What takes priority?

I’m with that American comedian, can’t remember her name: Housework is so boring, cleaned the whole house. And then six months later, I had to do it all again.

Along, not alone! Freudian slip?

I work with younger colleagues. Most of them have said they do not even own an iron! I tidy as I go alone, wash up as I cook and dish up. When the dust moves, I polish. Husband does the hoovering as the old Dyson weighs a ton. When I was younger, worked in a very stressful full time job, 1.5hr commute each way, massive weekly shop, fed myself and husband and 2 daughters, cleaned the house from top to bottom once a week, ironed everything that didn't move and did all the cooking. How the hell did I do it? My nan always said "the dust will be there when you're dead and gone".

I am lucky I think that I can live with a little mess. I keep loos, sinks and surfaces spotlessly clean and sweep and mop floors on a regular basis.

However, I feel as retired people we can now do things when it suits us. If you feel weary it's time for a sit down, a cuppa and the paper, TV, jigsaw puzzle, crossword etc.

Self indulgence should be our guide. We have worked hard and our own needs and desires should trump mundane things like housework. I have no worries these days in leaving things.

I feel rather sorry for a friend who cannot relax unless she is in immaculate surroundings. She is forever plumping up cushions, jumping up to get a duster because she has spotted dust and taking tea trays into the kitchen the minute visitors put down their cups.

I appreciate that we are all different but relaxing and being good to ourselves should be our priorities. Housework can wait.

Nobody gets medals for housework. Why feel guilty if it’s not done. If you have something you’d rather do, then do it - the housework will always be there the next day.

I often say, god did not put me on this earth and expect me to be a housekeeper. I do what I like to do, and housework when it really needed done. My house is relatively tidy, people are encouraged to (not write in the dust) come in. They'll always get a cup of tea and a chat, I'll listen to their problems if need be.If they can't cope with a little dust then go somewhere else. I'll feed you and look after you but my house is a home and not always perfect.

Ps and my mum baked and we went out on bike rides etc., took picnics.

I loved my mum coming to stay because she just liked doing housework and used to do mine, saying "I know you don't have much time, dear"
She was also brilliant with children.

Our house was like a new pin when I was growing up but everyone was welcome.

I wish I was more like her!

I know two young children who say they can never have friends round to play or sleep over as their home is to scruffy. These two have never had birthday party either for the same reason. They cant play in the garden as it is overgrown with brambles and other vegetation and in fact they had foxes living in the garden it is so wild!!!!

LillyLove I have never heard a tidy person say that. ???

Sounds like an excuse to me. ?

Absent, whenever THINGS’ become more important than people we have a problem.

I was a child in a very messy house and we did not socialise because it was too embarrassing to invite people home. My siblings agreed that it prevented them from joining friendship groups because you were expected to meet in each other’s house. My mother finds it hard to throw anything away however useless and tatty and the house is full of clutter. She never invites people into her house not even her grand children. The sad thing is she loves them and likes to see them, she loves socialising. Sometimes I feel that clutter is more important to her than people. Her big house never looked nice even when it was clean and I envied my friends with nice clean and tidy homes

Belongings can be a substitute for relationships or a wall to hide behind for many people . I can honestly say I wish my mother had cleaned and tidied more.

Housework was definitely NOT invented by men.

It’s interesting that cleaning the house is regarded by some as wasting or not having a life whereas gardening is not when they really are both the same. We like to live in a nice environment inside and outside of our house. Everything is a matter of balance and any extreme will become a problem. Too much cleaning leaves no time for socialising and too little cleaning makes us too embarrassed to invite friends in.

My aunt recently told me that I revolutionised her life about 30 years ago when I apparently told her that I tidy what is untidy and clean what is dirty. Don’t clean for the sake of routine. I can’t remember that conversation but that is how I do any work in home or garden. If it bothers me it gets done.

It usually starts bothering me if it would take me more than 20 minutes to get the house tidy enough should a friend unexpectedly call.

Did anyone ever say, "I love my mother because she vacuums and dusts everyday" rather than "I love my mother because we danced in puddles during thunderstorms"? Did any grandchild ever say, "I love my granny because her house is so tidy" rather than "I love my granny because she makes fabulous banana bread"?

I don’t regard cleaning as drudgery and I love a beautiful, spotless, elegant house. I have made my cleaning into my fitness regime and do it first thing in the morning so I can be a lady of leisure in the afternoons. Also, it saves on gym fees.

Every day I put a light and a dark fast wash on while I get on with other things as I don’t want a huge pile of a week’s ironing in one go. I iron a few things every day.

Then:-
Monday
Hoovering and floor washing and polishing
Tuesday
En-suite bathroom and change one bed
Wednesday
Downstairs cloakroom and dust whole house
Thursday
Clean main bathroom and cut grass
Friday
Change own bed and wash bedding. Sadly, I also iron the bedding as it looks so beautiful when done
Saturday and Sunday
No cleaning.

Sometimes I do get a bit fed up with the unending cycle but I feel it is a discipline that keeps me fit and alert and gives me a great sense of satisfaction when done. I also listen to dramas on the radio as I go which is entertaining.

In the afternoons I walk, read, cook and feel like the Dowager Countess of Downton.

They say a tidy home is a sign of a boring life!

Use the five minutes the tea takes to brew to tidy a few things away. Amazing what a difference that makes over a day/week.

Rose Macauley wrote: Better a house unkept than a life unlived.

Grammaretto totally agree with you. The immune system needs something to fight to grow strong...

I wash up at night & leave it to dry overnight no unhygenic tea towels used occasionally another lot done if I've been cooking. Wipe kitchen surfaces & cooker.

Wet room so toilet gets bleached every other day & sink wiped, floor gets a really good clean every few weeks as it's mopped after I've showered at night.

Washing done as necessary, ironing rarely. Dusting when it annoys me & hoovering when I see bits on the carpet, full scale furniture move clean once in a blue moon. Windows when I decide they need doing.

I'd rather be in the garden or going out with friends than doing housework, life's too short.

Callistemon

I’m the same, I’d be up at 6.00, whole house done by lunch, and iron in the afternoon

I don’t know how I did it, I certainly couldn’t now!

I think you can be too clean. Some families I know are so hygenically clean, including wiping babies' faces with wet wipes, that they don't have much resistance to infection and get everything going. Particularly tummy bugs.
A peck of dirt before you die goes the old adage. I'm a believer.

I used to whiz through the whole house on one day (as well as doing a few loads of washing).

Where did that woman go?

Toilets, basins, kitchen sink etc - every day!

For years I'v worked an 'upstairs, downstairs' system, ie cleaning the upstairs one week, downstairs the next. Ensures that it isn't always the same bit getting cleaned. Priorities are 1. Food, 2. clean clothes, 3. cleaning house. Actual priority for me is the garden anyway!

Petra... I think your comment on someone else's cleaning habits...you used the word dirty...was very wrong. What suits one does not suit another.

Sheilagh
I'm exactly the same. That's why I spend a relatively small amount of time on housework.
As for cleaning the toilet and washbasin once a week: that's just plain dirty.?
an immaculate house is a sign of a wasted life
Absolute tosh!!! That's the polite expression ?