to think dusting is pointless?

[kwaker5]

You dust. Two days later it is back. I can't be arsed with it anymore.

I feel the same about the ironing

the hv came today to do dd's 2 and a half yr check
I was shamed when he saton the floor with dd and I noticed bits of fluff, paper etcall round him
god knows when I last hooverd

Someone who understands!! I am always insipred after visiting a certain friend who has three kids, and an immaculate house. After two days of being at home, and clearing up another crushed biscuit/spilt drink/piece of plasticine I lose heart and eat chocolate. Doesn't help with the housework, but I feel better!

My DH won't let me iron his stuff as I don't do it right. He isn't impressed with my hoovering either. DD wears wash and wear clothes so no hassle there! In the end who do you do all this work for?

Although, thinking today, whilst loading the dishwasher, my grandmother never worried about spending "quality" time with my Mum so are we now trying to pack too much in to a day, housework, cooking, eating a family meal (which takes time if you do it as you are supposed to) and the quality time required by all child rearing advisors! Something has to suffer, and I choose my housework. As a wise WOMAN once said "Housework will still be there when you are dead". I would add "And then you won't care whether anyone objects to your lack of standards!!"

I have damp dusted today and started the stopwatch for it resettling.

As for ironing, a friend of mine liberated me when she told me she didn't iron her clothes. So, I stopped ironing my clothes when DS was born (he's 2.6 now!) apart from the odd thing that really needs it (linen trousers is all I can think of). No-one has noticed! Give it a go...

I dusted my table the other day. Havent done it for MONTHS. It came up really clean, I was quite impressed (tho not impressed enough to do it again for a long time).
I also dont iron, just wear tight clothes.

But (eselle) the idea of getting your toddler to dust is very appealing...

Ooh, good. Real people who don't dust and don't iron. I thought I was fictitious until I came here!

I don't iron anything apart from my own work clothes or shirts for the ds's if they're going to a party.
However dusting I have to do as I have dust mite allergy. So we have one of those industrial Henry hoover things, I just put the brush attachment on the nozzle and use that on every surface, nook and cranny where dust could possibly settle. So I don't dust with a duster, I suck it into oblivion!

The ds's love to have a go so they are being trained right and any future dils had better bloody well appreciate how I'm teaching them to do housework!

Quentin crisp said that dust doesn't get any worse after the first year.

Before I developed the allergy I found that dusting mirrors removed the soft focus flattering effect....

Shineon - wipes are massively environmentally unfriendly and not only are you a bleachy fish killer with no toilet brush, you're also contributing to landfill.

Job done now you can go to bed.

I think I might marry you (I might have to check out your laundry standards first, just to be sure though), you work, you dust every second day and clean the loo twice a day, you have great kids, time for a boyfriend (just need a better one next time!!) and you are on here... a lot (like me . What is it that 'does' get neglected at yours? Tell me there's something (please! make it up if you have to). Or have you done a deal and been allocated more than 24 hours in your day???

G4Grapes - ''My DH won't let me iron his stuff as I don't do it right.'' Perfect! The art of learnt uselessness we call it. Wont work on me - but need to see if it will work FOR me

GigglingGoblin - hoovering I can understand, but using the hairdryer??? PMSL

Kwaker5 - did you get past 5 minutes??? LOL how do you know that no one has noticed you've stopped ironing?? Surely they are hardly likely to say, why do you look like an unmade bed all the time these days (from one who also looks like an unmade bed - HATE ironing, so after I've ironed all the girls stuff, duvet covers, t towels etc. I cannot be bothered to do my own... LOL I know, should probably prioritise those items differently, but I can live in unironed clothes I can't see, whereas I can see the rest of it!!

Damp microfibre cloth for dusting - works a treat. Environmentally friendly too.

I love dusting. I have to do it. Sometimes I do it twice a day. I hoover everything then I dust it. Dust makes me shudder.

I hoover twice a day too if I can.
Dont get me started on my blind cleaning regime.

But I am mental.

