house cleaning poll

In My Humble Opinion
21

1. Who lives in your house?
Me, my wife, and two kids (son 50% of the time)

2. In general, how often does your housekeeper:
1. Vacuum your carpets
Once a week (or at least she says she does).
2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
We just moved in about two months ago and did it once. We will probably do it once every six months to keep the carpets looking good and new.
3. Sweep the floors
My wife does it everytime she sees a crumb.
4. Mop the floors
Once a week (or at least she says she does).
5. Wax the floors
Our floors are laminated, no need for wax (or so I believe).
6. Clean the tub
Once a week.
7. Clean under the furniture
It is bad to say I have no idea?
8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
We have not done this yet and have had the same furniture for about 1 1/2 years. I never thought about it. Is this something that should be done often?
9. Wash the walls
We only wipe them down if there is a spot on them. Last week we noticed oil on the walls (my wife was covered in it one crazy night). Does anyone have any ideas how to get this off without ruining the paint?
10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
We don’t cook! We have probably used the stove two times since moving in. The refrigerator is empty, and we only use the dishwasher to store clean dishes for drying.
11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
Our lady does it weekly.
**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
Until it gets full.
12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
As soon as they are done, they are emptied. We put the iron-needed clothes aside for the lady that comes and does the house, so she can iron/press them.
13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
Never.

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **
The housekeeper does everything once a week. If there is a mess, my wife takes care of it right away.

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **
Me, I could care less. My wife goes crazy even if I leave my keys in the wrong spot.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
10 is how clean it is. I could care less as long as there are not roaches running around.

22

Can I just say that I’m shocked (no really) that so many people have been saying “who the heck washes walls?” I seriously assumed the majority of people did this at least once a year. Thanks for the replies everyone.

23

Okay, which one of my sisters are you? I swear, if it weren’t for the five kids part, I’d swear you were one of them. It always amazes me how often they clean. I feel like a total pig compared to them.

24

1. Who lives in your house?

My fiance and myself. And our cat.

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…):

  1. Vacuum your carpets**

No such beast, carpets are icky.

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets

No such beast

3. Sweep the floors

I’d say once every couple of days, once a week at the least.

4. Mop the floors

Once every week or two.

5. Wax the floors

Never. That’s weird.

6. Clean the tub

Once a week or so, and when I decide to take a bath.

7. Clean under the furniture

Depends on the furniture. Bed? Never. Too many storage boxes under there.

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned

Never. We plan to buy a new couch.

9. Wash the walls

Whenever a spot appears on one, I clean it off. Hooray for the Mr. Clean Magic Sponge!

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher

Stove, every day. Fridge and dishwasher, whenever they get dirty.

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.

Once a week or so.

12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack

If they’re dishes we’re about to use, I’ll leave them there. Otherwise, they are put away as soon as they are dry.

12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?

No more than an hour.

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink

Never!!!

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **

I’d say it’s “as needed”, but generally it’s needed. I sweep because we have a cat and hardwood floors, and not sweeping means icky bits of litter stuck to your feet/socks. There is no such thing as NOT needed as far as those things are concerned.

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **

No, unfortunately. I’m a stickler for clean, but not much of a stickler for tidy.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?

On the average day, I’d say it’s a 7. I’d love for it to be a 9, but that only happens on the days that my in-laws are visiting.

25

  1. Who lives in your house?
    My wife and I.

  2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…): Sad to say it is all the cleaning lady.

  3. Vacuum your carpets
    We don’t have any, we have a few rugs though, which she vacuums every two weeks.

  4. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
    As needed, but not often as we don’t wear shoes in the house, and they aren’t in a high traffic area.

  5. Sweep the floors
    As needed.

  6. Mop the floors
    Once every two weeks.

  7. Wax the floors
    Not very often, although she uses something on them.

  8. Clean the tub
    Once every two weeks. It sounds gross, but we shower at the gym most days so they don’t get much use.

  9. Clean under the furniture
    Once every two weeks.

  10. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
    Not very often.

