.

Talking of vermin…the cat brought in a dead rat last week and left it in the kitchen. So the poor thing didn’t get to eat any leftover Hob crumbs after all.
🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤣🤣

I aspire to be at the level your DH is at. Nothing wrong with it if he just gets on with it.

I would hate to wake up to a dirty kitchen. The only thing I don't do is wipe the doors of cupboards and fridge everyday. The floor is swept after cooking and definitely before bed too

CAt was on Rat Patrol. Good cat.

This is what I thought?

OP is he getting cross with you for not doing as much as him?

Your husband sounds a joy - I would love it.

Leave him be.

I like it clean and tidy and non smelly.
I am a staunch "clean as I go" type as taught by my lovely Domestic Science teacher. Wipe counters, doors etc while the kettle is boiling.

Chaotic most of the time, to be honest. I have energy limitations so only rarely is the kitchen anywhere near as I'd like it. I do make a point of using only very clean implements and boards, pots and pans for meal prep so that isn't a hazard! Otherwise, too much clutter.

Ours would always be 9 or 10. It's easy to keep clean, lots of storage so very little kept on worktops, hob always wiped down after use, nothing left in the sink, It's very restful!

Another who is team husband.

The kitchen is my clean domain. If dh wants piles of brochures, or a bit of tatty string, or an oily bike rag - he can keep them somewhere else. Pristine clean surfaces in the kitchen. Nothing yukky left in the sink.

I can overlook stuff in other parts of the home but not in my beautiful kitchen.

It's only me and I don't own a dishwasher so do tend to wash up once/twice a day, not after every meal/drink, dirty dishes sitting in the sink is the same as sitting in the dishwasher really. I wouldn't however leave them if I had someone round.
Do wipe any spills when they occur and it's a very tiny kitchen so stuff is always out on the counter and it doesn't take much to be messy.

There are 2 of us. 2 small dogs.
Kitchen is usually at a 2 or 3……….

Draining board always covered in things ‘drying’ for days, until the jenga collapses…….
My DH refuses to use a plate, ever, for toast, which he eats every day. So there’s always toast crumbs/jam splodges over everything……
dishwasher is emptied only when there’s no more room on the side for dirty stuff, so it has to go in to be washed…….

I am forever sorting the kitchen for it to last about 24.5 seconds……..

Yes this! I clean with hot soapy water, dry then buff with glass cleaner. Otherwise it just looks gross!

Like your husband I was brought up on a messy dirty hoarder house. My mums kitchen makes me heave. It’s dirty and cluttered.

My main thing is keeping the worktops as clear as possible. I hate clutter on them. Husband will leave steppers on the worktop and I get the utter rage about it. The worktops are cleaned down a few times a day, the sink is kept clear because I have a dishwasher. I cuts my the wall behind the bin every day with disinfectant and the bin is situated with disinfectant exchange time the bag is changed (we once had maggots and I have a phobia of them so this helps stop any flies. The units are cleaned weekly unless actually dirty in between. I pay for the ovens to be cleaned (worth every penny). The floors hoovered ever day and mopped around 3 times a week. My house is clean and tidy and that gives me peace as I grew up in a filthy, messy home.

Would your husband like to come and do mine?! I aspire to be like that but I'm probably more of a 5 tbh. Genuinely don't know how people manage to wipe all the cupboards and mop daily - I have young kids who don't sleep well, I'm permanently knackered, and as much as I'd love an immaculate kitchen, those are the jobs that I just can't get round to doing. I do clean the hob and the surfaces as much as I can, as does my husband, though he has a complete aversion to clearing mess out of the sink which drives me mad!

The problem in my house is the clutter, if I put things away they then don't get eaten and more stuff is bought and put on the counter to replace it. I am thinking we need some open shelving for storage of cereals and snacks. This is a theme throughout the whole house, things that are put away are forgotten about (my partner and son have adhd).

No one ever died from a few grease splashes on the hob or crumbs on the side, so it’s personal preference and compromise in a family where preferences differ.

We always have a few mugs in the sink and crumbs in the side - oh and a weeks worth of letters and art in a pile. We’re a family of 5 with two full time jobs and so it builds up.

were comfortable with this as it’s a compromise and we have bathrooms, bedrooms and a large 4 bed to keep clean so we know we’re doing the best we can. And that we’re all healthy and aren’t suffering any ill effects from the “mess” that’s there at any time.

From my own experience, I’ve seen more cluttered kitchens than I’ve seen pristine, even on play dates where presumably people have a little tidy up before guests arrive.

No ones perfect.

He isn’t asking you to do it?

Then let him crack on if it makes him happy

stop watching it it exhausts you

DH is less tidy than me and I do need to remind him. He’s a bit ADHD I think, so unless it is very specific he sort of spaces out and moves on to the next thing.

I am 9- and if the kitchen goes to a 7 I will tackle. I never got to bed with a messy kitchen. Sides wiped, dishwasher loaded, draining board cleared. Wake up to clean and tidy. It is easy to keep on top of. Fridge cleaned every week before the big shop. Cupboard fronts done as and when. But probably weekly.

Gosh I’d love it if I had a Mr Clean! If he gets on with it himself what’s the issue? Unless he’s picking up your plate and wiping the table while you’re still eating let him crack on! So I don’t have a partner (my late DH was very tidy though) and as I’m on my own half the time (so lives in his own, DD at uni) my standards slip. Half the time there’s a cup or plate in the sink and a bit of clutter on the peninsula. And don’t even ask about the state of my fridge 🫣!

The level is - Feral raccoons have invaded my house

Team husband here. I don't clean cupboard fronts every day, but I wipe surfaces and clean the hob after every use.

I find a messy, dirty kitchen depressing. It was what I grew up with, and hated it.