Caught out by a dirty room or appliance? Tell Kärcher for the chance to win a £250 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

Kärcher would like to find out about moments where you've been caught out by a dirty appliance or room.

Here’s what Kärcher say, “We’ve all been caught out when visitors drop by unannounced and cringed when they pop in to find the house in disarray, what we would like to know is what has been you most embarrassing moment?”

So, have you ever been caught out with a dirty room? Maybe you noticed a hideous cobweb just as you had visitors over? Or maybe someone caught sight of your dirty oven? Perhaps you noticed something floating in your kettle, just as you were making a cup of tea for a guest?

Whatever way you've been caught out, Kärcher would love to hear about it!

Everyone who adds their thoughts to the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Please note that any comments posted on this thread may be used by Kärcher in further marketing material (anonymously, of course).

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

I usually have a big tidy-up on a Sunday evening as my mum brings DD home from school on a Monday. Didn't this week as we'd been away at the weekend so just went straight to bed.
Needless to say, mother was appalled. A few dishes in the sink, half-opened suitcase on lounge floor and washing 'hanging around' on radiators. She thought we'd been burgled.

Until recently I lived in a house share with some flatmates who turned out to not be very nice or very clean. Shame they didn't feel embarrassed at me constantly catching them with mess but they made it embarrassing for me it have people come round as I knew they would have left the kitchen and bathroom a tip.

Our attic room acts as our spare bedroom, and our daughter had come home and stayed up there one weekend the previous month. We were having the house rewired and took both electricians up to the attic room to discuss what changes we wanted, but there was a terrible stench up there, which we could not find the source of.

A month later they started work, and one day called me up to the attic to show me a bucket they have found in one of the cupboards ......full of mouldy wee! It seems our lovely daughter could not be bothered to use the toilet downstairs and had left the lovely gift for us to find......oh the shame ....

Someone stopped by to do an official survey once. I was happy to let her in and sit down in the living room as I'd managed to tidy the downstairs that day. But of course she needed to use the bathroom upstairs - the whole of the upstairs was a tip!

I'd just moved into my first flat. Having always had a reputation in the family for being horrifically untidy I was determined to turn over a new leaf. Old habits die hard though and fast forward a few months to a knock on the door early one Saturday morning. My parents. The flat was a complete tip. I opened the door just a crack, apologised madly and asked them if they could pop back later after I'd cleaned up. DF started backing away almost immediately with an artificially cheery, very loud "We won't come in now Snowplough dear, we'll come back later this afternoon."
I realised then that he'd thought I was fibbing and had brought someone home the night before.

I still thinking about it.

Last year we moved house and before any viewings I washed the carpets. Days later I was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I could hear my 2 young DC having great fun in the living room. I popped my head round the door only to be met by the sight of them naked (not unusual) but the youngest who was potty training at the time had done a poo on the carpet & the 2 of them were having great fun throwing it around & smearing it into my lovely clean carpet.
After cleaning them & the carpet up I went out to a much needed Zumba class. I was chatting to another mum there and retold my eventful evening.
The next day we had a viewing... It was only the woman who I'd told the story to with her husband & DD!!! Needless to say they didn't buy it!

I seem to always be caught out at the moment with a bad back and a new baby. Given up trying to look like a domestic goddess, hoping one day soon it will all look calm and tidy again. I dream of the days without a mad panic pick up or sigh of defeat at those last minute guests...

shobby

How old is your daughter??! That's disgusting!

Once, when I had to have some insurance work done, the very handsome structural engineer decided to wash his hands in the kitchen sink which is white. Except that I hadn't cleaned it for a couple of days due to being at work and he removed the washing up bowl despite my protests of "perhaps you would use upstairs" to expose the tea stains and I could have died!! This was before my life fell apart and I turned into a slattern, so my house was actually beautifully clean and tidy! except for the sink!!

My house is always a mess when people turn up unexpectedly. One birthday I decided to not do my much needed housework. Unexpected guests came into my unclean house, with kids toys and wrapping paper everywhere, spread by my dd. I was so embarrassed!!

Mine way to get out of embarrassment is to explain to tradesmen that I've just been burgled!!!!! and they were looking for valuables everywhere

I can honestly say it's never happened, I love cleaning and I'm always on top of it.

My husband remembers when he was caught out when he himself was dirty. When he was younger he had a visit from the Young Conservatives to ask him to join .... and he answered the door wearing the clothes he'd been gardening in! Er ... and no, he didn't join.

We had the decorators in to paint the living room and one of them pulled out a pair of my lacey thongs from behind the radiator and hung them on the door handle! Luckily they were clean (though a little dusty) as they had obviously dropped behind the radiator after I have hung them over to dry! I couldn't keep a straight face when I was taking in their tea and biscuits!

decided to clear out my carousel cupboard that has all my pans and plates in all over the kitchen when the door goes and my sister in-law and 4 kids decide to visit I could have cried took me ages to get it all done

I was looking after a little girl from work for respite and my boyfriends parents popped in to see us. His mum pointed out that someone had left a mess in the toilet and it certainly wasn't me! Cheeky little monkey! Although she's cute enough to get away with it

DH brought a friend home for a drink after work. He'd forgotten that our clothes were left all over the living room floor after a spontaneous session the night before...

The inability for my family to clean the toilet after a number 2, having guests over who ask if they may use the toilet and the shock at having sent them in to a bathroom with a rotten 'stained' toilet. Now i'm forced to run in and check first before I send them in there!

When my children were very small & we moved to a new area the local health visitor came to see us, There were toys everywhere, left over dinner plates in the sink, I apologised as I would have liked it pristine.....but she said it was fine she would worry if the house was immaculate that the kids weren't allowed to play & have fun!

we were having a lazy day watching films and eating treats so living room was a bit of a mess and then our new neighbour came round and was sat in the living room for about an hour, so embarrassing!

Neighbor called in with vegetables from her garden and I was knee deep in stripping wall paper and had it stuck to me and every room I walked in. I was so embarrassed by it

It does not matter how much I clean, as soon as someone knocks unexpected its the one time that the house is at its messiest! I am going to buy a sign that says "please ignore the mess we live here" I cant clean more then 2-3 hours a day! I seriously cant cope some days! It feels like all i ever do is clean!

Friend visiting with their crawling baby. I thought I'd done. Good cleaning job, however baby emerges from behind sofa clutching a dead bluebottle, which he then proceeds to stuff in his mouth before his horrified mother could reach him. For shame.

We put things in the under stairs cupboard when we have guests and sometimes in the spare room as well, depending what is going on. Not nice when one of the guests opened the door thinking it was the bathroom and got a nasty shock.

the gas man came to service the boiler/fire and when he pulled it out there was a mouse. It wont be so bad bit we have 2 cats.