What sort of things make you go 'bleurgh' in other people's houses?

[inbuiltcolourtv]

My house is a bit messy but also desperately short of style. It's going to take years for it to be how I want it to be. In the meantime I'm trying to work out what to focus on first in the way of just making it seem a bit... nicer. I've just been wondering about the sorts of things people might notice in a house that I might not. What would you just not notice, notice but not care about, notice but go 'bleurgh' to, or dislike so much it puts you off the person?

E.g... do you notice dust on skirting boards and pictures or only on obvious surfaces? Is it naff to have a hoover in a corner of the hall where people can see it? How much does having mismatched furniture matter if it looks like you could afford to have it matching? Is it a bit crap not to have any kind of 'design' to any room? Does a downstairs toilet full of smelly teenage trainers matter?

What sort of thing in a house most puts you off someone, even though they may not realize it's offputting? I just feel like my whole house is embarrassing and I can't work out what to fix first - what's most urgent and what doesn't really matter?

I have an ongoing battle with DH re the vaccum cleaner, he keeps leaving it in the hall, I keep moving it back into the pantry, we only have a small hall and it soon looks cluttered. Not sure if I'd notice it in someone else's house though.

Messiness and disorder doesn't bother me, nor does ;ack of matching decor. Even dustiness isn't something i'd notice (as my own house testifies )

Dirt however is horrible..... filthy dishes that have obviously been there for days, dirty surfaces that look like a cloth has never been taken to them, filthy bathrroms with no bog roll and towels, dirty smells, food left out [boak]

I knew a family once who used to let their dog lick all the plates and saucepans clean before they washed them.

Now that is definitely bleurgh.

When people say 'no books' does that mean not a single book at all? I have quite a few rubbish chick-lit books, a few random books (eg, Readers' Digest DIY manual, First Aid books, Money Saving Expert book x2 etc) and about a million children's books but nothing particularly worth reading if you're over the age of 7 !!

I am constantly when new people come to my house but once they've been a couple of times I relax and don't think about it too much!

I have one friend who has an immaculate house despite having 3 children and often worry about what she thinks of my house. She is especially particular about food hygiene but regularly lets her children eat at my house so I can't be too bad!!

aside from dirty loos, the only thing that make me feel really sick are people who don't clean their kitchen sink.. the stainless steel is all brown and needs a good bleach and the plug hole is full of food from god knows when

Yep another vote for dirty loos and kitchens. HOWEVER, I am always a little suspicious of kitchens which look so utterly gleaming as to suggest that no one has ever, ever cooked a meal in them. Equally playrooms which make you assume that the children come home from school and are locked in cupboards. A house needs to be cosy and lived in as well as basically clean.

And I don't notice a bit of dust on skirting boards or up on the picture rail. probably because I'm a little short sighted.

I don't think that homes with cats or dogs can ever really be clean - but I am probably biased, because I'm allergic to them. Even when the animal has gone it seems to take months of cleaning to get all the hair and dander out. Mind you, my Dad said the same thing about my hair after I'd lived with him for 6 months (and then moved on).

I would prioritise the loo - like most people on here I see.

Stuff I've noticed and make me gag are: dirty cups after you've started drinking, poo stains and poo in toilets, filthy towels. I could go on. Cyb is right. If there's clutter it can't have been cleaned underneath. Get the stuff in drawers and cupboards.

I also find that an understairs cupboard is vital. Hoovers go in there. Schoolbags, trainers, shoes. All sorts of stuff you don't want making a mess. Then shut the door. We always make a cupboard when there isn't one.

dirty dishes with mould in the sink.

and the same cloth for the toilet as for dishes

I am so encouraged by this thread. I think all of you (except maybe Cyb ) would feel at ease in my mostly-tidy-but-with-sparkling-bog-and-sinks-home-when-guests come-around. And that's all my effort; we don't have a cleaner yet.

I can't bear people like the hag on last week's Come Dine With Me who ran her finger over the top of people's door frames to check for dust. She turned out to be a complete cow - clearly she's not yet used the same level of microscopic inspection on her personality. So glad to see that most people have a normal attitude towards other people's houses.

No hand gel in the toilet where their is no sink.

Gross.

*there

Other people's decorating styles (or lack thereof) don't bother me in the least. However, I do mind dirty houses full of clutter. I don't mind a cluttered playarea or occasional room, but an entire house full of clutter brings on a claustrophobic attack. I particularly can't stand dirty bathrooms and kitchens (not the occasional dish in the sink, but the entire counter full of crumbs, food, and mess with a matching floor). Bleurg!

Actually, I am usually surprised how tidy the vast majority (95%) of houses I've been in - particularly for the random drop in.

The only thing that really gets me has already been said - tv kept on during the visit.

Dd is a late walker so has been crawling around for a while now. Whilst I dont usually notice/care about grubby houses one friends kitchen floor hasnt been cleaned for ages. I do shudder inwardly watching the baby picking up god knows what from the floor and (if I dont get there fast enough) eating it.

Also dont like the Next catalogue MFI perfect type houses but then no one I know has one.

i am sorry (and i am going to get the slating of my cyberlife here)
but

Dogs wandering around.

I dont "do" animals of any description, but dogs especially.
This is due to a dog phobia that i have had since childhood, but honestly in my experience every house hold who own a dog,(that i know) a cup of coffee always has a dog hair hanging from the cup, it makes me want to vomit.

Also the smell of fags, i cant stand.

Havent read whole thread but
LACK OF HANDS TOWELS really REALLY makes me go Bleugh. And shudder

The thought that I am having to dry my hands (or evn mine or DS's face) on someone else's girlie bits or actual bottom makes me feel quite sick

I mean how hard is it to put a hand towel out? Honestly?

I end up drying hands on trousers or using loo roll rather than risk using someones bath towel- a friend said 'oh its fine, we all have our own towels and change them every other day'
Oh well thats ok then I am only drying my hands on upto 2 days of vaginal secretions.
Sorry shuddering again here!!

When I start to worry about someones dusty skirting boards and dirty sinks..then its time for someone to shoot me...

dried pooh on the bed sheets when you get out of bed after staying hte night (didn't notice the night before) (pass the vomit bowl) as happened at SIL's last week

I'm used to the overpowering animal smells, sticky dirty floors and general dirtiness but that topped it. It's been 5 years since we last stayed and it'll be another 5 if I have my way taking a total body armour suit next time.

filthy bathrooms and kitchens. don't care what the house looks like, as long as it's clean.