  11. Wash the walls
    Never, although she dusts them every so often.

  12. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
    Every two weeks.

  13. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
    Every two weeks.

  14. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack
    Too long. A few days.
    12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
    Often.

  15. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
    A day or two maybe. I rinse them before stacking in the dishwasher so they aren’t too hard to clean.

Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?)

Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf.
Not really. As long as there is no food lying around, I’m happy.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
Maybe a 6. I’d like it to be cleaner, but not enough to have the cleaning lady come every week. My parents have a full time housekeeper and a cleaning lady and their house is about as close to a 10 as I’ve seen.

26

1. Who lives in your house?
Me, My husband and our two kids (ages 1 and 4)

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…): **
I do the cleaning

1. Vacuum your carpets
Once a week

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
Once a year

3. Sweep the floors
Every day

4. Mop the floors
Once a week at best. I use Swiffer wet more often, which falls somewhere between sweeping and mopping.

5. Wax the floors
Never

6. Clean the tub
Once a week

7. Clean under the furniture
If you mean heavy stuff that is a pain to move? Coupla times a year.

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
Once a year

9. Wash the walls
Spot clean as needed, I never am scrubbing an entire wall.

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
Once a week

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
Once a week

**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
Never, they are put away immediately. Overnight is longest.

**12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?**

Again, put away right away, with an occasional overnight. Of course dirty clothing builds up in the hamper more often, I’m talking about clean clothing.

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
Never

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **
Scheduled list. http://www.flylady.com was the basis but I have modified it a lot.

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **
Yes. I “tidy” a lot as well as cleaning.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
7. Lets be realistic…I have kids.

27

1. Who lives in your house?
Just me, but I have a couple of frequent visitors who leave a staggering number of dirty dishes behind.

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…): **

  1. Vacuum your carpets: once every 2-3 weeks
  2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets: every other year, maybe
  3. Sweep the floors: twice a month
  4. Mop the floors: once a month
  5. Wax the floors: never
  6. Clean the tub: twice a month
  7. Clean under the furniture: once a year
  8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned: never, yet…
  9. Wash the walls: never
  10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher: every year or two
  11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.: twice a month
  12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack: always
    12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?: never
  13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink: very often

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **
I am definitely “as needed” only. The frequencies listed above reflect how often those things need to be cleaned.

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **
Unfortunately, no. All horizontal surfaces are fair game. I have little bursts of straightening-up energy, when I clear things off. Piles do not get big.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
I’d say it’s a 7-8. I’d prefer it to be about a 9, meaning no dust or crud or smells, but relaxed enough to tolerate day-to-day clutter.

28

1. Who lives in your house?
Me and my husband

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…): **
1. Vacuum your carpets
Every week

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
Never. I guess I’d have it done if there was bad staining on them.

3. Sweep the floors
A few times a week, probably

4. Mop the floors
Monthly

5. Wax the floors
N/A, they are tiles not wood.

6. Clean the tub
The bathtub? Once a week and we also use ‘Shower Power’ each morning after the last shower

7. Clean under the furniture
Only if we are re-arranging the room!

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
Never

9. Wash the walls
Never, suppose I would spot clean as required but neither of us are smokers so it’s not necessary

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
Probably quarterly or when I notice it needs doing

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
Weekly

**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
Overnight at the maximum - i.e. they would be put away before I started the next evening’s meal.

** 12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?**
Don’t have a dryer, I’ve been known to leave clothes hanging on the line for a week cos I forgot about them!

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
One day would be the maximum

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **
I guess I have a routine of doing certain stuff on a weekly basis (usually first thing on Saturday morning). Other stuff is ‘as needed’
**
Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **
I have a certain level of tolerance for messiness but if I’m spending a reasonable amount of time at home (e.g. a weekend at home) then I need it to be tidy in order to relax properly.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
Probably a 7, I’d like it to be a 10 so long as someone else did it! :wink:

29

1. Who lives in your house?
Me, myself and I

  1. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…):

1. Vacuum your carpets
Maybe every other week? Depends on when they need it.

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
Umm…never. Maybe I will when I move out.

