I never really thought whether my cutlery or crockery was smelly before. A couple of days ago a well meaning someone, who came to my house, commented that I should use the new fairy tablets in the dishwasher because 'my plates were smelly.'
Okay, ummm - should I have noticed? I use Waitrose own tablets, and I don't smell anything. I have now been walking around the kitchen for the last day or so sniffing my kitchen utensils, the cupboard, the plates, my wine glasses... A neighbour saw me sniffing a knife, (he is nosey and peers through our kitchen blinds whenever he walks past the window.) I still can't smell anything! I suppose its like when you go to someones house and they have a cat, and you can smell the cat really strongly to the point of vomiting and the house owners can't smell a thing. Perhaps that's why I can't smell anything? I'm going to ask my brutally honest sister when she comes down.
Now I know my house is not your typical domestic haven, it can occasionally be a little dirty. But hey I am not bothered - 'innit'. Others seem to be bothered by my nonchalant attitude a lot more. Clean houses - boring people. I think someone else said something similar but I can't recall exactly what the quote was, or who said it.
In February - I came back from India and commented to a relative, that the hotel room we were going to stay in was 'dirty'.
She said word for word: 'You can't talk...look at this place.' At this point she waved her arms wildly about in the air. Another well meaning relative piped up for good measure: 'Yeah I mean look at the dust on the TV.'
A couple of years ago I would have found these comments insulting. Now I find them funny. Don't ask me why. I personally say each to their own - I don't have to live in others houses- and if the house I am visiting needs a seeing to by Kim and Aggie (from the series How Clean Is Your House?) I'll never go back there again, but there is no need to be nasty!
At least I don't have mice sharing my bed or ants living in the kitchen with me. What's a bit of dust eh? Why is it that Indian mums are super duper clean? My wonderful mother is a true domestic goddess. And whenever she has the misfortune to visit her eldest daughter (me) she rolls up her sleeves and starts cleaning my house. She can't sit still. I love it when she has been, despite the lectures and head shaking, she leaves my house looking like it's had an incredible make - over.
She throws away the rotting fruit. Sorts out my draws. (No-one else can find anything because of the way I have organised the draws, but me and my husband are fairly adept at 'knowing instinctively what is in each draw and what should go where!' We are soul plates after all!)
I know it sounds like I am filthy, but in all honesty I'm just a bit messy. The bathrooms and the kitchen are hygienic and apart from that it's just clutter - lots of toys, books, newspapers, magazines, bills and empty CD covers.
Any way I must get back to checking my kitchen utensils and plates; hopefully my nasal pathways are clearer. I think I will get those fairy tablets now, to try to appease the nostril passages of those that visit and eat from my plates!
