What Is Your Relationship With Housework?

[SanFranciscan]

That may seem like a really stupid question, but I have noticed that housework is something that so many people, especially women, seem to take so personally. I always want to meet my friends somewhere other than at their homes for just that reason. I know that it is considered rude to just show up to see someone or to not give what the other person considers sufficient notice for a visit, but I don't like the sense that my company means that my friends are about to go into overdrive making their house sparkle just so I won't think badly of them. If I thought badly of them, I wouldn't be asking for a social visit.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

The only times I care if people come to our place is:

A) Laundry day, I'm too busy between washing, drying and ironing to be able to focus on them.
B) If I was sick and haven't kept our place clean.

Otherwise, our place is usually well kept, so it doesn't bother us to have company.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Well, we have two DD's - 21 months and 3 and their playroom is our living room, so its always a mess!! I hate it when people just "drop by" because from the second I see them pull into the driveway to the second they ring the bell I'm running around putting toys away and yelling at my girls to help me!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Our house always looks like a crime scene. There. I said it.

I HATE when our maintenance guys have to come in because they only give us like 48 hours notice. Even if I did nothing but clean for all 48 of those hours it would still be a mess.

This is the result of DH and I both being only children. I have 2 sisters but they are MUCH younger, so they don't count. DH and I both tend to look at the mess, look at each other, and wonder when SOMEONE will come clean it all up!

I am good about keeping up with laundry, and he keeps up with the dishes. The rest of it only gets done when we are going to WDW and the pet sitter comes to look after the cats. We always clean for the pet sitter.

 

[mykidsintow]

We have an open door policy. Anyone is welcome to come by anytime (and they often do.... I have some form of company almost everyday). However, if you want to see my house clean you need to come at 11pm! LOL..... an hour or 2 after the kids are asleep. Once they wakeup, forget it.

If you come to see my house instead of us... well then you are going to the wrong place . I do keep a failry tidy place, but toys and kid stuff, school stuff (we homeschool), etc is often around. Doesn't bother us too much, shouldn't bother my company.

Now my friend is flying in from Fl today... and i have really given my house a good deep spring clean. It needed it anyway, but its nice that everything is in its place..... for now

 

[turkygurl]

With 2 young kids, the house is usually clean, but not always tidy. Dishes get done, laundry gets done, but for some reason the kids' papers, artwork, toys, etc. always wind up scattered everywhere. We had a new babysitter come over Saturday night, so the house got a good spring cleaning on Saturday. I'm not optimistic about it staying clean longer than a week or so.

 

[rosiep]

We have an open door policy. Anyone is welcome to come by anytime (and they often do.... I have some form of company almost everyday). However, if you want to see my house clean you need to come at 11pm! LOL..... an hour or 2 after the kids are asleep. Once they wakeup, forget it.

If you come to see my house instead of us... well then you are going to the wrong place . I do keep a failry tidy place, but toys and kid stuff, school stuff (we homeschool), etc is often around. Doesn't bother us too much, shouldn't bother my company.

Now my friend is flying in from Fl today... and i have really given my house a good deep spring clean. It needed it anyway, but its nice that everything is in its place..... for now

I love your attitude!
I, too, have a lot of company. People who come often have seen the house clean, messy, tidy and downright dirty. They never care. I do most of my entertaining in the kitchen/dining room. This room is almost always clean as is the downstairs bathroom. When my kids were little I remember having to chose between doing the dishes or getting everyone out to the park. The park won almost every single time.
Now, if your visiting out of town (and you've warned me) you do get the "presentation".

If you have children, you know that the house is always in flux..but beware as my girls got older I realized that one day soon (and it came too soon) the girls would leave and the shampoo would be exactly where I left it, there'd be no clutter on the countertop in the bathroom and the dishwasher would take forever to fill..the house is still and quiet and honestly, I liked it a little better messy. (sometimes )

 

[zulemara]

as long as the couch and computer chairs are clear, I'm happy. I wouldn't want people to have to sit on the floor!

 

[vascubaguy]

I have a sketchy relationship with housework. I'm not a fan of cleaning, but I hate a messy house. Usually about once a week I try and clean up (laundry, vac, etc). I'm sometimes bad about letting dishes pile up.

The thing that kills me is that I have 2 small dogs and 2 cats and hair gets EVERYWHERE. I brush them and vac it all up off the floors, dust, etc... but I turn around and it's like it is all back. So, I just try to keep as much of it up as possible.

The house usually only gets a major cleaning right before we leave to go on vacation (and people will be watching our house). Or, if people are coming over. If friends are coming over, I just do a quick clean to get up hair, clean dishes, and make sure the bathroom is tidy. If family are coming for a long visit, I clean up a bit more. However, I don't do it out of fear that they might think bad of me, its because I want them to feel comfortable.

 

[padalyn]

hmm - I don't really ahve a relationship with it - I pay someone else to!!!!


Actually, I try (pretty unsuccessfully most of the time) to keep it clean, but with my schedule I tend to get home, fall into bed, get up and go to work. One would think this doesn't create messes - but it does!

My cleaning woman comes once a week - she does the "corners" you know - all the area that I won't or can't be bothered to clean.

I try to keep it picked up -the rest is up to Vera (cleaning woman!) Who is away for 3 weeks....we shall see how bad it is when she gets back

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

...my single criterion for doing housework is: Dos this situation pose a significant acute danger to human health? If I can honestly say No to that question, then it's all good...

 

[tomboy_m]

We try to keep the house clean.... but the priority at our place is to keep in livable.. If you show up don't expect not to be covered with dog hair if you haven't given adequate notice... 3 dogs and a cat means that there is always hair everywhere. I don't really get upset when people I know well show up and it's a mess, if they are there to see the house... then they get what they get. If they're there to visit.. they should have fun no matter the state of the house.

 

[Safari Queen]

Yes, I have a relationship with housework. I hate it and wish it would go away but it never does! I also like tidy spaces and will spend 20 minutes when I get home from work putting stuff away. However, I can ignore dust bunnies and dog hair on everything for weeks. DH MUST have clean floors but won't deal with newspapers, mail, dishes, outdoor wear, books, etc until he can't find a place to sit. So he vacuums a little and I tidy up every couple of days and the only time the house is really both clean & neat is when company is coming. I'm ashamed but I must admit I cringe at the idea of having people see how we usually live. After a big clean-up, we maintain it pretty well for a week or so. So we try to entertain often to have a more serene and uncluttered environment!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

...my single criterion for doing housework is: Dos this situation pose a significant acute danger to human health? If I can honestly say No to that question, then it's all good...

I think I have found my new words to live by!