3. Sweep the floors
At least weekly, more if necessary.

**4. Mop the floors **
Weekly to every other week, or when necessary.

5. Wax the floors
Never - the booklet about the non-carpeted flooring I got for the apartment specified not to wax

6. Clean the tub
Usually weekly

  1. Clean under the furniture
    Rarely. Once or twice a year, probably

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
Never - no curtains, and I clean the sofa myself when necessary

9. Wash the walls
Once a year or so, depending on whether needed (cobwebs are an indication that it’s needed)

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
Cleaning OUT the fridge…fairly regularly, about once a month. Scrubbing them out, every other month or so

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
When I notice dust (this is much rarer than in my last apartment)

**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
Never - I have a very small amount of counterspace, no dishwasher, and if I leave dishes in the drainer, I can’t use the coffee pot

12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
Never - I go to the laundromat, so they have to be finished and brought home.

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
Rarely - again, limited space, so keeping things unclutterd is important.
I’m very much an “as needed” cleaner to a point - the exception to this is keeping the clutter to a minimum. It is a somewhat small space, so clutter starts driving me nuts quickly.

A book on the coffee table wouldn’t bother me - 3 or 4 books would.

I’d give parts of it a 4, other parts a 6 - the kitchen and bathroom stay pretty clean, but the other areas can get dusty at times.

30

1. Who lives in your house? Me, the cat, and the dog

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…):

  1. Vacuum your carpets** I Roomba once a week
    2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets every 3 months
    3. Sweep the floors Roombaed weekly
    4. Mop the floors weekly
    5. Wax the floors You’re supposed to wax them?
    6. Clean the tub weekly
    7. Clean under the furniture Roombaed weekly
    8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned yearly
    9. Wash the walls When I move out
    10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher weekly
    11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc. when dust becomes visible
    12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack when I wash dishes right before work.
    12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper? never
    13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink If I have a load, I wash, if one dish, I leave it.

I clean on the days I work the night shift, so no fixed days to clean.

I am not bothered by disorder, I embrace chaos.

I rate it a 6, fairly clean and sanitary. I am happy with it.

31

Oh wow, this thread has made me feel so much better about myself!

**1. Who lives in your house? ** Myself, my husband, three cats of varying levels of fuzziness, and a bearded dragon.

**2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…): **
Myself and my husband

1. Vacuum your carpets
Once a week.

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
When we think about it - every one to two years we rent one from the supermarket.

3. Sweep the floors
Every other week to every three weeks, depending on how visable stuff is.

4. Mop the floors
Once a month.

5. Wax the floors
I wouldn’t even know where to begin, and my mother was a professional house cleaner for decades.

6. Clean the tub
Try for once a week, sometimes once every other week. But the latter is very visible because of our mold issues.

7. Clean under the furniture
When moved or otherwise too disgusting to deal with.

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
We vacuum the couch when we have company coming. Otherwise, I don’t think we’ve ever done that.

9. Wash the walls
Spot clean if we actually see something on the wall. Otherwise, it has never occured to me.

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
Fridge - when I can’t stand it anymore (basically, every other month). My husband goes through to toss old food weekly though. Stove top - as needed (usually a few times a week). Inside of the stove - never, though I’ve been considering doing it sometime soon. Dishwasher - I’ll wipe down the outside every couple of weeks, but no one actually cleans inside, right?

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
Upstairs - when I have the willpower and inclination, every three or so weeks. Downstairs in the family room - when my allergies can no longer take it.

**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
Most nights, though we try to empty it when we get home every day or cook dinner (so that we can put the dirties in).

12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
Most weeks roughly half of the clothes are put away and half are left, depending on my energy level that day.

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
Rarely for more than a half day, as it drives my husband crazy. See #12.

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **
Certain things we do on a schedule, the rest are as needed.
Scheduled: vacuuming, changing the cat boxes, changing the fish water, cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry.

