A mom shared how she was embarrassed about her house in a viral post on Mumsnet this week, prompting many to share tips and advice on home cleaning.
Taking to the popular discussion site, user ThreeLittleBirds11 asked if she should clean or not before her in-laws came to visit in a post titled: “To clean or not to clean for in-laws?” The post gained over 360 replies.
“My in-laws live in a different part of the country now and are coming to stay near us for the first-time next week. Sounds terrible but I’m just so pleased we don’t have enough space for them to actually stay in our house,” she wrote. “However, they will still be spending a lot of time with us in our home which is nice, but do I make a special effort to clean and present the house better or should they just take us as they find us?”
The mom explained that she and her husband both work and have a 4-year-old and a baby at home. But her concern about the in-laws visiting was clear.
“My mother-in-law likes things clean, tidy, and well presented in her house, so this makes me feel a bit pressurized. They’ve seen our house plenty of times before but they’ve never spent more than an hour tops in it,” wrote the poster.
She shared how the family has “stuff everywhere,” with stains on chairs, walls, floors, and a lawn that haven’t been cut in months.
Laura Mountford, aka Lauracleanaholic on Instagram, is a social media “cleanfluencer.” She told Newsweek: “Nothing can kick us into giving the house a spruce up more than guests arriving, but we should never feel pressure to deep clean before we invite people into our homes, nor should we feel embarrassed about our homes being messy. Homes are lived in and it’s unrealistic to expect them to look like show homes.”
“Clean clothes rarely find themselves in wardrobes or cupboards. Instead, they gather in piles on the landing waiting to be distributed. The kitchen units are fairly cluttered and the fridge and hob need a good clean,” said the mom.
She asked the internet if she should consider cleaning up the house before the in-laws arrive, or just let them see how it really is?
On Mumsnet, replies overwhelmingly suggested it would be a good idea to clean. One reply said: “I would spruce it to within an inch of its life. But I’d resent doing it,” meanwhile another said: “Of course, you need to clean it. Same as you would for anyone visiting.”
But not everyone agreed and some replies said that the family members should be prepared to accept the house as it is.
“I definitely wouldn’t go to any effort…it’s your home and visitors should either accept your standards or go elsewhere,” said one Mumsnet user.
“We lead busy lives and are spinning so many plates on a daily basis having family and friends visit should be something to cherish, not dread,” said Mountford. “If we know we are having guests visit me and my boyfriend will team up and have a quick blast of the house; a whip round with the vacuum, fill the dishwasher, pour some bleach in the toilet, shut the doors to rooms we don’t want people to go in and then light a candle. It’s probably the most productive cleaning session.”
When it comes to ensuring your home is guest-ready, the self-confessed cleanaholic also says it is important not to be daunted by the task: “If you struggle to keep on top of your housework then try not to feel overwhelmed when guests are arriving. Set yourself a timer for 30 minutes and you will be amazed at how much you can get done in that time. However, it is important to remember that when guests visit, they want to spend time with you and they love you regardless of how clean or messy your home is.”
Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.
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