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Could your house pass a surprise inspection?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
August 16, 2007 12:21pm CST
Years ago we lived in a small apartment and our landlord would drop by about once a month for a surprise inspection. And, if she didn't like what she saw she'd start yelling and demand that you leave. Our landlord was a fanatic! She did not want her property looking messy. I was always afraid she would kick us out if I didn't keep things super clean. And, I know she would have. So, I spent hours everyday cleaning and reorganizing things, I was constantly having to throw excess stuff out or put it in storage, just to keep things looking neat.
That was years ago now. It would be so tough to hold that standard now with our little kid. It was easier to keep things clean and put up when she wasn't walking and pulling everything out onto the floor, but not anymore! Now, she's into everything. So, less than five minutes after I've finished cleaning, things look a mess! Thank the toddler!
So, now I guess the truth is that my house would not stand up to surprise inspection. If someone called ahead of time and wanted to drop by I could whip the house into shape in less than twenty minutes. But, my advice would be not to come knocking on my door unexpectedly. Otherwise you're likely to see a pile of papers on the couch or toys thrown around, courtesy of the walking tornado. Not my fault, I claim innocence on this one! I do my part. Now she just needs to get old enough to do her part to help out cleaning!
So, would your house stand up to surprise inspection by your landlord or surprise guests? Does your house look clean all day and all night? Do your kids make it almost impossible to keep things looking clean? And, if your little kids aren't really walking yet, do you think you'll have trouble maintaining a clean and orderly looking home once they do start walking?
3 people like this
10 responses
@mmiller26 (1930)
• Canada
16 Aug 07
Where I live, landlords must provide 24 hours notice before showing up at your home, and they are not allowed inside without permission. How I keep my home is my business, and frankly, from time to time it gets a little messy. It's not unhygienic but it's not neat either. As long as I'm not destroying the property, what I do here is none of my landlord's business.
My house could be quickly cleaned in about half an hour. My family and friends are courteous enough to call ahead to see if I'm busy or if I'm going to be home, so they don't show up unannounced. I consider my home to be MY private space, and I don't like people showing up out of the blue and expecting me to entertain them.
My little one is 5 and he does help quite a bit. He cleans his room when asked, and puts his laundry in his laundry hamper. He helps dad outside with little things here and there. After he goes to bed at night, I clean the kitchen and do a little straightening up. It keeps it manageable.
2 people like this
@DanaMark (807)
• United States
19 Aug 07
Our house would always be ready for an inspection. My wife does a great job of keeping the house clean and in order. She has a place for everything. She has a habit of moving things just a half inch because I didn't put them in quite the right place. That can get a little annoying some times, but I sure appreciate how our house always looks. So I just smile when she does that.
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
20 Aug 07
That is phenomenal! Actually, that's what I said outloud to myself as I was reading your description of your wife's organizational/cleaning talents. Certainly I could aspire to her level! Maybe I need more containers for all the little things that make my house look messy. I am constantly cleaning, but still it looks as if I haven't done anything. Definitely an organizational issue! And, then there's my mini-tornado. She stirs up dust and papers as she races through the house.
@prehistoricyall (112)
• United States
16 Aug 07
I'm sure there would of been a way to fight that if she did kick you out since she doesn't seem reasonable. As for the inspection, hell no. We moved about a month ago and still haven't unpacked. We may also have more pets than we said we did. We have a clean record though and not the type to destroy the place. We actually plan on improving the house a lot in our time here.
1 person likes this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
17 Aug 07
god no! I work 2 jobs and have 2 teenagers so my place allwys is a big mes. the bedrooms usually look like a clothing factory exploded and the kitchen is just never done!!! LOL
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Sorry, I had to giggle! Finally, someone in a situation worse than mine! And, I complain about my little un-cleaning tornado. Yes, she makes a real mess like yours I am sure.
@Sharon38 (1912)
• Jamaica
16 Aug 07
Well my house would pass that inspection. I have a child of 9 and sometimes she is the nastiest and most untify being you have ever met. She gets me so mad at times that my friend would say to me to be careful that I pop a blood vessel. I ahte any form of untidiness in my house.
Where I work most of the times my desk is quite untidy due to papers and files. I do try to keep it neat but I am not always successful so I would have a desk drawer for things to be done and store them there and take time to complete unfinished tasks.
Home is a different story. I love to lie on my couch and watch tv or just listen to my music or read and if i see one piece of paper, shoes or book, een plant leaf out of place my daughter runs for cover or quickle clean saying "yes mummy I know the drill". My house is norally tidy. Any one can drop in at any time.
A gentleman came to visit me and I saw him jsut looking and i could almost read his mind - neat freak! But I am not. I tell my daughter that there will be days when I am not in the mood to do entensive cleaning or cant do it because of illness so the best thing to do is to always keep it clean so that if anything happens she can manage. When others are still working I am resting!
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
17 Aug 07
You must be very well organized! I've definitely got to get those little organizers for all my closets and desk. That way I will have a place to put things that are always getting dragged out onto the floor. I just don't have enough of those. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Perhaps that will not help at all.
@lina_inverse (21)
• Philippines
16 Aug 07
I have a 1 year old baby and I don't think it is possible to keep things clean in our house since he started walking. And yes, its true, thanks to the walking tornado it is very impossible to keep everything clean as it is. I don't think my house could stand up to as surprise inspection. My in-laws visited us last week, on that day everything is smooth and clean about after an hour everything is a mess again. But everybody started to understand when my son started to smile after he pulls stuff on the table.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Witnesses! See, that's what you need. When you tell everyone that it is the baby pulling things off of tables, they don't believe. But, when they see it with their own eyes, then they believe! My spouse felt the same way and thought I wasn't cleaning, until he started spending more time at home and then he could see how the mess was made for himself. Unfortunately, now he also makes a nice mess of his own.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
16 Aug 07
I don't have kids, so I have no excuse, but my place would not stand up to a surprise inspection. It's a mess. I really need to declutter.
@sweetaspie52 (2359)
• United States
17 Aug 07
I am not a perfect house keeper but if it was to be a surprize inspection I would say yes I try to keep things picked up just to make it look less messy when I have company over
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
16 Aug 07
There is no way that my house could pass a surprise inspection. I don't have kids unless you count the cats. But between the cat hair, and the pile of dirty dishes (I run a load of dishes everyday), and the piles of printouts and books (both me and the wife are going to college), there is no way that I could clean it up in a hour so that it looks like I am not a sloppy writer (freelance writer by profession I am). Fortunately, my friends know that I just stuck books and research, along with rough drafts, up on every flat surface. The only room I try to keep clean and uncluttered is the ritual and meeting room in the basement--so far I am doing a good job keeping that room up to par.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
16 Aug 07
Hi beautyqueen26! Gosh your landlord is a toughie. Don't worry time passes by so quickly that you'll just wake up one day, your baby is now a little lady helping you out in everything. As for my house passing a surprise inspection for cleanliness, to my standards it will pass.LOL! but that is just my own standards okay? Haha...And if I have kids that age, it would be somehow difficult for me also to always maintain things in order. Have a nice day and take care.