I know I shouldnt but I cant help myself. But as I know I am being mad thats ok isnt it?

I dont iron though and OH and DS1 do the washing up.

My DS2 and 3's clothes are hung up on hangers that match their clothes.

I didnt used to be like this, I was normal once. Well I was infact a slattern.

But DD was immunosuppressed and I heard that MRSA lived in dust so that was that really.

My friends know about my cleaning fetish but I think they think I am making it up when they see what my house looks like . How is it possibly to be OCD but have a house that looks like a bomb has hit it?

Iron? Erm whats that then? Doesn't everyone use body heat to get the creases out of clothes?

chegirl - there are help groups for people like you. The next one is on Friday morning at my house

Seriously - it isn't healthy to be this obsessed. You can't heal the past by doing this (sadly) x

damp dusting with wrung-out cloth (made of cut-up joggers or old DC vest) is the way to go.

Fling it in the washbasket afterwards (for a 60 deg towel wash of course). I only dust each floor once a week. Seems to be OK.

How do you all manage to not Iron? Please let me in to your secret. Absolutely loathe ironing but could never get away without ironing the clothes since they are always so creased. Please save me from ironing hell

Also dmp dust. Tis the only way.

Hmm....no secret, just laziness. Don't overfill the washing machine or the drier. Take it out asap after it has finished in the machine and shake it loads before hanging to dry or tumble drying. Don't spin or tumble dry it to death, apparently that gives nightmare creases, esp on cottons/linens.

I only ever iron if I am going out on a night out or special occasion

My friend loves ironing [weirdo] , she says it is therapeutic?! And she packs about 14lb into every load, blasts it for 2 hours in the drier on high setting till its crispy, then spends ages sweating over a hot iron. Don't know how she has the patience for it poor girl.

Ahh, I see. That's where I'm going wrong then. I do exactly the same as your friend, so that's why my clothes are always so creased! I shall take your advice and try your method tomorrow. Thanks for that

chippin I know but I get such a buzz when I get going. It reminds me of a story I was told about a little girl who had been adopted. She wouldnt play with any of her new toys. She seemed ok but there was something worrying about her behaviour. Her new mum was cleaning one day and gave DD a cloth to join in. The little girl transformed before her eyes and became very excited and hyper.

Turns out foster mum had got her to help out at home quite a lot (not in an abusive way). Cleaning triggered all sorts of feelings and memories for this little one and it was her comfort blanket.

I think thats sort of a bit like me. When DD was ill, cleaning was all I could do to keep her safe. It was the only thing I had control over.

I dont do the stuff I did when DD was here. I WOULD be barking if I still did all that (wont go into my routine you would all stop speaking to me). But the memories are still in my brain somewhere I suppose. Could be worse at least there is no dust behind my radiators [smug emoticon].

If you dont want to iron dont buy any clothes that dont contain lycra. I gave up getting my boys cute little shirts because they only got to wear them once. DS1 does his own ironing and OH was in the army so very much better at it than me anyway.

Strangely, every time I have gone into labour I have felt the need to iron my king size duvet and sheets [puzzled emoticon]

We really need some more emoticons - just for my weirdness.

Actually I quite like dusting. It's far less taxing than, say, ironing (which I also do, because I'm clearly mad) and it has the added bonus of making DH believe that I do loads of housework. (You have to have a feather duster, and huff and puff a lot while you stretch to reach things. And he has to be witness you doing it, for the ruse to work properly)

But I don't do washing-up, unless it's a dire emergency (run out of crockery/cutlery completely). That's DH's job, until we build an extension and have a dishwasher.

Oh I like your style plumprump

Che - LOL we are all mad in our own way!! Just remember, you can't change the past, only the future x

HolyGuacamole I could kiss you. I've done about 6 machine loads of washing now (including duvet covers) and I have only needed to iron 2 baby tops becaue the sleeves were still creased. I can't believe it! I now have a life of ironing free. You are my hero

Aw upagumtree, fantastic!!! Glad it worked for you! Go girl!!