Clutter makes me crazy - so I tend to over clean before any guest. My DH doesn't care about cleaning up especially for his parents.

I just don't want to be embarrassed.

My mom comes over several times a week, I do no cleaning for her. My inlaws come over a few times a month. If we are having a meal, I do a good amount of straightening up, clearing clutter and wiping down the bathroom. If they are just dropping by to see my DD, I don't do much.

Regular clean, but my in-laws are only 20 minutes away and we see them all of the time.

My ILs aren't visiting on a whim - so, when they visit by planned plane trip, our house is clean.

We aren't trying quite as hard with my parents who do visit much more frequently. We usually clean, but we don't feel guilty if it isn't spotless.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean after my MIL leaves. She is an absolute slob and very dirty. My house looks like things exploded by the time she leaves. FWIW, my house is always clean (you can eat off my floors), things are always picked up and put away, bathrooms are cleaned daily. I do a DEEP clean after MIL leaves. If I do it before it's a completely wasted effort as she destroys things everywhere.

This is harsh but basically true for me too. My MIL is a terrible housekeeper and her home is really not clean. Our home on a bad day is cleaner than hers every time I've visited. So I might tidy a bit and make sure the public bathroom is clean but that's it. I definitely clean after they leave because they are really untidy and don't seem to notice the mess they make.

14:51 here. Yes, it was harsh. You would feel the same way if when your MIL left you were cleaning pumpkin pie filling off the INSIDE of your upper cabinets (that was splattered up there in the prep process). I also have to clean poop from the toilet seat as she leaves a piece or to for the next person to sit on (yes, this is true--and gross). Not saying she isn't nice. She is just sloppy and dirty.

Anonymous wrote:I clean after my MIL leaves. She is an absolute slob and very dirty. My house looks like things exploded by the time she leaves. FWIW, my house is always clean (you can eat off my floors), things are always picked up and put away, bathrooms are cleaned daily. I do a DEEP clean after MIL leaves. If I do it before it's a completely wasted effort as she destroys things everywhere.

This is harsh but basically true for me too. My MIL is a terrible housekeeper and her home is really not clean. Our home on a bad day is cleaner than hers every time I've visited. So I might tidy a bit and make sure the public bathroom is clean but that's it. I definitely clean after they leave because they are really untidy and don't seem to notice the mess they make.

No special cleaning for MIL. She isn't the kind to notice or to judge about that sort of stuff. She's a great woman and I've come to appreciate her even more after reading DCUM horror stories. She does like red wine so I make sure we have some on hand for her when she's over.

Our house is always clean, just usually has toys out when the kids are awake. I wouldn't do any special cleaning for the ILs.

wow. a lot of people with really clean homes. our house is pretty neat, not spotless or anything. I always get the cleaner before she comes, or any company companies, except my own parents who don't really mind how the house is, as long as they get to see us.

I have the cleaning lady come the day before guests arrive. But they regularly come twice a week, so our house is never particularly messy. The only room that gets messy is the playroom, but DH and I can clean that up in five minutes.

I clean after my MIL leaves. She is an absolute slob and very dirty. My house looks like things exploded by the time she leaves. FWIW, my house is always clean (you can eat off my floors), things are always picked up and put away, bathrooms are cleaned daily. I do a DEEP clean after MIL leaves. If I do it before it's a completely wasted effort as she destroys things everywhere.

Decent, but not spotless by any stretch. Our second child is six months old. Our ILs are decent people who don't seem to mind and are willing to help in various ways. We very much appreciate it.

For me, it's showcase-ready, because if it's not, MIL will try to "help," and also will make comments about, "I don't know how you working mothers manage to keep up." (Subtext: that I'm not keeping up.) I'm really not interested in hearing "How lucky *I* was to stay at home with my children.) So it is spotless, and I bake and cook, etc.

My house is always very clean, but it's showcase ready when I have company and that includes when the inlaws visit.

Would your house be showroom clean for in-laws or as it is on a typical day? Or somewhere in between?