Cleaning for company..do you do it?

Ackula · Post by **Ackula** » Sun May 30, 2010 2:48 am

After a few conversations with my wife, I'm wondering if maybe I'm just weird. So I want to see what others feel about this subject, and your own personal practices in regards to it.

What I'm talking about is this, if you are having company come over to your house, do you go out of your way to make sure everything is nice and clean and in perfect order? Or maybe you always have your home in perfect order and cleanliness, or possibly you don't give a damn and never clean except when it gets to the point that you actually have to.

Also I'm wondering if you clean up more than usual for new friends who are visiting for the first time, and less for friends who you have known for a long time, and feel more comfortable around?

Personally I was raised with the notion that you should always make sure your home looks nice and presentable all the time, and even more so if company is coming over. As it is though, I do have two young kids, so it is almost impossible to always have everything in order, but I always want to get things real nice and neat when friends come over.

However, my really close friend who has been to my home multiple times over the past 2 years, I don't really care as much if every single dish is washed or if I vacuum right before he comes over. Most likely because we know each other really well at this point, and I don't feel like he would think badly of me for having a bit of disorder, considering my kids running about all day.

Thoughts?

burnitall · Post by **burnitall** » Sun May 30, 2010 3:48 am

Growing up, wherever we lived was rarely clean. My mom would rather sit and watch soap operas, and Dad liked to drink alot and figure out how to get us kicked out again. So, we moved a lot, and didn't give a shit where we lived, or what condition it was in. We didn't have the money to be choosy.
Now, I like my home to always be clean. I don't care much if my bedroom is kind of messy, but I like the rest to be in good order. The thing right now, is that my roomates are pigs. They will only clean if someone important is coming over, like the landlord or thier grandma, or if they want to impress someone new. So the normal day to day stuff falls to me, and it kind of sucks, but the more I clean the less I pay.
And there's nothing wrong with taking a little pride in your home.

Post by **Sades** » Sun May 30, 2010 7:35 am

I tidy when I have people coming over. Generally the place is in little a bit of disorder, slightly lived-in messy but never disgusting dirty. Mess makes me cranky though, so I generally go on a small cleaning binge every few days/at the end of the week. When it comes to company, if my family is visiting I tidy a bit, clear clutter from the kitchen table (which generally acts as a place to put together WH models/laptop area/general catch-all area) so we can sit, have coffee/tea and chat, but I'm not running the carpet sweeper out. Friends, I'll pick up the odd sock, pick up the bf's warhammer models, put the cat's toys away and make sure we have enough seating, snacks/drinks for everyone.

If it's the BF's family, I clean until my knuckles bleed because I'm dead afraid they'll look down on me if even one thing seems out of place.

I may be worried for nothing, but I feel very out-of-place in his family... he received a birthday card a year or so ago, on the front cover is a family of dirty-looking hillbillies living on a dirty, messy houseboat. Inside was written the words "Don't let your place look like this!" As it was shortly after we moved in together I've always been slightly freaked out by that, thinking they might think my housekeeping skillz aren't up to snuff or something. I know it's nothing to do with me, but better to be safe than sorry all the same... or so says my head.

Ackula · Post by **Ackula** » Sun May 30, 2010 7:41 am

Sades wrote:he received a birthday card a year or so ago, on the front cover is a family of dirty-looking hillbillies living on a dirty, messy houseboat. Inside was written the words "Don't let your place look like this!" As it was shortly after we moved in together I've always been slightly freaked out by that, thinking they might think my housekeeping skillz aren't up to snuff or something.

This is the most awesome thing I have read on here in months. Thanks Sadie, I needed that!

Post by **Sades** » Sun May 30, 2010 7:51 am

I'M GLAD MY INSECURITIES AMYOOZ YOU

Just kidding. BF thinks it's silly, too.

Even I know it's pretty silly, but like I said- I'd rather be safe than sorry.

skywarp408 · Post by **skywarp408** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:42 pm

I do clean. Nothing worse than walking into someones clutter box.

