what does your MUM regard as normal household practice that you DONT

[WilliamGray]

washing rice

turnign matresses

My mil is totally obsessed with cleaning - I could fill a book on stuff she does that I don't.

One thing I find totally pointless is that when she uses her dishwasher she rinses everything so clean before she puts it in that you can't tell it has actually been used.

This thread is hilarious, although I do agree with daffodil about appreciating the mums while you can. My mum died 18 years ago and I missed out on so much, including the chance to critique her housekeeping habits Having said that, she was of the relaxed, do-what's-necessary school of thought, which I'm glad to say I've inherited.

I will never forgive my stepmum for making snide comments to me about the state of my mum's (perfectly clean and useable) saucepans, while we were clearing out the kitchen cupboards a few days after her death.

I've just visited my Mum which has opened another rich vein for me to tap into. I completely forgot her obsession with
BULL DOG CLIPS ....In every size, strength of spring and colour. SOOOO many half opened packets (mainly of dried mixed fruit or stale branflakes) rolled up and clipped.

mum opens all the downstairs curtains at bedtime so that they will be 'ready for the morning'

and she dries and irons everything then puts it all in the airing cupboard to 'air' for 2 or 3 days in neat little piles of socks, pants and vests. She doesn't understand how I manage without an airing cupboard.

Message withdrawn

There is a theory that if your mum was v.tidy you will be relaxed and vice versa. It works for our family, eg. Granny was a doctor, out at work all day, house always a bit messy ( I remember rows of dead flies on the windowsill). My mum is v.clean, most of our rows when i was a teen were about me leaving dirty coffee mugs lying about. I am a bit of a slattern ,ie. change beds when the sheets start to look a bit grubby not every week. I do wish i was a bit tidier and cleaner but i never seem to manage it, esp. since DS3 came along. Hoovering makes my brain feel itchy!

g

I agree with that one- my mum is like the woman on Labyrinth with all of her belongins strapped to her back, unable to throw anything out. I am, to put it mildly, a little houseproud, and ruthless with clutter (think Monika from friends)!

that does sound very true, my nans house is spotless, my mums is a tip, i try to keep mine spotless but my demons children dont agree
my friends mum is a hoarder far too much crap, where as my friend things dont sit still in her house for 5 mins before she throws them out

oh god my poor grandchildren, if that follows through they'll live in a pigsty

True here too - my mum is the worst hoarder ever - tbh we are all dreading the day when she and dad die/move as the sorting out will be horrendous.

She is not too keen on housework either!

For years she used to say it was impossible to keep the house tidy because of all the kids she had - well none of us live at home now and it hasn't improved!

keeps the gravy/ fat thing in the fridge for MONTHS
irons lots
thinks that a salad is a good main meal and that a glass of wine before 6pm is really rather naughty
also comments on my parenting skills by saying "well, it's a wonder you managed to survive at all!!!"

Cleaning

Well how else am I going to get enough time to MN

my mum puts her handbag, newspaper, book etc. on the settee.

Then she sits on the chair.

When you go round you have to shift stuff before you can sit down.

If you have a dust allergy, tis best not to stay too long

No way! my mum is much more relaxed about cleaning than me, she rarely irons, always has some decent wine in the fridge and goes out every other weekend with girlfriends! she actually has a better social life than me.
She has had five children, im the eldest at 27 , she is only 45 though.
My nan does the old pants for dusters thing though , its gross! and my nan has a washing day too get a life!

I defo agree with allytjd theory

grapefruitmoon- are you one of my sisters?
my mums new excuse as none of us are at home, is she's always at work- so how does it get so messy?

My mum hand washes all the clothes before putting them in the washing machine.

She irons.

She and my dad save any tiny scrap of food left over from a meal: their fridge is full of tiny pots with 2 olives or a spoonful of grated cheese.

I wash rice, doesn't everyone?

Have you seen how much dirt/grit etc comes off it

I turn the matresses, doesn't everyone?

They last a lot longer

I iron teatowels, doesn't everyone?

My mum wipes out the rubber seal around the washing machine door after every wash.

hehehe great thread

my mum thinks it's OK to leave Christmas decorations up until March ('the tree was growing new buds, I felt lazy sorry for it')

But what do y'all do now that your mum does that you didn't used to and never thought you would!?

On the subject of jobs, had to share this...

www.videojug.com/film/how-to-fold-a-t-shirt-in-2-seconds

Or even www.videojug.com/film/how-to-fold-a-t-shirt-in-2-seconds