What are you embarrassed by? - Page 2

[mamabain]

I don't leave dirty clothes lying around, and beds are made first thing. Most people don't go upstairs to the bedrooms anyway.
So for me, I'd clear up the front room (usually just put books away, fold throws, organize shoes by front door) and put on a tea kettle.

My bathroom being messy drives me nuts, so I clean that up every morning anyway.

I also hate a dirty kitchen, but oh well, if my friends are here, they'll usually hang out in the kitchen while I do a five minute cleanup if I really need to.

[Rebecca]

I always have dirty dishes in the sink, and hate it (but not enough to keep it clean just in case). Cat hair and stinky guinea pig cage embarrass me. I'd be horrified if a friend sat on my couch with black pants and was covered with hair when she left.

[Dr.Worm]

I would do the dishes that have been sitting...quickly wash dishes; bowls and cups and soak pots and pans and then clean the bathroom fast. I keep thinking of Speed...Pop quiz, hot shot, your mother-in-law is coming over and your house is a wreck...you only have one minute to make it presentable..what do you do? WHAT do you do???

[OakBerry]

Pretty much everything on that list, except the toys scattered about. No way to control that when there are lots of kids around.

My main areas of concern are the kitchen and bathroom.

[sapphire_chan]

Used to be almost all of the above. Now I have a baby so I pretty much only try to stay on top of dishes and keeping the bathroom from being totally groddy.

[Ellien C]

I'm beyond all of this. The ant infestation embarrasses me as did the mouse problem. I'm really pretty OK with almost everything else on the list
:

With a minute warning, I try to get the dirty socks and underwear out of living room area. There are more socks and underwear is rare. But mostly I'd just open the door with a smile, invite them in and offer them a beer!

[CultivatingMyRoots]

I seem to be with the majority. Having more than one meal of dirty dishes, food on 'benches' (in our case the kitchen table and chairs/floor), and having dirty clothes lying around.

Toys and clutter bother me less, but thats because we don't have much of either. The kitchen is my weak spot, and consequently what I'm usually most embarassed about.

[*Erin*]

i am having hot flashes and panicky twitchings just from taking the quiz! the piles of dirty dishes, a sorta dirty bathroom, and stacks of papers and books? the one minute warning?! ahhhhh! i'd probably just crawl under the dining room table and maybe hyperventilate or something.

[MayBaby2007]

Originally Posted by oneKnight

Having lots of dirty dishes. My kitchen is small with almost no counterspace, so if it's covered over in dishes . . . ugh. With a 1 minute warning I would condense them as best I could, put big items in the oven and make sure at least one half of the sink was clear because it looks better that way.

I thought I was the only one who did this. I did this Christmas Eve, anticipating early guests to see dd with her presents. I filled up a laundry basket (or two Hey....we were busy making cookies and the dishes took over!) and put it upstairs where nobody goes. Presto! A clean kitchen

Originally Posted by flapjack

Spray pledge (furniture polish) in the air, put the hoover in the middle of the floor, the plug in the sink, add some washing up liquid and start the tap running. Then boil the kettle and greet them with the apology that you're in the middle of cleaning up from the weekend but it's lovely to see them anyway. Tea?
If possible, try and get the bathroom done quickly, and if not, take a quick toilet break.

Awesome ideas!

My panick comes from dirt, not clutter. (Ok, clutter makes me panick, but not for the sake of guests seeing it) Most of my guests will stay in living room and possbily use the bathroom. So, I would quickly tidy living room and wipe down the bathroom. Intimate guests go into the kitchen. If they're intimate guests, I know they're not going to care about the condition of my house....so I don't care.

The other most important thing I do is quickly spray an air freshener and light candles. I'm pretty sure my house smells good...but it's my house and I'm accustomed to the smell. You know...your "home" smell. So, I don't know what it smells like to a non resident. I have a stinky dog who farts a lot too

[jjawm]

Picking up clutter and clearning off the couches would be first. Then getting the counters cleared. My house doesn't get too dirty, and the dishes are always in the dishwasher, but the clutter that comes from three kids is bad!