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **
In certain rooms, yes (living room, kitchen), the rest, no.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
A 6. My husband would like an 8, I would like a 5, this is our compromise. It’s the fight we have most often.

32

Oh my God, I am NOT one of those stay up til midnight scrubbing the grout behind the toilet women, I am not. I feel like taking pictures of the house to prove that this is just trying to keep up. You have no idea. I run a pretty good ship, but my only saving grace is the lack of clutter. It is tidy, but it is grubby. And I coach, hubby coaches, we run a business, etc. And I would much rather do all of that, hell, anything, rather than clean. That’s why when reading other posters cleaning I was utterly dejected. Oh, the luxury of only vacuuming once a week. Shit, the dog eats a couple stuffed animals with those little beads all over, chews up some pairs of underwear, someone sneaks a box of crackers upstairs trailing crumbs, someone else drags in a bucket of sand to play with, popcorn in the TV room, someone else decides to cut snowflakes out of paper, someone else decides to chew up crayons (or maybe the dog does, who knows?) and spit them all over the floor, someone cleans the guinea pig’s cage and gets shavings all over, etc, etc. Every single day.Do I do all the work? No, that’s what kids are for. But we are a destructive force to be reckoned with.
And for painting the walls? It’s not like a couple of smudges, handprints. Au contraire. It’s markers, crayons, patching holes, God only knows what.
Are my kids out of control? No, I do run a pretty tight ship, they are pretty responsible, and I do demand daily household chores, but it is a lot of work. I just forgot how much, until I read this.

I need a drink.

33

Additionally, the only reason I clean under the furniture so often, is to prevent the insect colonies/ vermin from hitting critical mass and trying to eat their human overlords.

A little more clarification. I mop when sticky, I sweep when crunchy. So, pretty much every frickin’ day.

34

  1. Who lives in your house? Me, mr.stretch, 4 dogs, 3 cats, with frequent visits from the adult children and 2 year-old grandson

  2. Vacuum your carpets: Weekly

  3. shampoo/steam clean the carpets: rarely; lots of spot cleaning from the pets and grandbaby

  4. Sweep the floors: Rarely; I have four dogs that usually get things before they hit the ground

  5. Mop the floors: As needed

  6. Wax the floors: When I had hardwood, I did it monthly. We do wax some of our furniture about twice a year.

  7. Clean the tub: The tub is in the spare bathroom, so before taking a bath or after bathing the dogs

  8. Clean under the furniture: About once a month

  9. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned: vacuum the furniture monthly, spot clean as necessary. Vacuum the curtains as needed.

  10. Wash the walls: Spot clean. We end up painting each room probably every 2 years, so they don’t need washing.

  11. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher: Wipe down the fronts as needed.

  12. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.: This is our never-ending battle; we have lots of dust. We usually dust weekly, plus we end up wiping things down while we are talking on the phone or wandering around doing something else. We dust all the damn time.

  13. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack: We usually just rinse and put dishes in the dishwasher immediately and then run it when there is a full load. We try to unload the dishwasher as soon as the cycle is done; the rule is whoever opens it and makes the “clean” light go off has to empty it.

12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper? I do all the laundry and am notorious for leaving clothes in the dryer until mr.stretch realizes that he is out of underwear. I also leave upstairs towels stacked on the dryer for ridiculously long periods of time because I don’t want to make an “extra” trip upstairs.

  1. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink: We really only leave dirty dishes in the sink if the dishwasher is still running and we’re waiting to unload. We are really bad about getting the dishwasher all ready to go, and then forgetting to turn it on.

Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?)

A mix. I’m mostly an as-needed cleaner. Mr.stretch likes to do some things at least weekly so even though there is no set day for vacuuming, it usually gets done on the weekend. If we skip a week, I don’t care but mr.stretch will mention that we missed doing it. Also, mr.stretch has a spring and fall whole house cleaning that he makes me participate in. And for added fun, if his parents are coming over, the house will be cleaned very well, top to bottom. If my parents are coming over, the house will be cleaned pretty well, but only the main living areas.

Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf.

I like things put back where they belong so I can find them–not because I care what things look like.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?

About a 7. I’m happy with things the way they are. If parents are coming over, mr.stretch will make sure we get to a 9.

35

Don’t sweat it too much dahfisheroo. My answers are more in line with the majority, as needed, but there’re two people here. We’re all dusting once a week or so, but you’ve got way more little people making way more mess. My best girlfriend has a family your size, she recently asked to borrow my vacuum. Hers had broken, and it’s the 7th or 8th one she’s literally worn out. I’ve owned 3 in my life and we’re the same age, but with that many people and pets, she just has to vacuum more often.

When they’re little and there’s that many of them, you have to be constantly vigilant or the mess reaches critical mass in 1.7 days. Answer again in five years and it’ll be much different, I bet.

36

Yeah, they’ll be driving.

Disclaimer----I actually really like my life, wouldn’t change a thing, we have a ball, but when I think of the luxury of only having to vacuum, sweep once a week, well…I realize how much work I actually do. Hey, I need a raise.

37

Removing the quotes to make my life easier.

  1. Who lives in your house? My wife, me, a dog aged 12 and a dog aged 2. Our kids come at Christmas, one comes during the summer.

  2. In general, how often do you (or your spouse/kids/housekeeper…):
    We have ladies come in once every two weeks, so most of this stuff gets done at that interval. I used to clean the bathrooms once a week.

  3. Vacuum your carpets

  4. shampoo/steam clean the carpets - except this - once every six months to a year. The carpets are a mess, being old and having suffered from the indignities a series of guide dog puppies inflicted on them - including playing with markers. As soon as our old dog dies, and we get the last kid through college, we get new carpets. Until then, they stay more or less dirty. It makes me much calmer about our old dog having accidents some day.

  5. Sweep the floors

  6. Mop the floors

  7. Wax the floors

  8. Clean the tub

  9. Clean under the furniture

  10. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned

  11. Wash the walls

  12. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher

  13. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
    All these are on the biweekly schedule.

  14. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack
    A few hours or overnight at mst.

    12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
    almost no time.

  15. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
    In the dishwasher, a full load by definition is one where we need to run it. So, not long. I hate dirty dishes in the sink - anything more than a fork gets cleaned or put in the dishwasher right away.

Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?)

Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf.
We have way too much stuff to have everything picked up all the time. We’re in chaos now since we got a load of stuff from my wife’s house, and she has definite ideas about where things go but hasn’t had the time to put them there.

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
Maybe 5 -6. We’re in no way house beautiful! Dirty spots are mostly clutter and carpets - the walls and the kitchen are pretty clean. Neither of us are slipcovers over the couch people.

38

breathes huge sigh of relief reading other posts

:slight_smile:

1. Who lives in your house?

It’s my parents house, I’m their Carer - so 3 adults, plus 1 cat

2. In general, how often do you:
i. Vacuum your carpets

Me: when they need it
D’Mother: twice a day, every day.

ii. shampoo/steam clean the carpets

Me: Maybe once during their lifetime
D’Mother: has no idea what a steam cleaner is/hired someone to shampoo

iii. Sweep the floors

Only the kitchen needs to be swept…
Me: daily
D’Mother: however many times she can in a 24 hour period

iv. Mop the floors

only the kitchen…
Me: if I spill something
D’Mother: however many times she can in a 24 hour period

v. Wax the floors

No need

vi. Clean the tub

Me: when I’ve used it
D’Mother: I’ve never seen her clean the bath

vii Clean under the furniture

Me: er, never…
D’Mother: every day

viii. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned

The curtains can all be machine washed …
Me: when they need it
D’Mother: never seen her clean the curtains

ix. Wash the walls

Me: Never/only if something marks them
D’Mother: never seen her clean walls

x. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher

Me: Cooker hob (halogen) gets wiped over when it’s dirty, oven is “self cleaning”, Fridge, when things start crawling out demanding better housing/right to vote.
Don’t have a dishwasher
D’Mother: cooker- as often as humanly possibly. Never seen her clean the fridge, no dishwasher

xi. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, nicknack’s etc.

