[Gendenwitha]

From the Messies Manual by Sandra Felton I've been chuckling about this for days...<br><br>
Reason for attempted editing:<br>
I can change the comments but not the poll? Well, they were originally labeled 0-10, but on preview they were labeled 1-11 for me so I deleted the numbers... and then the numbers disappeared. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:<br><br><br>
So 0 is pathological hoarder, 10 is pathological neat-freak.

 

[TinyFrog]

Currently I had to vote "The dishes are clean, but stay out of the upstairs bath!" Normally it would be clean one day a week. I'd like to get back to that.

 

[Gendenwitha]

I used to be a 3 (dishes are clean but... always shoved stuff in bedroom and shut the door before company came.)<br>
Now that I'm in school I'm a 2 (one clean towel), oh, who am I kidding, probably a ONE.<br>
I'd really like to be a 6. (MIL could drop by--well, not that I WANT my MIL to drop by, I just want my house that clean.)<br><br>
Anyone interested in creating a FYT type support thread for us 1-3's?

 

[towsonmama]

I would be a 5--everything's clean once a week--but only because I do the bare minumum during the week and my awesome dh takes it to the next level over the weekend.

 

[kwilki8]

Well, I recognized immediately where the poll came from so you could probably figure I'm not at the upper end of the scale <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/innocent.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="shy">. Dh and I tackle the house on Saturday morning, and usually get it at least fairly presentable.<br><br>
Of course, when my mom was here last weekend she asked me when the last time I had polished my kitchen cabinets was . . . um, I'm supposed to polish cabinets?! Forget getting the house clean enough for MIL, it's my mom coming that stresses me out!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[mommaof3boz]

Does scraping food off them with the pampered chef scraper count as polishing? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Duck">:

 

[kijip]

I am the person that said we gave away the dog.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> Actually, that is not true. We never had a dog and would never ever consider getting one because the smell, hair, etc would drive me insane. We just are not pet people.<br><br>
That said, I would like to point out that is possible to just be neat without being pathological. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Duck">: It is not hard work or anything based in a virtue or some such nonsense like some tidy homemakers may claim, it is just who I am, part of my personality since around the time I left for college. I have mellowed out some since having a kid but for me mellowing out meant going from ironing sheets and washing behind the fridge on a very regular basis to just being generally clean and tidy. I don't panic when I see messes, my son finger paints at home and we have a cozy, playful home. I am not a germaphobe. I just don't tend to generate mess at home and unless very ill, I just tend to clean them up without much thought. I married a man who is similarly neat. My kid picked this trait up and loves to put things away, organize things, sort things and is generally very happy to put away his toys. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Duck">: I suppose volunteering that my husband is going to be a pharmacist and that I work in accounting a finance might shed some light- we just like order and meticulous attention to detail. So it is possible to have a very clean home but not banish the kids - heck our living room is a living room slash playroom. The coffee table is a train table and our son's easel and art stuff lives in the corner by the TV.

 

[***Heather***]

I voted "The dishes are clean, but stay out of the upstairs bath" meaning public areas are fairly neat when people stop in, but any room I can close a door on are lower priority.

 

[Mama Dragon]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">The minister's wife [or MIL] can drop over unexpectedly without panicking you</td>
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<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> that me, just needs some toy clean up!

 

[ASusan]

I could also say, "We gave away the cat." My cat doesn't live with us, because DH is allergic (and doesn't like pets inside the house). Things are SO MUCH cleaner without her.<br><br>
(I miss her terribly, though. She is currently living it up in the country with my parents.)

