Other people's houses are TERRIBLE
Does anyone else experience this?:
When it comes to visiting friends, family, or newly met acquaintances, the vast majority of other people's houses seem to be dirtier, less hygienic, and more disgusting than my own family's home.
I don't mean any specific rooms or areas, but the other house is overall far messier compared to my own house.
My mother is extremely hard-working to take care of our home and make it as clean and pristine as possible, and it usually is, but even my own bedroom, which is very messy and quite disgusting as I'll admit, I'm not the best at taking care of my own room, still feels a million times cleaner than any room at another house I go to.
There is only about 3 different houses owned by relatives that I consider equal to my own home.
Also, another problem is, everything taste's different at another person's house. Everything naturally tastes worse, even foods I actually like to eat.
It's strange and makes no sense - the same foods that taste perfectly fine at my own house taste bad at other people's houses.
Milk is still milk, yet it's a world of difference if it comes out of someone else's fridge.
My little brother, who also has Asperger's, completely agrees with all of this, and also mentioned when he's at other people's houses and the residents are asked to clean-up, they only 'make it worse' or 'make no difference' - I also find this to be true, and I didn't even mention it to him.
He is a very fussy-eater even when at our own house, so for this very reason can almost never eat at other people's houses as everything tastes terrible to him, even foods he traditionally likes.
Truth is, I'm the same, but am more likely to suck it up and try and force feed myself, or just survive on cereal, liquid breakfast/cereal in a bottle drinks or fast food.
Even our N.T. sister agrees with all of this.
I'd like to think it's just our perception, but it's not - the other places actually are dirtier.
My best friend's house, the pantry had rat droppings and dead insects all in it, dead cocroaches inside the mini-freezer on top of the fridge, etc. while this kind of stuff wouldn't happen in my own house.
Anyway, am I alone and crazy here, or does anyone else experience this?
I get this too. The more I visit a place, though, the less of an issue it is.
I think it's probably something to do with not being used to an environment. My house is a complete mess (family of 6 in a small terraced house, what do you expect?), but other places somehow seem messier, even when they aren't.
I think you notice these things more in unfamiliar environments too because at home you're used to say that one patch of mould that you can't get rid of in the specific bedroom, or the small bit of white paint where someone began painting a room and decided actually they preferred it in the old colour, or that bit of exposed piping by one wall where plumbing has been done and nobody's had the patience to cover it up (etc). Yet you see these things in a strangers house and think "how can anyone live with that there? Why can't they just clean it up?"
Plus every place has its own unfamiliar smells, different areas have different-tasting tap water, and smell has an effect on the taste of a food, too. So everything is different.
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"I get this too. The more I visit a place, though, the less of an issue it is.
"I think it's probably something to do with not being used to an environment. My house is a complete mess (family of 6 in a small terraced house, what do you expect?), but other places somehow seem messier, even when they aren't."
Family of 6, three bedroom. Not messy.
"I think you notice these things more in unfamiliar environments too because at home you're used to say that one patch of mould that you can't get rid of in the specific bedroom, or the small bit of white paint where someone began painting a room and decided actually they preferred it in the old colour, or that bit of exposed piping by one wall where plumbing has been done and nobody's had the patience to cover it up (etc). Yet you see these things in a strangers house and think "how can anyone live with that there? Why can't they just clean it up?"
Not always. Like i said there's three other places I consider clean - grandmother's house (was dirty, much better in recent years) and my two aunt's houses.
First time visting my aunt's house, I was amazed at how clean, spotless and well-maintained it was. She is a very hardworking woman and extremely hygienic and healthy, I have observed, at least compared to rest of my family (family is unhealthy, unhygienic and generally messy).
My other aunt constantly moved houses in the same city, living in at least 4 or 5 different places - all very pleasing and clean on first-time visits.
She is known to have OCD-like tendencies and my dad thinks she might be aspie as well.
Meanwhile, most other family homes:
Rubbish all over the floor (not like that here, we use BINS), broken beer bottles outside on the cement and pavement (not here!), dusty tables (again, not here), etc.
I swear one family house seemed to have actually had dry sh*t on the bathtub and I nearly vomitted every time I was in there.
Did I mention I'm a black/Indigenous Australian? lol? It's the stereotypical 'ghetto home with big 5-15 kid black family and alcoholic parent's thing going on most of the time.
