Do you do most of your cleaning because people are coming round

[Twiglett]

and live in a slovenly mess the rest of the time

... so people think you're super tidy and have a perfect home

.. even close friends?

just wondering

Yep, fraid so.

My friends know not to come round BECAUSE I live in the slovenly mess.

FLYlady is helping me fix that (or she would be if I got off MN...)

yes

YES

nope !

i do clean up abit if someone new is coming but i cant be arsed and have no time to do real clean ups to make myself look like anthea turner

One of my best friends from Uni is coming tomorrow and staying overnight - I haven't seen her since ds1 was 18 months old (he's 9 now). She is bringing her dh, and her two children - none of whom I've met.

Have spent the last 3 days blitzing my house top to bottom and it is absolutely immaculate I may have peaked too soon though - kids are trying to mess it up again...

So, in answer to the question...er...yes.

Yes, but even then it's still not 'super tidy and perfect' when people are here

absolutely

no, I vacuum after every meal, my girls know to tidy their toys away before naps and bedtime.
I also wash down all kitchen surfaces, and sweep up, mop up as soon as I've finshed cooking....Cannot bear the thought of living in a house with dirty dishes, bits on the floor, I'm terrified we'll get mice or rats or things.....

On the other hand. clean washing will sit and sit until I can be asked to put it all away (wouldn't dream of ironing it first either).

even if we have guests, I'll just shunt the washing into another room, and if they see it well hey they can put it away if it effects them that much...

God yes - in fact, if the house gets too scummy, dh makes a point of inviting people round to motivate us!

FMF - we do that too! If the house is particularly dreadful, we plan a get together so that we have to motivate ourselves.

I find a cleaner twice a week, for two hours works a treat.

Yeah! How did you guess!

with fmf & humphrey - i find a deadline really helps!!

yes, very much so - but I'm working hard on this. Am hoping to have the house reasonably nice whether anyone's coming or not.
Really, I should have a daily inspection. That'd sort me out in no time.

No. I try and keep the place clean and tdy most of the time as it drives me mad otherwise. I do do a much bigger and thorough clean if we have people coming round though - gives me more of an incentive I guess.

Go all out for people who rarely come over (so they think we're super tidy). But for everyone else, as long as the kitchen and the dining room are clean I'm happy, and if I can walk the sitting room, hallway and stairs without treading on toys, thats pretty good too!

Rookiemum, we house swap a couple of times a year and I agree - that is a real motivation not just to clean but also to sort out those cupboards!

No, I tidy because I can't stand mess. The house usually is tidy if I'm in.

Yes today for example! Tomorrow a man is coming to look at the damp - meaning looking along the walls. We have laminate floors and it aint pretty behind there - so for only the second time since we moved in (5 months ago I have cleaned thoroughly under the furniture.