 

[Momma Aimee]

honestly i cycle -- from the dishes are clean up stay out of the upstairs bath all the way to you can have a lounchon anytime.......<br><br>
I shot for a stedy "no gulit if i read a book one night a week" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
Aimee

 

[The4OfUs]

"At least once a week, everythings spotless--for a day"<br><br>
...because I get fed up and go on a cleaning frenzy...then real life settles in and there's usually a load of dishes rinsed and waiting in the sink (and one clean in the washer), a load of clothes waiting to be washed (and two folded and waiting to be put away), a smattering of toys strewn about the house, and toys in the tub from last night's bath that DH and I just shower around. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
Soooo, I could have it "MIL ready" in a relatively short amount of time, but day to day it's kind of sloppy - we're sloppy; not dirty, but sloppy.

 

[velochic]

I'm a neat freak. I don't even know what I am on the poll. My kitchen is a wreck every morning after breakfast and lunches are made and packed, but it's back to **** and span in 15 minutes. Everything has a place, but occasionally it sits on the stairs waiting for several hours to go up to the its place on the bookshelf. Sometimes a basket of clothes sits, waiting to be put away, overnight in the living room.<br><br>
I guess there must be some insider info here that I'm not getting. So, for me, I guess it depends on exactly when someone shows up that I will be either mortified (right after breakfast) or fine with it (the rest of the day). Dh says I stress too much about the house being clean, but then again, he wants things spotless, too.<br><br>
ETA: I also usually have a couple of piles of "papers" and mail that are laying in the kitchen. If I know someone is coming, these get hidden. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br><br>
Also... having my bed made every day is very important to me. Once I get that far, the rest fall into place. I guess making my bed is like the flylady's "clean sink" (my sink is clean, too, though. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1">)

 

[Blucactus]

My lack of guilt regarding reading has nothing to do with my housekeeping level. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment">

 

[marybethorama]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Blucactus</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7969953"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My lack of guilt regarding reading has nothing to do with my housekeeping level. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"></div>
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Mine neither <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
I read no matter what.<br><br>
I said "dishes are clean but stay out of the upstairs bath"<br><br>
I've been working on my housekeeping and the house is cleaner than it's been in a long time but it has a way to go before it's spotless. I've decluttered a lot but there are still some areas that are out of control.

 

[StrawberryFields]

I am a 6--borderline 7. The only reason I didn't vote 7 is because even if Jesus himself came over and scrubbed my bathroom floor, I'd STILL feel a little panicked if an unexpected guest showed up!

 

[~Megan~]

Other, rooms are clean but they take turns! So right now dd's room and our rooms look good but the living room and kitchen need a big clean up. The bathrooms and office are ok but not perfect.

 

[UUMom]

We have multiple house animals (cats, dogs, rabbit) but I am not worried about people dropping in visiting. One reason our house isn't a museum is because people seem to enjoy visiting/bugging us. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"> If people left me alone, it would be much cleaner!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[rainyday]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>velochic</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7969798"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I'm a neat freak. I don't even know what I am on the poll. My kitchen is a wreck every morning after breakfast and lunches are made and packed, but it's back to **** and span in 15 minutes. Everything has a place, but occasionally it sits on the stairs waiting for several hours to go up to the its place on the bookshelf. Sometimes a basket of clothes sits, waiting to be put away, overnight in the living room.<br><br>
I guess there must be some insider info here that I'm not getting. So, for me, I guess it depends on exactly when someone shows up that I will be either mortified (right after breakfast) or fine with it (the rest of the day). Dh says I stress too much about the house being clean, but then again, he wants things spotless, too.<br><br>
ETA: I also usually have a couple of piles of "papers" and mail that are laying in the kitchen. If I know someone is coming, these get hidden. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br><br>
Also... having my bed made every day is very important to me. Once I get that far, the rest fall into place. I guess making my bed is like the flylady's "clean sink" (my sink is clean, too, though. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1">)</div>
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</tr></table></div>
Velochic, this is me too. My pile of papers is the incoming mail if I'm saving something for DH to see. Otherwise, I put that away too because I hate, hate, hate having stuff on the counters.

 

[wannalilcountry]

I clean everything once a day, and straighten up a wee little before I go to bed, Saturdays I take off...