Ever Done a Show in a Dirty House?

[julesh]

That's a TERRIBLE question to ask, I know! And probably what makes me ask is that my dh is a satellite tech, and sees people's homes everyday. The stories he tells, still amaze me. Ever seen "How Clean is Your House?" He deals with that and worse, almost daily.
Soooo, are the houses you go into clean for the most part? Got any funny stories?

Jules

 

[amy07]

so far I've been lucky, although I do have some potential hosts that I've been to their houses for other parties and I've been in a hurry to get home and shower and do laundry just from the smell.......animals, smoke, etc

 

[raebates]

Ummm, most of my hosts have very clean homes. I had a cat-filled, litter-box-odored, smoker's house for a show twice (same host--I obviously learn slowly ). I washed everything very well as soon as I got home. I lost a bit of sleep, but I slept much better knowing that my stuff was clean. Ick! http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/sick0025.gif

 

[speedychef]

I've been to a few cluttered ones, but nothing really filthy. One of my recurring hosts is a smoker and that's not too fun, but otherwise, I think I've been pretty lucky!

 

[ltkacz]

Yes Yes YesI'm definately not Martha Stewart, and you could probably find some kid toys and dust laying around my house. However, I did a show for this woman about a year ago. Stay at home wife - no kids. You couldn't even find the counter to her kitchen. When I did - it was caked with jelly and items I could only imagine. She had dirty dishes pilled up in the sink and on the stove, from gosh knows when. The floor looked like she hadn't vacumed it in a year! The kitchen table was mounded with items. I was afraid to put my crate on the floor for fear that there would be bugs in it. It was aweful. When her aunts finally arrive they ragged on her for being such a terrible cleaner and they must have apologized for the mess 100 times during the night.

 

[chefann]

Generally, most of my hosts' homes are clean. Some are a little cluttered, but that's different from dirty.

BUT-- I did have a show (with someone who was a coworker at the time) that was in a filthy house! We planned to have it in the garage, but a cold snap started and she moved it into the house. She had 5 cats, and I'm allergic. Because I expected to be outside, I hadn't taken any allergy medicine, so I was sniffing the whole time. Which wasn't good because I think the 5 cats shared 1 litter box, so the house was pretty stinky.

We made some raspberry lemonade in the QSP before the show (she had some concentrate from Schwann's or someplace). When I opened the fridge to put in in to chill, there was mold growing on the inside of the fridge! Eeeuuuwww! There was cat hair everywhere. I was very careful to put everything down on my tablecloth, and not use anything that had touched her bare counters.

We ended up having half of the lemonade leftover, and she wanted to just bring the pitcher to me at work on Monday (it was a Saturday show). I lied and told her I had a family function the next day for which I needed the pitcher, so she'd have to find something for me to pour the leftovers into. There was no way I was leaving my products in her moldy fridge!

 

[susan g]

I have one recurring host with a house that smells funny (can't ID what it is) but my worst "dirty house" is the director who my cluster meets with-my director and this person share the meeting. The first 2 times I went I saw a roach in the kitchen There is always a food demo at our meetings and I'm sure everyone wonders why I always eat before the meeting but I'm to embarassed (for her) to say anything!

 

[amy07]

We made some raspberry lemonade in the QSP before the show (she had some concentrate from Schwann's or someplace). When I opened the fridge to put in in to chill, there was mold growing on the inside of the fridge! Eeeuuuwww! There was cat hair everywhere. I was very careful to put everything down on my tablecloth, and not use anything that had touched her bare counters.

EEEEWWWWWW!!

 

[chefann]

EEEEWWWWWW!!

Yeah. I put food in the fridge to help keep it from getting moldy. What does that mean that her fridge itself was moldy? The plastic surface wouldn't support mold growth on its own, whch means that there had been food spilled/splashed onto the surface that had been there so long it became a science experiment. Yuk!

Everything went from my crate right into the sink when I got home from that one. And then I disinfected the crate.

 

[amy07]

Yeah. I put food in the fridge to help keep it from getting moldy. What does that mean that her fridge itself was moldy? The plastic surface wouldn't support mold growth on its own, whch means that there had been food spilled/splashed onto the surface that had been there so long it became a science experiment. Yuk!

Everything went from my crate right into the sink when I got home from that one. And then I disinfected the crate.

don't invite her to a potluck

 

[chefann]

Oh, He** NO!

I don't work with her any more, and I just let her name be "lost" from my contact list...

 

[gilliandanielle]

I had my worst nasty show in October. The host hadn't even started picking up before I got there. There was no counterspace for me to put my crate down, and barely room on the floor for it. She was unloading her dishwasher to get the dishes in the sink out of the way, then started rearranging her living room furniture and vacuuming underneath (exposing dirty sock, toys, old food, etc.) and this is at 6:45 for a 7pm show!! I did my demo and put the recipe in the oven. Not 5 mins later the oven is smoking because there is so much burnt on food and crap in the oven that it constantly burns off-

PLEASE, PLEASE pray for me because she re-booked for next week! She didn't even hand out her invites last time and ended up with less than $200 in sales. She always wants Thursdays, so I am going to miss Grey's to hang out with her and the 3 people that she does invite in her nasty house for $50! YUCK!!

 

[julesh]

don't invite her to a potluck

That's exactly why I don't eat things at a potluck if I don't know who made it!

Jules

 

[speedychef]

WOW Yuck! My friend did a show where there were FLEAS! She did a really funny impression of the fleas jumping around, too!

