Clean or tidy - what are you?

If you had to choose one only, would you choose clean or tidy?

I would choose clean. I can have papers all over the table, but it will be wiped clean of crumbs or whatever. My clothes may be thrown in the cupboard, but the kitchen bench is spotless. My only bugbear with this is the dog hair everywhere making it difficult to keep the floor clean.

I'm prett sure DH would choose tidy even though he'd say both. He can't stand mess or clutter and the papers on the table send him batty. But he's fine leaving crumbs all over the bench and doesn't notice the state of the floor or bathroom or whatever.

I'd like to honestly just say clean, but OCD means it has to be wiped/cleaned perfectly and neat.

I prefer both. But for the past 6 years I have often struggled. Clean is a definite for me. I have hygiene issues so when I see things that have been cleaned lazily it makes me feel sick. It sounds weird but I almost prefer dirty to half cleaned. Because dirty gets cleaned. But half cleaned only ever gets half cleaned. And so is always half dirty. I used to be awesomely psycho. And two weeks ago I was back there. But now I'm working my wwary back slightly. I struggle to clean with clutter. But I hate dirty. So it's a catch 22. I know I'm messed up about housework. Does that help?

Definitely clean! Have been at a few houses lately that are tidy but grimy and dusty and it makes my skin crawl! Clutter happens with three kids but underneath it all it's clean. Nothing better than a quick vacuum to make a house feel fresher.

Clean I need to know that things are hygenic. I wish I could be tidy too but I can't maintain it drives me batty as so many friends have pristine houses and then I go home to mine!

Definitely clean. Clutter can be annoying, but I can not handle the house being 'dirty'.

I'm another clean as well. I sweep multiple times a day and do a big vaccum, as well as mop (spot mop if I don't have time to do a full mop)
I wipe the vanity after using it, and my kitchen is normally clean (even if I chuck the dishes in the sink, or more recently, a DISHWASHER!! :dance: ) and have the bench spray and wiped.

DH is NEITHER.

I think for me it would be tidy. But "tidy" for me is things looking all nice and nothing out of place, so that would include things like wiping down a table so there's nothing on it, but not necessarily cleaning it, ITMS?

I like to have a tidy looking house, and things like mopping, sweeping etc. tend to get pushed down the list with a dog, and a baby who likes to drop food, drink or whatever she has no matter where she is. I gave up constantly cleaning long ago :lol:


Sent from the land of "iSomethings" so forgive me for any spelking misstaks ;)

Prob more tidy. I can ignore crumbs on the ground for a few days but I hate tripping over toys. I also have cleaning sprees though and will clean tile grout, all windows, skirting boards etc. I just can't do that each week, so I let it slide and stick to tidy. I have to have a clean kitchen though!!!

Yeah I'd have to say tidy. Can't tolerate piles of stuff or things not in their right home.

Tidy. I like things in their place, but probably wouldn't get round to mopping the floor unless it was obvious it was dirty. But having things everywhere drives me crazy.

In general tidy as mess freaks me out! BUT I have to have bathroom/toilets clean. I give them a once over every morning and full clean once a week.

Tidy which is why I hate my tiny house it always looks messy.

Clean but my kitchen must be both.

I'd love to say both, but for me right now it has to be clean. I make sure the kitchen is clean every night before bed, I don't mind dishes in the dish rack (after being washed).

I try to tidy every couple of days, usually when I clean, but sometimes it is once a week for a tidy, still cleaning every couple of days. I vac the floors 3 or 4 times a week, especially the loungeroom as leaves etc get traipsed in from outdoors.

I can't stand walking into places where i can feel crumbs etc under my feet, it makes my flesh crawl.

Tidy - with an active one year old I only have enough time to go around picking everything up and do a quick wipe of the benches on a daily basis.
Proper cleaning (mopping, scrubbing toilets etc) only gets done on Sundays now - which is hard as I used to be the type of person who would clean the skirting boards and doors etc every week.

Definitely clean! I can't stand crumbs on the floor or a sticky floor. Kitchen has to be both, I'm forever telling DH not to dump paperwork/keys/wallet etc on the kitchen bench, drives me batty!

House definitely gets untidy with toys spread everywhere but at least I know it's clean underneath lol!

Clean, but some areas can't be clean unless they are tidy as well.

Tidy if I had to pick one. I can't handle clutter, it's really bad for my mental health, and I can't clean properly unless the room is tidy. I can handle dust building up in the lounge and bedrooms but can't stand clothes all over the floor and I vacuum every 2-3 days. The kitchen has to be clean though so dishes get done and bench tops and sink are wiped daily. But I don't mind washed dishes sitting in the drainer. Floors get swept every 2-3 days but dining room gets done daily with spot cleaning after every meal now that we're doing BLW with DD2. Bathroom/toilet get cleaned once a week.

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I can't stand walking into places where i can feel crumbs etc under my feet, it makes my flesh crawl.

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I can't stand it either. MIL's place is neither tidy nor all that clean. I don't know how DH can stand to walk around without shoes :shudder:

Clean definitely! I will be happy with clean floors, surfaces dusted, and kitchen tidy, but might still have a "Working pile" as I call it on the bench - DH cant' stand it - he will come in the door and overlook the very clean but slightly messy house and go why haven't you "worked" on your "working pile" :rofl:

Depends on my day. I prefer clean, but with 4 kids constantly spilling drinks & dropping crumbs, sometimes its not that easy :lol: Easy enough to vacuum & sweep every day, but mopping is a PITA & I try to only do it once a week. I usually spray & wipe between unless I really have to mop.

I hate my bench being a mess, but a clean bench doesn't always mean my washing up is done. Though I know so many people who'll rinse & stack their dishes neatly to wash later... I don't get the point? If I'm running the water I may as well wash up :)

This is really hard as I would say I could be either, depending on the day, but if I had to choose one I'd say clean. I realised this recently when I went to visit my Mum and although the house was tidy, I could see multiple cobwebs (even behind the kettle and in some shoes near the door!) and heaps of crumb and stuff under the couch (no, I wasn't inspecting the place, but I was down there with DD). It made me feel like I was sitting in grub.

Tidy for me. DH does clean :lol: So I do the little piles of clutter as it drives me bonkers. He vacuums and mops the floor as it drives him bonkers. We're a good team ;)

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Tidy for me. DH does clean :lol: So I do the little piles of clutter as it drives me bonkers. He vacuums and mops the floor as it drives him bonkers. We're a good team ;)

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My life would be easier if DH and I were a team like that. I need both and he needs neither. He is getting better at tidying though and at least he doesn't come home from work and complain about the mess.