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Original poster

Do people really live like that??

59 replies

Twinkie · 29/04/2004 09:57

Watched that How Clean is your House? Last night and I do not for a minute believe people can actually live in such a filthy hovel - I was so appalled - they had cats which shat all over the house - and they did not clean it up - they actually looked quite stunned when they were told that with a small baby crawling about cat shit could actually prove fatal!! There were even traces of cat faeces all over the kitchen surfaces - eeeuuurrrgggghhh!!!

The other kids bedrooms were unbelieveable too - you could literally not see their beds with all the junk on them and to be honest it really did not look like the bed linen had ever been changed - it was really really awful and I think maybe it had to have been staged because I can't believe an adult would let their house get in that state and then let TV cameras in to be embarrassed infront of the whole of Great Britain!!

Give them their due they did keep it tidy and even painted a few rooms after Aggie and Kim had gone but the woman said - it was just the start we neede - it was all piling up and now you have done the main bit it is much easier to keep it like it - so what if Kim and Aggie had not have done their 'bit' they would have eventually had to move after being swallowed by the junk and shit all over their house!!!

DO people actually live like that in real life or is it a few strange people and I think it should be brought in that all school children are given lessons in Health and Hygeine - why would anyone let a cat shit in their house - its would be shot and stuffed if it were mine!!!

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WSM · 29/04/2004 09:59

Made me want to barf tbh. You'd think that SS would get involved if kids were living in that sort of filth.

collision · 29/04/2004 10:00

That programme is truly awful and me and DH cannot get our heads round the fact that people would allow the cameras in to film!! WHY?? would people do that.....it is revolting!! Still, I bet you felt like a domestic goddess after watching it didnt you??!!

Original poster
Twinkie · 29/04/2004 10:01

But it must be normal to them -they must have parents and friends with houses like that - or no one to visit them ever - I would walk in tell them they were filthy scum and walk out if they invited me round there - thats what I can't believe they must think it normal to live like that!!

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Northerner · 29/04/2004 10:02

I didn't watch this Twinkie but I did watch the last series so I know what you mean. I can't believe people live like this either, and especially taht they would admit to it on national TV.

Sonnet · 29/04/2004 10:09

Twinkie - DH and I too wondered about that
I think there is definatly an element of "stageing" in it - BUT those trousers picked off the heap of clothes in the parents room had dust on them!! - so maybe they do genuinely live like that.
I reakon that the reason the bathroom was so clean was that they don't wash.....

Sonnet · 29/04/2004 10:09

I was trying to eat my supper whilst watching it - didn't eat much!!

collision · 29/04/2004 10:14

When I lived in London we had a handyman who was in charge of all the flats in the area (a very nice leafy area I must say) and he told me that there were some tenants who had a huge black outside dustbin in the middle of their living room that they chucked rubbish in but didnt empty very often and they had kids with dirty nappies etc etc It makes me heave at the thought and the smell......so I suppose some do live like that!! Gross.

littlerach · 29/04/2004 10:14

I actually thought it was quite scarey, that those children were subjected to so much dirt and poor hygeine.
Must admit, I wondered if it had been made worse for the cameras.
Did anyone else notice how it was presumed the woman was to blame?!!

lou33 · 29/04/2004 10:15

I went round to a house of a woman I knew through someone else a couple of years ago. She was in hospital having just had a baby, and needed some bits. The woman I went with warned me that her house would probably shock me, but OMG, it was JUST like the houses in this series. I was truly appalled, and couldn't believe she was bringin a new baby home to it, as well as already having a 9 year old daughter. I was almost gagging. Before that I used to think that people with houses like that had to have a mental illness, but she didn't, she was just a total slob. Makes me shudder just to think about it, and that's 3 years later! Midwives and HV semed unconcerned btw.

jodee · 29/04/2004 10:15

Missed this, but can well believe people live like that without batting an eyelid - ever seen Life of Grime?

WSM · 29/04/2004 10:20

Mr Trebus, remember him ?!

Original poster
Twinkie · 29/04/2004 10:21

Life of Grime makes me gag bu the people do seem to have mental illness - the polish woman and the woman who had her dogs taken away needed help I think rtaher than people just cleaning up or taking their animals away!! - it always makes me sad!!

