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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Last night I realised my housekeeping had hit an all time low..

26 replies

Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 12:14

Abuse me at will..

My house HAS been a tip lately and it's out of control but last night I came home after dp had been babysitting, flopped on the sofa to be told that he had swept the living room and kitchen floors and mopped the best he could and
"don't you have anything to clean the floor with?" (said with disgust)
"A mop" I replied
"No I mean cleaning stuff, like floor cleaner" my response was "I don't know, was there some in the cupboard"
"no"
"I've ran out then"

He then told me he'd done it because it was filthy and he was getting all bits stuck to his socks and that he had to take them off and he'd wiped down the work surfaces as well... baring in mind this is my lazy boyfriend who can barely boil water and doesn't even live with me.

I never thought I'd see the day he did housework let alone critised me for it - it must be sooooo bad!

I'm so ashamed of myself.

OP posts:
HuwEdwards · 02/08/2006 12:17

my dp told me my car masquerades as a skip.

I just rise above it

madmarchhare · 02/08/2006 12:17

He wiped down the surfaces with his socks ?

colditz · 02/08/2006 12:18

Tell him washing up liquid is a perfectly acceptable floor cleaner.

My neighbour has had my hoover for two weeks. I know this because she told me last night

Let me see if I can find something to motivate you.

Cappucino · 02/08/2006 12:20

why are you ashamed?

why is it such a big deal that dp is doing housework?

does he not live there?

does he not have the skills required to buy floor cleaner himself?

indignatio · 02/08/2006 12:22

Thats nothing
I asked a friends au pair to clean my house whilst away on holiday - she (with a friend) cleaned 3/4s of it over a 3 week period - guess how many hours they spent ?

MrsBadger · 02/08/2006 12:24

never mind being ashamed of yourself, be proud of dp!
a man who voluntarily cleans floors is a man worth hanging on to
and you're now able to say 'Oh dp, you do it so much better than I can, could you just give the bathroom a quick wipe for me?'

HuwEdwards · 02/08/2006 12:27

Mrs B - love your interpretation!

She's right Mascara - you should be proud of DP and yourself for introducing him to the veritable delights of floor cleaning!

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 12:27

lol at my lack of puctuation, might have well of wiped down the surfaces with his socks.

friend got in my car last night and pulled at lolly stick firmly attached to a rotten apple core amongst other other rubbish.. she looked at me in disgust.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 12:28

he doesn't live with me.

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fullmoonfiend · 02/08/2006 12:37

Mascara, LOL - you have now joined the illustrious ranks of MNetters who are welcome at my home (in that they would not be shocked by my slatternly attempts at housekeeping.)

I used to use the excuse that ''I'm a full-time mum, not a full-time housewife, there is a difference you know...''
Now of course, ''I am a mum of two, holding down two jobs, so you can't very well excpect me to do housework as well....!''

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 12:52

LOL FMF! you have 2 children and 2 jobs, I only have one of each.

Aforementioned friend alsosaid that she had cleaned her bedroom at the weekend 'properly' I think I feebly mentioned that I would just like to be able to see my carpet again.

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fullmoonfiend · 02/08/2006 12:57

don't! My mum is minding my boys while I am at work and she told my elder son he should tidy his bedroom. He looked at her and said: ''Have you seen my mum's room, it's much worse than mine...''
Of course he is totally right, but my room is where everything gets chucked in an attempt to make the rest of the house semi-respectable.
I always say I have too much stuff for too small a house, but the reality is, of course, stuff expands to fit the space available. And even if I lived in a mansion, I would have too much stuff. At least it's nice and tidy at work.

KathyMCMLXXII · 02/08/2006 13:00

Mascaraohara, if you were a bloke and your girlfriend had just wiped down your surfaces and done your floor for you you would not be ashamed. You would be smirking.

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 13:00

I am exactly the same.. the bedroom dumping, the small house etc

OP posts:
Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 13:00

yes kathy you are right!

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edam · 02/08/2006 13:12

Mascara, this story might comfort you about cars.

My nanny's boyfriend is a mechanic and kindly offered to do a couple of jobs on our car to get it through the MOT. Then he said he'd take it to the testing place and bring it back. Lovely. We obviously said we'd pay for parts and time.

He turns up on the day, I say hello (work from home). Next time I poke my head out of the study, I see he's hoovering the car... apparently our nanny told him he couldn't take the car into a garage 'in that state'. They cleared all the toys/sweet wrappers/drinks bottles/associated rubbish/dh's assorted 'stuff' out and hoovered it before taking it off!

Embarrassing but it's lovely to have it emptied - dh had so much crap in there he'd folded the seat down months ago to expand the boot and never put it back... (he's the only one who drives, btw, so although I collect up HIS sweet wrappers every so often I don't clear out all the 'stuff' he insists on keeping in there).

MamaG · 02/08/2006 13:19

I cleared my car out other day, I FILLED a bin liner

it was bursting at the seams.

I don't know where my iron is. Literally.

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 02/08/2006 13:36

thanks guys!

Please don't mention ironing

I really want to get my bathroom sorted out but can't have a plumber in to give me a quote as it would be too much work clearing out the airing cupboard

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Bucketsofdinosaurs · 05/08/2006 11:33

I think a bottle of floor cleaner is a lovely gift, I'm all for practical romance. Why not buy one for him so he can clean your floor whenever he feels the urge.
BTW who cleans his floors out of interest?

WideWebWitch · 05/08/2006 11:37

Well so he should do it, why's it YOUR responsibility?

colditz · 05/08/2006 12:05
octavia · 06/08/2006 07:19

Indignatio I'll guess at 12 hours
As for cars I consider the inside of my car as an extention of my handbag so therefore I need all the crap in there!

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 07/08/2006 16:37

Lol, his mum cleans his floors! and does his ironing and washing and cleans his en-suite and changes his sheets and cooks his dinner and... well you get the picture..

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Bucketsofdinosaurs · 07/08/2006 20:20

Not sure I do get the picture actually. Does he still live with her? Because if not that is pretty weird still having your mum poking through your boxer shorts in your own home .

Original poster
Mascaraohara · 07/08/2006 21:44

yes, he lives with his parents still, he is 30 (they have a big house) but still.

OP posts: