Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

What sort of state is your house *generally* in?

76 replies

Appuskidu · 25/09/2011 22:44

I was talking to some friends about this on Friday night-they were both saying that they were constantly moving stuff around and felt that they needed a week just to try to get to the bottom of their houses. One was saying that she was embarrassed when people dropped round because it was so messy.

It got me thinking really. I might have cupboards that need sorting out and God knows what's in the loft or garage, but generally each room is very tidy. There is a place for everything (we haven't got tonnes of storage, but don't hoard) and I try to leave a room tidy as I walk out-cushions back on the sofa, washing away, surfaces clear, chairs pushed in, toys picked up etc

I just didn't get that it bothered them so much that their houses were (in their words) 'tips', yet didn't just sort them out!

Both have children at school (I've got 2 at school and one toddler)-so they have time. I'm probably sounding annoying and perfect which isn't my intention at all-I'm just being nosy and wondered how you'd feel if people just dropped in-would your house be presentable, or would you try to herd them into one room that you knew was tidy!?

OP posts:
BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 26/09/2011 10:23

My house sounds like your friends.

Imagine a bomb has LITERALLY just gone off. Grin

I try to keep downstairs (two rooms only - kitchen and living room, have to go through kitchen to get to living room) presentable. But I'm fighting a losing battle.

MirandaWest · 26/09/2011 10:48

My house is either a tip or very tidy. Hate myself for being so useless to be honest and keep trying to keep on top of it and fail. Children both at school so no excuses :(

MirandaWest · 26/09/2011 10:50

Am tidying today but having short break. Could now put people in kitchen/living room/dining room part Grin

BedHog · 26/09/2011 10:56

I think 'shithole' is the term for my house at the moment. I prefer to do a big blitz rather than tidy as I go along, but then I find it takes me three hours to sort through a pile of paperwork, and the place looks as messy as it did before I started.

It's not dirty or smelly though, just a bit disorganised!

Tonksforthememories · 26/09/2011 10:59

Our house is 'lived in'. Generally reasonable, nothing that 30m tidying wouldn't sort out.

However we have 5 people in a tiny 2 bed with little storage, so sometimes it looks like a bomb has gone off! (laundry usually, don't have anywhere to put it till after it's been ironed!)

Francagoestohollywood · 26/09/2011 11:00

Our house is generally fairly tidy, also because the children aren't toddlers anymore and mostly play in their own bedrooms.

I also enjoy to live in a tidy place (though I am not as organised as I'd like to be), and have storage!

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 26/09/2011 11:01

Oh yeah, its clean , just stuff everywhere!

CroissantNeuf · 26/09/2011 11:04

I would describe mine as 'homely' and 'lived in'

Its not clinically clean and tidy like a show home...... but on the other hand its not (usually) a tip/shithole.

ie. you can see the floor, sit on sofas without moving things out of the way, make coffee without having to wash a mug or clean the worktop but there are sometimes toys scattered around if the DCs have been playing with them, there is post on the side waiting to be dealt with, there is laundry in the basket waiting to be ironed, chances are the DCs shoes are abandoned by the back door etc

GooseyLoosey · 26/09/2011 11:05

My house is fairly tidy. It drives me nuts when people don't tidy things away. I have a small work surface in the kitchen known as the "bits bench" where I can just about tolerate mess, but not anywhere else.

I have an ongoing battle to keep the dcs' bedrooms at a level of tidiness I find acceptable whilst allowing them freedom to put things where they want. Every few months, I have to have a blitz when things have got beyond my levels of tolerance.

valiumredhead · 26/09/2011 11:21

My house sounds like yours OP, I simply can't think straight if my house is cluttered and messy.

ClaimedByMe · 26/09/2011 11:29

Mine is like an explosion in toys r us and a launderette

notsofastmrbond · 26/09/2011 11:31

Mine is generally pretty tidy. Kitchen cleaned every morning, surfaces kept clear. Hooever maybe once a day or every two days. I tidy toys off playroom floor etc at end of the day.

But it's definitely not spotlessly clean. My skirting boards are grubby etc.

Two pre schoolers.

rubyrubyruby · 26/09/2011 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nethunsreject · 26/09/2011 11:37

Mine is pretty tidy and clean.

Both dh and I like the illusion of order, so we both work at it.

There are toys around and the sofa isn't always plumped up and you can lie around wherever you please, but on the whole, it is pretty neat.

I hate clutter and mess.

LaWeasel · 26/09/2011 11:41

Mine is generally tidy and generally clean, but it depends what time of day it is really, I've got a toddler, late afternoon is never going to be perfect! Ideally, all unannounced guests should show up at 1pm or 8pm when all the jobs for the day are done (never happens does it?)

booyhoo · 26/09/2011 11:43

9 days out of 10 it is not good. embarassingly so. if you call at my house and are welcomed further than the living room it is a rare day. and it will have made my day that i was able to bring you in.

EsmeWeatherwax · 26/09/2011 11:45

My house is a dump. Clean yes, but rarely tidy. Needs a serious clean out, us a small two bed, containing cat, two preschoolers, and very pregnant me.

booyhoo · 26/09/2011 11:47

i definitely have a mental block about it rubyrubyruby

TheBride · 26/09/2011 11:47

Ours is super tidy. It's small (2 bed apartment with galley kitchen) and it just can't "carry" the messy look. Another factor is that we have 2 cats, one of which is white, so the hoovering has to be done daily or you go out covered in cat hair.

We do have good storage (for the size of the flat) and I am ruthless about not hoarding and also have the world's largest collection of vacuum storage bags Grin. The Kindle has saved me. My ambition is to have a single bookcase with the Kindle on it's stand sitting alone in the middle

MrsBlarney · 26/09/2011 11:50

'I just didn't get that it bothered them so much that their houses were (in their words) 'tips', yet didn't just sort them out!'

Perhaps they don't actually have time? Or perhaps they don't have enough energy?

Or maybe they have incredibly destructive and untidy children?

I don't know. You don't know. I'm glad for you that you manage so well, but not everyone does.

Paschaelina · 26/09/2011 11:51

Its quite tidy today, apart from the rather dead-looking ginger pussycat currently sprawled all over my freshly hoovered living room Grin

Some toys out in the other room but nothing a quick five minute shufty wouldn't sort.

All plates, cups etc are in the dishwasher as soon as finished with so no problem there.

Lizzylou · 26/09/2011 11:51

Mine is generally OK on a Monday (after weekend clean up) then it is all downhill.
I don't understand why as I work FT and both boys are at school all day.

I think I blame DH Grin

cat64 · 26/09/2011 11:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Appuskidu · 26/09/2011 11:57

*'I just didn't get that it bothered them so much that their houses were (in their words) 'tips', yet didn't just sort them out!'

Perhaps they don't actually have time? Or perhaps they don't have enough energy?

Or maybe they have incredibly destructive and untidy children?

I don't know. You don't know. I'm glad for you that you manage so well, but not everyone does.*

Nope-not destructive or untidy children and neither of them work. They have energy for dog walking/gym etc.

OP posts:
FeastofBeans · 26/09/2011 11:58

Our house is like the OP's, but we don't have children yet...

Our friends who do have children say our house is like a showhome but they haven't looked in the cupboards/attic. Our utility room is a disgrace and full of DH's work stuff (bags of plaster, bits of pipe, bits of bathroom waiting to go to various customers).

We don't really hoard, and we are a 2 Shed Family which helps.

Swipe left for the next trending thread