[sapphire_chan]

1 minute clean up depends on how bad things are.

From best to worse case:
0. Check own appearance in mirror.
1. Gather stray items into basket, fluff pillows, clear spot on coat rack. (pre-baby this one actually happened twice)
2. Move all dirty dishes to dishwasher if empty, sink if not.
3. Remove dishes and laundry from living room. Clear off couch.
4. Create path to couch and clear off couch, while doing so practice "sick" voice and try to look pale.
5. Grab keys, coat, diaper bag, and baby, and ask where they want to go to eat. (this one has never happened, but all our friends/family are at least an hour away)

[Shahbazin]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Spray pledge (furniture polish) in the air, put the hoover in the middle of the floor, the plug in the sink, add some washing up liquid and start the tap running. Then boil the kettle and greet them with the apology that you're in the middle of cleaning up from the weekend but it's lovely to see them anyway. Tea?
If possible, try and get the bathroom done quickly, and if not, take a quick toilet break.

Wow!! This is creative, decisive (& it sounds like it would work....)

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Spray pledge (furniture polish) in the air, put the hoover in the middle of the floor, the plug in the sink, add some washing up liquid and start the tap running. Then boil the kettle and greet them with the apology that you're in the middle of cleaning up from the weekend but it's lovely to see them anyway. Tea?
If possible, try and get the bathroom done quickly, and if not, take a quick toilet break.

But what do you do from Wednesday to Saturday?

[SAHDS]

I'd say almost all of the above (although it's common for me to have a stack of 3 or so books next to my coffee cup on the family room coffee table) would embarrass me.

What is a 1-minute clean up? I can't pair a load of socks in one minute.

[muse]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Spray pledge (furniture polish) in the air, put the hoover in the middle of the floor, the plug in the sink, add some washing up liquid and start the tap running. Then boil the kettle and greet them with the apology that you're in the middle of cleaning up from the weekend but it's lovely to see them anyway. Tea?

Ah, I miss England! My experience there was many people's houses were messy, we would just shove aside the laundry, sit down and drink a cuppa. Often the guest would think nothing of washing their own mug/making the tea/folding the laundry/whatever. And people are much more likely to show up at your doorstep unannounced.

[muse]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

But mostly I'd just open the door with a smile, invite them in and offer them a beer!

Ah, can you move into my neighborhood, please?!

[kirstenb]

Originally Posted by ledzepplon

I'm more embarrassed by dirt than mess, so dirty dishes, crumbs on the floor, yucky bathroom, dirty dishes would be my main issues. I'd be kind of mortified if people saw those types of messes.

The "clean" mess (like toys, papers, clean laundry, unmade beds) bothers me much less. I'd probably apologize but not agonize over these.

This exactly. Toys on the floor don't bother me. Trash on the floor would, absolutely. I also don't mind a few dirty dishes in the sink. I do mind when they overflow the sink and start to take up counter space! When someone is coming over last minute I run to clean the bathroom first. Next I make sure the kitchen is fairly clean. I don't even worry about the upstairs as no one goes up there. In a pinch (usually on Sundays when the house it still messy from the weekend), I've been known to toss things up there to deal with later.

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by kirstenb

I don't even worry about the upstairs as no one goes up there.

When we bought our first home, my grandmother asked me if I had chosen a two-story house so I could hide my mess. I was so offended that it motivated me to keep the upstairs spotless (that was 8 years ago). I never knew if she was going to check when she came over, LOL.

[kirstenb]

That is too funny. Tossing things upstairs only works if it's a short visit- the only shower in the house is attached to our room so if we have overnight guests I need the upstairs clean as well.

[DaughterOfKali]

I'm still trying to figure out what is meant by "benches" in the poll.

I think I mostly get embarrassed if the floor hasn't been swept after ds's meal/snack (he's a very messy eater). I also get embarrassed if I have lots of dishes in the sink/on the counter.

And if there's a Mt Washmore in my kitchen. (towering laundry hamper). giggle.