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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Do you have to tidy up your house if someone is coming round?

41 replies

MayasMum · 04/05/2007 10:43

My friend says if she is having anyone over she has to spend the morning tidying, but I always keep my house nice so people can drop in any time.

I think my friend is odd but she says loads of people do this.

OP posts:
cathcart · 04/05/2007 10:46

our place is reasonably ok most of the time but if anyone comes round dh goes mad trying to make it perfect - drives me mad! He's gets so stressed - as if anyone is going to notice whether the cat may have dropped 1 biscuit out of her bowl or if one cushion is out of place!

Chattyhan · 04/05/2007 10:46

If MIL is coming i have a whip round! I like to think my house is fairly clean and tidy but as it's small can be cluttered.

I suppose it depends who's coming?

singyswife · 04/05/2007 10:47

My house is a tip most of the time and If i know I am getting visitors I go mad trying to tidy it. Before my dd's at home birthday party I spent a week tidying my house incase any other mums stayed.

nickytwotimes · 04/05/2007 10:48

my place isn't usually too bad. anyone who knows me well enough to come round without notice doesn't care anyway! if i know in advance i will make sure loo is clean!

Laudaud · 04/05/2007 10:49

I'm odd too

Hillls · 04/05/2007 10:50

Oh yes, I keep my house tidy but if we are expecting people over I will spend the morning tidying up & pollising etc. I feel it reflects upon me.

handlemecarefully · 04/05/2007 10:50

You keep your house nice? - all the time? Do you just have one small child? Is he/she (they) allowed to play?

Houses with small children should get a bit untidy otherwise something is amiss!

However I do make an effort to get things looking presentable when all but my very best friends come over (I don't mind the latter seeing us warts and all)

ohsmellyjelly · 04/05/2007 10:50

Message withdrawn

ohsmellyjelly · 04/05/2007 10:51

Message withdrawn

entropy · 04/05/2007 10:52

have to admit I have to tidy, (it usually takes most of the morning) especially if it is someone with kids coming round. I dread hearing the phrase "what have you found there?" it usually dangerous or embarrasing my excuse is that I am registered blind and my DH has a habit of tidying things by putting them where he knows I wont see them (which tbh is most places ) he has to get his act together tho as I found our 9 month old dd playing with his cordless hammer drill (with charge in it) last week

my best friend drops in almost every day and I don't count her as someone who needs to be tidied for though....

DragonFaerie · 04/05/2007 10:53

Depends on the someone, good friends and most family : No.
Everyone else, I'd die if they saw the mess.
If acquaintances and complete strangers are coming I need about 3 weeks notice since discovering MN!!!

entropy · 04/05/2007 10:54

oh and I only usually tidy downstairs!

Enid · 04/05/2007 10:56

I clean my kitchen
flush the loos
and have a whip round

Boco · 04/05/2007 10:58

I have to tidy. My dds make dens in front of all doorways and at the top of the stairs, it'd be a deathtrap.

Anna8888 · 04/05/2007 10:58

My house is generally tidy and clean all the time unless we've just returned from a trip and are unpacking or else getting ready to go away (we travel a lot). So people can drop round whenever they want really. I try to have an extra special tidy up if it's something important like my out-of-laws or a big party.

Hillls · 04/05/2007 10:58

handlemecarefully, I have a toddler and a crawling baby, of course they play thy have a playroom downstairs full of toys & activities. My lounge does not have toys in unless thy are playing with something then it goes back and the bring out something else. They also have a huge section of the garden layed out with outdoor play equipment & vegetable plot.

Hulababy · 04/05/2007 10:58

My house is normally not too bad. So before anyone comes it might be a quick tidy round and a wipe over of the bathrooms.

At the moment it needs a good vacuum, the bathrooms doing and the kitchen needs a once over. Was away last weekend, out most of Monday and then working all week till today. Need to get it done today as it is driving me mad!

cece · 04/05/2007 11:08

Doesn't everyone?

filthymindedvixen · 04/05/2007 11:15

if i had a bigger house, it'd be much eaiser to keep things tidy. that's my excuse, we are too mny for the available space...

ceolas · 04/05/2007 11:18

I always need to tidy before someone comes. If I get someone dropping in, I don't get myself too stressed but I like to have things neat and tidy if we're expecting people.

NuttyMuffins · 04/05/2007 11:18

I have to tidy, usually majorly too

I have one friend though whose house is as bad as mine so if she is coming I don't bother and she always says how at home she feels at mine LOL.

Anna8888 · 04/05/2007 11:18

Or just throw a lot away/don't buy things, I find it easier not to have stuff than to tidy...

Hulababy · 04/05/2007 11:19

filthymindedvixen - I found the opposite. We were at our most tidiest when we lived in our 2 bed apartment. There we had little storage and places to hide things, so we had to be tidy all of the time. Now I have more room I do find that there are places int he house that are never that great - utility room, under stairs, garage, etc.

americantrish · 04/05/2007 11:34

yep... even if its a quick clean when everything we dont want to tidy away gets put into to the study ;)

filthymindedvixen · 04/05/2007 11:36

nnnoooo - don't take away my excuse Hula....

(Butsee, you have more not-on-public-display spaces, see!)

Actually, when I am I going to realise I will never have a tidy house while Iam on MN?