"Plus every place has its own unfamiliar smells, different areas have different-tasting tap water, and smell has an effect on the taste of a food, too. So everything is different."
Yeah, all environmental influences have an effect.
I do remember the last place I visited, I brought my own cereal, own spoon, own bowl, only thing that was 'their's' was the milk - it actually didn't taste bad, but fairly good - but not as good as it would if it were at my place.
I'm not really fussy when it comes to other people's houses.
As long as the dishes are done, and garbage is taken out, and it's not that dusty, I don't care.
As far as food: it can take getting used to--but if I don't like the food, I'd suck it up, then get something after I visit.
OliveOilMom
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Ive got a pretty high level of housekeeping here at home but I've been to some houses that were just OCD spotless perfect don't touch and some that were like hoarders. I'm visiting, I don't care. I'm there to see a friend not the house. If it bothers me I'll say this is a pig stye. Let me help you pick this room up the we will chill. If I know them well enough to visit i know them well enough to do that.
It only bothers me if I'm in a really messy place and for some reason have to stay over and don't want to. Or if it ever, ever smells at all like cat pee. Cat pee is a deal breaker.
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OliveOilMom
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than some White-Glove type with a spotless house, and you have to walk on eggshells with that person.
It's really bad when people have to put plastic on furniture!
I want a plastic cover for my pink silk couch in the living room. We sit in the den so its more of a formal room. I have three huge shedding dogs so I keep a sheet on all the furniture. The couches and chairs all have one and I change them weekly. It's the dogs that would be the problem, and they won't stay down and even if they did hair gets everywhere even in chairs they can't fit in.
Nobody will let me have the clear plastic cover. I think they are worried it will lead to flocked velvet wallpaper, more gold leaf and a rain lamp. It might.
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Growing up, peoples houses were always cleaner, now as an adult I notice how dirtier other peoples homes are including my in laws. Without my inlaws their house would be even more disgusting because my sister in law doesn't like to clean and won't do it and because of my mother in law being sick lately, their house has been very messy and dirty. Even the children don't clean or the father in law.
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Yeah, things definitely seem to taste worse or at least different in someone else's house.
My house is quite a mess, but it's our mess. I know why everything is there and I know where everything is. There is little new novel information to take in and process because it rarely changes. In another person's house though everything is new and novel and any mess seems more disordered because you don't know it as well. That's my take on it anyway.
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RetroGamer87
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Yeah I've noticed that. I get grossed out when I see a messy bogans house but then I rebuke myself when I remember that my house is just as messy. For some reason other people's messes seem worse but I don't notice my own mess until someone points it out to me. Just like with BO.
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Not me. I mean, I do have one friend with a really messy house but she openly admits to not having time (single mum, nursing student, mother to sn child). She's relaxed with her decision to prioritise other things other cleanliness.
In any case, my house is usually messy. My wife works full time and has to help me with stuff. We like having a clean house but my executive function difficulties mean that I'm terrible at it.
My grandparents keep their house clean and I like that, but my MIL is extremely house proud (to a pathological degree) and if anything it makes me uncomfortable. She's the sort of person who will have your glass from you before you're done and hawk eyes for the slightest crumb you might drop. They hoover multiple times a day. It's impressive really - considering that my 5yo nephew lives there. 0.o
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No, the people I know seem to be quite clean really. Inside a bit of cluster. I hate it when I go into a house and there is no sign of a life being lived there, like it's a page ripped out of a catalog and everything is matchy matchy. Matching flower print on curtains, wallpapers and cushions freaks me out. It shows a horrid lack of imagination.
Wait, wait... Now I think of it I do have some family members with messy untidy houses. They do tend to be the more outdoorsy active people though who just use their house to sleep in. They aren't home body's at all.
The one thing I noticed about other people's food is that they tend to overcook veg to the point of sogginess. I hate that. I like a little crispness left.
mr_bigmouth_502
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In an odd sort of way, I actually kinda like going to other people's houses. Usually they're clean, they have food around, they have faster/better internet connections than I do, they have TV, and I spend so much time in my own home that I just flat out get sick of being here. Of course, the one thing I DON'T like about being at other people's houses is the lack of privacy and just having to deal with other people.
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