Its funny I am almost obbsessively clean and think the erst of the world are - and if someone comes round I make sure everywhere is extra sparkly and nice but I see things like this and goto other peoples houses and think my god I am a mad woman!!!!

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WSM · 29/04/2004 10:21

God, and to think I was paranoid about leaving so much as a dirty cup on the side for my midwife visits, Lou !!!

jodee · 29/04/2004 10:22

WSM Yes!!! Felt a bit sorry for the poor guy, though.

geekgrrl · 29/04/2004 10:26

lol Sonnet - I was having a pizza and had to look away when they showed all the cat poo shots - urgh.
I was also annoyed that they seemed to blame solely the woman and the man only vicariously i.e. 'you have to keep her in check more' - pretty appaling. Can't believe anyone could subject their children to that kind of environment. I wonder whether the baby was bottlefed and whether she made up bottles in that shithole (literally) of a kitchen...

tigermoth · 29/04/2004 10:45

um, our cat poos and wees on our floors sometimes - she's old. We do clean it up though, but sometimes it takes half a day to find out where she's 'done it'. Right now I have a couple cat poo stained duvets to sort out...lovely.

Original poster
Twinkie · 29/04/2004 10:55

Well incase you didn't see it what you have to do with pissy carpet is pull it up cut out the underlay - spray floorboards with dettol spray 3 or four time letting dry naturally in between and then stick in a new bit of underlay. and put carpet back down - of course scrub carpet with industrial bleach too

I used to clean my house before the cleaner came just in case she thought I was dirty!!

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oliveoil · 29/04/2004 10:57

Pets make me feel ill, sooooo glad we don't have any, leaving muck and fluff and hair everywhere blurrgghhh.

Dd can have a goldfish when she is older.

CountessDracula · 29/04/2004 11:13

Wish I'd seen this though probably would have turned over as can't bear such filth. We have a dog but I won't have any carpets on the ground floor as a result as I feel it is unhygenic. I clean the floor with dettol wipes every night so it's clean for the baby.

Was it really that bad - how can anyone live with cat poo all over the floor? How old was the baby. Honestly if the dog poos in the garden by mistake I dig up the grass all around it as am so paranoid about dd going blind!

tigermoth · 29/04/2004 11:24

oh dear, is there no hope for me? pooing cat and wall to wall carpet that came with the house. No baby though, and so far our sons have survived. Don't think I'd get rid of our cat just because it has weak bowels. She's clean 90% of the time.

I really don't mind a bit of dirt and dust - I can't get that worked up about it. Even spilt milk and cat poo stops smelling after a day or so - if I can't find it. I just buy some nuetradol air freshner, open some windows and wait it out. I didn't see the programme so don't know the extent of the filth, but am surprised how strong your reactions to it are.

CountessDracula · 29/04/2004 11:26

Tigermoth if you don't have a baby not such an issue IMO - plus you do clean up your cat poo! sounds like this lot didn't .

FWIW my house had carpets when I moved in too, ripped them up and painted the floorboards within 2 weeks of being there!

Sonnet · 29/04/2004 11:27

tigermoth, believe you me it was dreadful

Anyone know where I can buy "lemon Oil" from??

tigermoth · 29/04/2004 11:36

I'd love floorboards, but dh loves carpet very annoyingly, so have lived with this pattened monstrosity for 5 years.

But we both have a suspician that the floorboards in this house are in very poor condition.

It sounds like the home in the programme was really beyond the pale, but have to say that some rooms in our house don't get dusted or hoovered for months at a time.....I cannot get worked up about it, as long as the washing up is done, and the living room and kitchen are tidy.

Beccarollover · 29/04/2004 11:37

Oh Mr Trebus! He was great - I really warmed to him, did anyone see the tribute program to him - I cried my eyes out, he smartened himself up and got all clean and shaven and looked so lovely

Eeeeee I did cry

oxocube · 29/04/2004 11:38

tigermoth, we have 3 cats who are also old (13 and 14) and they also have 'accidents' in the house Fortunately, we have wooden floors and tiles and although I do hate the fact that I spend so much time cleaning up after them, I wouldn't get rid of them. Like you, my kids have all survived, it just means I have to be extra careful and I do go through a lot of bleach! I couldn't live in a really dirty house, though, like these on the telly. Saw the BBC Houses Behaving Badly yesterday and felt sick!