h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Today has been dull. Because of yesterday's bug I've kept away from my mum and also from my niece & nephews - if I pass anything on to them they have to keep away from mum too, and they really are her sun, moon & stars.

So I've spent the day fairly productively by erasing all traces of the dust and doghairs which have built up over the last week. How do some people find time to do these things several times a week? And never mind the time, what about the inclination? Housework always seems to me to be a bit of an effort in futility. No matter how hard you toil, you still have to do it all again soon. I have a dog and he likes to shred toys and roll on the floor - my sitting room carpet is wrecked five minutes after the hoover cord is retracted.

I've heard that men and women see household cleanliness differently, in that a man* just won't see the dust until it reaches a certain level. Well, I think this is an area where I'm well and truly in touch with my masculine side! As long as the kitchen and bathroom are clean, I really don't mind that much. I can look at the carpets on a Saturday and think "They're not that bad, they can wait a week", and then I think "god, what if someone comes" so I hoover and I dust, and no-one comes and really it wouldn't have hurt to leave it a week. I'm a secret slut!

Now I just need to summon up the energy to clean the car.

Deb

* obviously sweeping generalisations are in play here

Housework is the thing you only do when you're trying to avoid doing something even more boring, like completing course assignments or sorting out financial stuff.

MC

I don't mend doing general sort of housework. My problem on the domestic front is I hate cooking and only do so out of necessity rather than because I enjoy it. I certainly don't experiment with recipes' etc. Its great when I read journals and stuff here and see how folk try out and post recipes.

I like to blitz housework, which means the house is either tidy or really not. There can be something really satisfying about scrubbing the skirting boards but not, I totally agree when you remember you have to do it al again next week.