Vin Ghostal · Post by **Vin Ghostal** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:25 pm

I'll do as much cleaning as time will allow prior to a guest's arrival. Putting away all clutter is the bare minimum; if I haven't washed the tables, vacuumed, and done all the dishes, I just don't feel right if guests are coming. This has all been instilled in me by my wife, and while I thought it ridiculous at first, I really do enjoy having the house in tip-top shape for a visitor, even someone who's been over dozens of times before.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:53 pm

I try to be tidy. I wash up and do the day to day stuff relentlessly, and have to keep on top of the cleaning as we have seven cats, and they make a hell of a mess. When i lived on my own I was incredibly houseproud, and even when some of my friends ended up living with me, they thought I was some weird cleaning Nazi. A lifetime of crappy dust allergies will do that to you though. As a kid, a learnt to tidy up when i stood on toys and broke them. I started doing my own washing at home after a less than amusing colour-run incident my mum had with some of my clothes.

My girlfiend (who i live with now) is a terror though. She does loads of environmental play work and is presently a community development worker, so there's no end of papers, outdoors stuff, notes on scraps of paper (all of them are important!) and books lying about all over the place. She's usually too knackered to tidy it all up, and I can't help her with it as she finds tidying away and sorting her stuff tedious and frustrating. Normally because we don't have enough room to house all this stuff. I've over compensated for that by jettisoning a large portion of my personal effects and storing most of my things in the attic.

We do tend to do a really big clean if we have guests coming round. I find it all a bit hard to cope with, because with all this stuff lying about I never feel like i can relax, cos there's just stuff everywhere. I'm also slightly claustrophobic, so I don't like feeling caged in by wobbling piles of stuff (which we frequently have in the hosue - which the cats then knock over).

Bloody hell. this has turned out to be a lot more of a journey into my personal psyche than i was expecting! i just like having a tidy house. it would be nice to just one day, be able to have some of my things out!

Rurudyne · Post by **Rurudyne** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:23 am

You can clean a house?

Catalyst Dragon · Post by **Catalyst Dragon** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:36 am

As a general rule I'm of the opinion of 'If they don't like it they can clean it themselves.' However I do try to keep my house presentable, well, the living room and kitchen at least. I'm not a stickler for cleanliness. Though I am adamant about personal hygiene.

Mostly my house is clean but my room is tipically a mess. I usually don't find time to clean for company. Mostly because all my company shows up unannounced.

I do my best cleaning when I'm angry though, don't know why but, when ever I'm really angry I like to clean.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:39 am

If they're lucky I'll put clothes on.

Post by **Sades** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:39 am

I don't want to nab your floor/couch next year for AA.

HeadmasterAutobot · Post by **HeadmasterAutobot** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:42 pm

My abode is typically presentable on its own, until you factor in increasingly large piles of scrap paper, dishes left out, building layers of dust, scraps of what-have-you in the carpet that seem to come from nowhere, and tangled wires from electronics everywhere.

As soon as it's apparent that we're having company the room is quickly and immediately cleaned and organized, and the cycle of filth starts anew.

Vin Ghostal · Post by **Vin Ghostal** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Let's put it this way: my "honey-do" list for our housewarming party tomorrow is THREE PAGES LONG.

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 3:28 am

The way I tend to enjoy the numerous videogame podcasts I listen to is by doing household chores, so our house stays reasonably clean. There is usually clutter on the table, or beside my chair in the living room (Magic cards lately), but not rotting garbage or anything. I do make sure the floors are vacuumed and the dishes are done before we have anyone over, and I do pick up the clutter also. I don't think it's weird to clean the house for company.

Rurudyne · Post by **Rurudyne** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 5:02 am

Vin Ghostal wrote:Let's put it this way: my "honey-do" list for our housewarming party tomorrow is THREE PAGES LONG.

Think of it as a second career and maybe it won't seem that bad.