Is your house company ready ALL the time?

Ha! As if. But, my formal living room is tolerably clean all the time since we only use it for playing the piano and reading/quiet activities. And visiting with guests, of course.

The rest of the house is usually a giant petri dish.

Noooooo ... I'm the world's worst housekeeper ... too lazy   

I clean up when I know people are coming over so it's clean right now because it was dd#2's birthday party on Friday and the grandma's are coming over tonight for dinner ... 

My house is clean enough to keep us healthy but is usually a bit messy because people live here   

I have a million goals and a "company ready" house is not one of them.

I had surprise guests last year during dinner, dh's sisters. The one kinda bitchy one said a few negative comments. I bit my tongue. The place was a disaster. DD was packing to move to university. I had just made dinner and the counters were full of pots and pans. The lawn needed mowing. SIL has so many things wrong in her life but her house is immaculate. We clean. We do mow the lawns It was the worst case scenario when they arrived unannounced.

I'd rather just lead a happy life with my family and friends. A perfectly clean home doesn't work for us.


ETA: my dh stayed at my nice SIL's home out of town a few months ago. He said it was so crazy clean that he felt uncomfortable. He said that there wasn't a drop of water in the sink and every counter top was empty.  Every time someone used the kitchen sink, she'd run over and wipe it down.  He said that the kitchen floor tiles were gleaming but she quickly moped the floor after everyone left the kitchen table- every meal.  They are super nice people but over-the-top clean.

Yes. DH and are both really neat and it's just the two of us. We make the bed every day, don't leave dishes in the sink, etc. After we use something we put it away. We have a cleaning lady who comes once every three weeks to do the heavy cleaning. So if someone is coming over I might double check the bathroom and clean some newspapers off the table, but that's about it. I don't get some of the "I have no desire to live this way" comments! If you have kids I would imagine it's harder, but I love looking around my house and being proud of how it looks. And I also know that if you stay on top of things, it's really not that hard. If that's not your thing, I don't judge you. Some of my favorite people live in homes that are in perpetual mess and chaos and I still love to hang out there!

99% no... it is enough clean not to accept company at any given time.. but yeah there is always a million things to do before I think it is company ready!

Yep. It is always company ready. Not always spotless, or picture-perfect. Sometimes far from it. But, anyone that is going to be my company won't be coming there to see how my house looks. They will be coming to spend time visiting with a friend. It is comfortable, peaceful and incredible.

Honestly? Perfect, showroom, antiseptic, nothing visible and everything put away, as if a magazine could come into shoot a spread is exactly how I feel that the peas have defined how houses should be at all times and anyone who isn't company ready is a lazy ass slob who should never have people over. 

So yes, when this question comes up on the board, that's exactly how I define it because that's how it's been described over the years on this board. "Perfect peas" and all that jazz.. this is just the housekeeping version of that (there are many version of perfect peas). 

For the most part, yes. I wouldn't want any one taking a white glove to the flat surfaces, but you aren't going to walk into a mountain of laundry in the living room or a bunch of dirty dishes in the sink. If I have a little notice before guests I try to wipe down the guest bathroom counter with a Clorox wipe.

Our bedroom is another story most of the time. I usually close the door for company. We don't have kids so it is a lot easier to maintain a relatively clean home. It isn't sanitary or pristine, but there will be a place to sit and chat if you decide to come over.

If I know in advance that people are coming over, I will run the vacuum on the floors and furniture. We have pets. But if someone stops by unexpectedly, the floors and furniture may not be spotless. But our pets live here, our guests don't. Our friends aren't uptight about stuff like that, and neither are we.

But, the rest of the house is - what I think most people are referring to as - company ready. Not because we stress about it or are obsessive perfection freaks, it's just the way WE live. We have a cleaning lady so I never have to think about what the bathrooms look like. There are only three people who live here. None of us is messy. We don't leave things laying around - everything has a spot and things are always put away. Dishes are in the dishwasher, shoes and coats are in the closets, nothing is piled on counters or end tables. I try to imagine what we'd pile places and I can't think of anything! Our office used to be the place where stuff piled up - we each have a desk, our laptops, work/schoolwork in there - but we all got pretty organized in there lately and it looks great. My daughter keeps her bedroom like a magazine - that's just the way she likes it.

Just know that our house is absolutely lived in. We just live in it differently. But if you come over, I wouldn't want you to think we are miserable people striving desperately to keep up an impossible image of neatness and order. We're actually quite laid back. Come on over anytime!

Pretty much yes, we have stuff that shows we live there but it's always clean and tidy. As long as the 'company' don't open the spare bedroom door then all is good. It's like Monicas cupboard in there

Nah, I'm not really offended - maybe "rude" was too strong a word.  I always like your posts, Grinning Cat, and I seriously WOULD love to have a cup of tea with you sometime.

The living room pillows are not perfect and the blanket is on the floor.

Other than that,,I am usually always company ready. I have a thing against messes.

My house is acceptable but rarely company ready. My kitchen may not always be spotless thanks to not enough cupboards and counter space. The animals shed and I may have not swept yet that day. My sewing table is in the living room and is the first thing you see when you step in my house. That is rarely clean as I'm always working on something. I always have a knitting project or two laying around. But you can walk into my house without gagging or stepping on something. The trash is not overflowing. The floors are clean despite some animal hair that haven't gotten swept up that day. Depending on when you come over, the dishes are done or at least stacked up, ready to be washed. The bathroom is wiped down daily. It will always pass an inspection by CPS.

If we're expecting company, the dishes are done, the floor is swept, the couch is vacuumed, and my crafting stuff is put away.