Anonymous wrote:OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!

Ew. No. That's nasty.

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!

Dirty dishes are dirty, not messy.

Anonymous wrote:Clutter vs dirt. Duh.

+1

It has no dirt, but it does have piles of papers, clothes and kids' stuff lying around. That's clean but not messy.

A messy but clean house is just a house w/a lot of clutter, but the floors are clean, the appliances are clean and the toilet/sink/tub are clean too. The trash is taken out regularly and there is no dust film covering all of the furniture and baseboards.

A dirty house is just nasty filthy and dishes are piled high in the sink and it just makes you want to gag.

If you have mildew in the tub/shower and your toilet, sink and bathroom floor aren't sparkling, or there is pet hair on the furniture and in the corners, then your house is dirty.
If you leave a pile of mail on the kitchen counter and have some toys on the floor, your house is messy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!

OK, you've made it clear that you understand perfectly but want to be a jerk about some conflict you are having with a spouse or friend about their level of messy/dirty that does not meet your standards. Thanks for playing.

You don't have to be mean, I read OP as being insecure about her mess after reading how judgmental people are on here. Give her the benefit of the doubt, it's anonymous and costs you nothing!

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!

OK, you've made it clear that you understand perfectly but want to be a jerk about some conflict you are having with a spouse or friend about their level of messy/dirty that does not meet your standards. Thanks for playing.

Anonymous wrote:Dirty is when someone can catch a disease or have an asthma attack from coming into your house.

Maybe it's because we're in the 24-hour pinkeye quarantine window right now, but this made me honestly laugh out loud. (It's been a long week.)

Agree with the PPs. We have a cleaning person who comes every other week and just about everything in our house has a place where it goes. However, about 10 minutes after she leaves there are 1 to 20 things not actually in their places. We put most things away every night, but there are often a pot or two soaking in the sink and some stuff on the dining room table.

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!

To me, those examples depend on specifics. This morning's breakfast dishes still in the sink is messy. Piles of dishes with crusted on food or drink that are left for days at a time is gross or dirty.

Your kid's stinky soccer shoes in the corner of the hallway are messy. Mud tracked all over and I can smell the odor when I walk in the hosue is dirty.

My counters are clean but for the pile of mail and DC's artproject sitting out to dry. I think DS left his towel on the floor after his shower this morning, but there isn't toothpaste crusted in the sink, a buildup of hair in the shower drain, or urine stains on the toilet bowl from bad aim. Messy, not dirty.

ILs and I are not on the same page as this. We picked up after ourselves growing up. My mom was probably OCD. Swept and cleaned the kitchen every night after dinner; vacuumed every single morning before work. My dad was neat, as far as I could tell.

Spending a week with the ILs kills me because of allergies, unfortunately. There seems to be dust, grime, hair and dirt everywhere. Combined with so many people who do not pick up after themselves kind of makes me crazy.

It all depends on how we were raised, I suppose, OP. But yes, I see "dirty" homes (homes with clutter and dirt) differently than I see "clean" (with less clutter and hardly any dirt) homes.

There's a sock on the floor but it's clean.

Also the piles of papers, books, and CDs aren't dirty per se. They might be a bit dusty.

Anonymous wrote:DH hates clutter. Drives him nuts. So he will shove things in drawers and cabinets.

I have a thing about actual cleanliness. Dishes that can't go in the dishwasher need to be washed with "hot has hand can bear" water. Counters need to be sparkling clean. Bathrooms need to be disinfected. Towels washed and dried on hot. DH will wait until the towels start growing things before actually washing them.

He is neat. I am clean. Together, our house is presentable and livable.

This is how DH and I are, except we are flipped: I cannot stand clutter, and DH is more concerned with actual cleanliness. My brain just gets anxious and cannot concentrate when I see clutter, clutter, clutter. I always am putting things away exactly where they go and arranging and rearranging and redoing if I think of a better way to organize. I won't mind so much if I see dust covering the dining room table, though, or the cat hairs on the kitchen floor. I don't know why, it's just the way I am!

So, DH does the CLEANING and I do the organizing. We are a decent team.

OP here.

So just to clarify a pile of dirty dishes or stinky clothes/shoes in a corner does not qualify as dirt?

That makes me feel soooo much better!

Thanks a lot!