Me: when I can see a layer of dust
D’Mother: as many times as she can in a 24 hour period

xiia. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack

Me: I leave ware to air dry
D’Mother: Washes, dries puts away ware the instant she’s finished using it

xiib. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?

Me: all the time
D’Mother: clothes are washed, dried, ironed, put in the hot press, ironed and finally put in wardrobe/drawers. Several times a week

xiii. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink

Me: whenever I can’t be ar$ed doing them
D’Mother: see previous answer

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner, or do you have a list of things that you do at a scheduled time regardless of how the area looks (ex: do you vacuum once a day/week whether or not you see fuzz on the carpet?) **

Me: If left to my own devices I’d have a “schedule” that I’d work ‘round. I used to when I first became my parents’ Carer [7 years ago] but my version of housework clashed with D’Mother’s - I’d get up, clean/dust/tidy, fill the washing machine and go out to the shops, I’d come back to find her re-cleaning/dusting/tidying what I’d
done and any effort on my part to protest was shouted down. Nowadays I “won’t lift a finger”. She also doesn’t hold with these new fangled cloths that you get in packs that disinfect/clean/polish. We have a Dyson vacuum that she has broken - she refuses to accept that you can vacuum the house in 30 minutes without breaking a sweat and uses the cleaner like an olde fashioned carpet beater cum scrubbing brush

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? Ex: a book laying on the coffee table instead of the bookshelf. **

Me: not in the slightest
D’Mother: Has a major breakdown if there’s a speck of dust anywhere, or a thread out of place…

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?

Probably a 4, left to my own devices it’d be a 6 or 7. In her heyday D’Mother kept the house sterile.

I’d say she has OCD but she never seemed to clean the bathroom or the kitchen much.

39

Hey, I’ll buy you one! I’ll also be happy to recommend a raise for you. I definitely think you deserve it. Actually, you do remind me of one of my sisters. She lives on a hog farm with two sons and a husband, and has to sweep and/or mop pretty much every day because otherwise it gets just nasty. My other sister … well, she’s the OCD one with the spotless house. I hate her. :wink:

(I tried to post this earlier and it got eaten and I swear I had something else to say but now I forget. Oh, well. I didn’t mean to tease you, dahfisheroo. I have great respect for people who work as hard as you do!)

40

Who lives in your house?
Just me, and a couple of birds

1. Vacuum your carpets
Once a week, usually

2. shampoo/steam clean the carpets
Never, although I’d like to.

3. Sweep the floors
Every couple of weeks. Shoes aren’t allowed past the front door area, so no dirt gets tracked around.

4. Mop the floors
Less than once a month…most of my apartment is carpet, so it just doesn’t get dirty.

5. Wax the floors
Never

6. Clean the tub
I haven’t in the 3 months I’ve been here, but I plan to sometime in the next couple of weeks.
**
7. Clean under the furniture**
Never

8. Have the couches/curtains etc cleaned
Never - they don’t get dirty

9. Wash the walls
Whenever I see a spot, usually around the light switches

10. Clean the stove/refrigerator/dishwasher
I never use the stove; the fridge never gets dirty, and the dishwasher gets cleaned every time I run it!

11. Do general dusting of shelves, electronics, knicknacks etc.
Once a week

**12. How often will you leave clean dishes in the dishwasher/dishrack **
I put dishes away whenever the dishwasher is done

12b. leave clean clothes in the dryer/hamper?
Never

13. Leave a full load of dirty dishes in the dishwasher/sink
I put dirty dishes away every night, if not after every meal.

**Are you an “as needed” cleaner? **
Pretty much

**Does it bother you if something is out of place, even if the house isn’t messy? **
Not really, but if lots of stuff is out of place, then I pick up

How clean would you consider your house on a scale of 1-10, and how clean would you like it to be?
8 - I’m just not a dirty person, and I clean up anything that might stain or smell immediately to prevent bugs.