Housework before going away

I can't bear coming home to dirt and mess either - it's bad enough that it usually feels cold and a bit stale. My lot know that they won't be allowed to sit down until all the bags are in, all washing to be done, sorted and by the machine, and then the bags to be carried upstairs. I will have the first load on, the lights and heating on if necessary, a bit of fresh air let in, DBH dispatched for a takeaway if necessary, and the kettle on. By the time we go to bed you would never know we had been away, apart from the odd stray load waiting by the machine in a basket.

I remember it well, ninathenana

DD used to have a massive clear-up just before we came home. I remember once being very impressed how tidy and sparkling clean the house was to come home to: she confessed she had had to call on DIL for help!

Pointless ! 24yr old DS still living at home I always give him an E.T.A. in the hopes it won't look too bad when we arrive.

I try and keep the house clean and tidy all the time - I can't bear living in a mess and I find it easier to keep on top of things if I do them regularly.

I would certainly hoover and tidy up before going away so that there's nothing to do on my return. I wouldn't go so far as to change the beds, wash towels, etc. - unless they needed it.

Also, no matter what the time is when we reach our destination, I like to unpack and get everything sorted out - and I like to keep our holiday accommodation clean and tidy too. (Though I'm not as pernickety as my dad who used to make a big fuss if there was sand in our (rented) caravan after a day at the beach - it caused many a row between my parents).

I have realised I have an obsession and I have never thought about it before now.

I have joked on GN that Miss Haversham is my heroine re housework but when I go on holiday I have a hit list.

I do my boil wash, domestos the toilets and sinks, change all the bedding and turn my laundry baskets upside down, I don't do that at other times The rest of the house is left as it was.

I start my holiday when the taxi arrives or I get in the car. Hubby starts his holiday when we get to our destination and unpacked aren't we all different.

I also hate housework! I do, however clean the house before going away, just so that I don't need to do it when I get home. As for the ironing, that is done as and when needed. I usually vacuum and dust if I know visitors are coming, and I make sure the loo sparkles. DH despairs of my housework aversion as his late mother was so houseproud.

Hate housework but cannot bear an environment that is messy and untidy, so I have a housework routine that means if I skip a week or so it doesn't matter. I always do a normal clean before going on holiday so that I return to a clean tidy home with no need to do anything but holiday washing for at least a week.

Couldn't give a toss what the neighbours think, or the police, if they have to come in in our absence - and that has happened twice when we have had break-ins. We have very nice neighbours but it is our house and they can think what they like about how we keep it.

DS & DDiL had a break-in when they were away. Police were chorrified by the extent the burglars had turned the house over . DDiL's mother, who lived locally, had to tell them it wasn't the burglars, it was the occupants who left the house like that. It was very small, they did have a lot of stuff and things are much tidier now they have moved.

Yep, house must be clean and tidy before we go. Even DH manages to do his filing before we leave, so all those 'neat' piles of paper that accumulate on the kitchen table and must not be touched by moi disappear, thank goodness.

I always clean the house before I go away, my neighbours have a key and keep an eye on the place for me and I wonder what they would think if they came in to a mess, although they don't clean before they go away - but they do say they like the "lived in" look!!!

I also leave a clean house with the bed linen changed and washed but I stop short at cleaning windows. Like others there is enough washing to cope with when returning hiome without agdding to it because I was too idle to keep up with the wahsing. I wash so often I amost need an industrial washer.

I feel compelled to strip the bed, wash all the linen and towels and leave them airing for our return. We do of course have plenty of both spare linen and towels, but I take the view that I will have a suitcase of dirty clothes so I want existing washing to be out of the way. I like to climb into a freshly made bed when I come back.

Oh yes I couldn't possibly go away and leave a messy house- its lovely to come back to it all fresh and clean - albeit with a huge pile of washing to be done.!!

It's very soul-destroying to clean the windows then the sun shines at a certain angle and you see all the smears you left! You wish you hadn't bothered.

Meant don't clean the windows!

I always clean when the party's over. No point in cleaning before guests come, it's only the first two who notice!

Sadly I don't mind cleaning but now I'm retired can pick and choose when I do it but always leave the house clean and tidy before going away. I do t however clean the windows! That's impressive pippa

anno my friend used to say that it's surprising what you can do in 15 minutes when you know someone is coming!

I am not as bad at springcleaning the house before we go away as I used to be, but still like to leave it clean and tidy. Must pull all the beds out and vacuum behind (although I suppose some of you do that every week).

Today I was going to clean out kitchen cupboards as we have a trip due - what if something happened and someone else found all those out-of-date packets lurking at the back? DH says 'don't be daft, if the worst happens you won't know what they say about you anyway!'
Instead GN beckoned ...... must go now

I am not good at cleaning or tidying. I need to have visitors more often.

Mine were exactly the same anno

If I got the vacuum cleaner out when my sons were little they asked, 'Who's coming, Mum?'.

I do housework when we have visitors coming not before we go away.

Housework? - what is that?

yep me too - i always "clean the house the house up for the burglars" as we call it ! after a holiday ( which is never a lying round in the sun type but involves a lot of travelling around and walking and we always say we need a holiday to recover from the holiday ) it would be horrible to face a messy house! although it would make more sense burglar-wise to leave the place looking as if someone has just left the room ... ;-)

I always used to be the same but not since I had my grandson living with me. No point since I'm not sure what I will be coming home to if he has been in the house alone for a fortnight!