You know what I wonder? (well, according to Bryan, what don't I wonder, but that's besides the point) Do these people not KNOW that their house is nasty? HOW can you invite people over?! I agree that clutter and filth are different, but there are a few people I know who take clutter to the extreme. They don't ever invite people over, though...

 

[amy07]

I had my worst nasty show in October. The host hadn't even started picking up before I got there. There was no counterspace for me to put my crate down, and barely room on the floor for it. She was unloading her dishwasher to get the dishes in the sink out of the way, then started rearranging her living room furniture and vacuuming underneath (exposing dirty sock, toys, old food, etc.) and this is at 6:45 for a 7pm show!! I did my demo and put the recipe in the oven. Not 5 mins later the oven is smoking because there is so much burnt on food and crap in the oven that it constantly burns off-

PLEASE, PLEASE pray for me because she re-booked for next week! She didn't even hand out her invites last time and ended up with less than $200 in sales. She always wants Thursdays, so I am going to miss Grey's to hang out with her and the 3 people that she does invite in her nasty house for $50! YUCK!!

where do these people come from?!?! do they have NO shame?

 

[julesh]

Do these people not KNOW that their house is nasty? HOW can you invite people over?!

Well, we both must be wonderers! 'Cause I was thinking the same thing. Do they just not see the filth? And, yes, filth and clutter are different; but I even pick up the clutter when company's coming!

Jules

 

[gilliandanielle]

I refuse to turn down a booking, but when she told me she wanted to get the mandoline by hosting I wanted to offer it to her free to lose my number!!

 

[chefann]

Well, we both must be wonderers! 'Cause I was thinking the same thing. Do they just not see the filth? And, yes, filth and clutter are different; but I even pick up the clutter when company's coming!

Jules

That's what the spare room is for- shove the clutter in there when you've got people coming over, then sort it out later.

 

[raebates]

That's what the spare room is for- shove the clutter in there when you've got people coming over, then sort it out later.

I knew we were kindred spirits!

 

[speedychef]

I do that too! Though I'm starting to get a LITTLE better, my new thing is to put away 2 things every time I get off my butt and away from the 'puter! My PC/sewing room was the "go to" room for all the mess around the holidays and I think that's why I stopped working my business...I couldn't stand to open the door! (Not that I could have stepped in if I wanted to...)

 

[amy07]

I refuse to turn down a booking, but when she told me she wanted to get the mandoline by hosting I wanted to offer it to her free to lose my number!!

Could you have talked her into a catalog show?

 

[gilliandanielle]

It is hard because it is this group of ladies from my mom's office. They take turns having shows and the rest of them have home shows... no one ever shows up at hers because of her home, and she can't get outside orders because they all go to shows so often that no one ever "needs" anything. I have encouraged her to invite people outside of the office but she doesn't (hence her not handing out the invites last time) and then she lied to me and told me she did hand them out. I saw them (somehow!) stacked in a pile of crap on her counter!

 

[spoiledchef]

I've been to a few dirty homes. It wasn't grotesque I don't think, but they could have standed a deep cleaning. I cannot stand when there's crap/dirt/food on the floors...that's my biggest problem with my hosts. You could at least mop your floor when you know company is coming, you know!??! I mean, I'm not the best housekeeper by any means, but I do clean up for company. That's why I like throwing parties at my house...it MAKES me clean...LOL!

 

[Kathytnt]

I did a show at my sister's house last week - Second show I have done there. She has 3 dogs and a cat. The cat is always pull out his hair - stressed out by the dogs probably. THere were little pieces on cat hair flyinga round in the house while I am doing my demo - I am trying to ignore. Last time I did a show at her house the chillzane she had out for the show was still sitting on the counter 3 months later. Both her and her hubby are disorganized and never can find room for all their STUFF - I am a little disorganized but nothing on this level And I would darn sure find a place for stuff if I was expecting guests

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I am always telling our kids its easier to keep a house clean , than to clean one,
My 13 year old says when she gets married she is never doing laundry, vacuuming, ironing, shopping or cooking! because that is all she ever sees me doing. I just laugh and tell her everyone should have a dream.

 

[pkd09]

Yes, and it was disgusting. Host didn't have the courtesy to clear off the table for me to set up, the light above the table was broken (we were pretty much in the dark) and DH was sitting in the next room with the TV blarring. The only ones that showed up were her daughters and they were nasty to each other . Kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, I could go on ... YUCK TO THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE. On the flip side ... I have been in some gorgeous $500,000 homes that I was almost afraid to cook in. I'm just glad I didn't have to use the bathroom while I was at her house.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I have been very lucky, I guess. There was only one home that I have been in that I can remember being dirty and it wasn't terrible like some of these stories!

I have been on the flip side, too like pkd09, where I was afraid that I would mess up THEIR house! One was for a host who still lived at home and her mom was VERY particular...very nice home, but they make me nervous. Then, I was in a house worth $500,000+++ and it was like cooking in a kitchen straight out of a magazine! Their home was WAY nicer, but they made me feel comfortable/accepted.

That's one of the things I love about PC....you meet all kinds of people that you would never be exposed to otherwise!

 

[krzymomof4]

I too have been fortunate with not dealing with this, but it reminded me of a story that my Premier friend told me about her doing a jewelry show and stepping in cat doo doo and dog vomit all over the place and the lady just threw newspaper on top of it(remember Big Daddy?) I felt so bad for her, I think she ended up recruiting her. Maybe she used the money for a maid!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Yes, and it was disgusting. Host didn't have the courtesy to clear off the table for me to set up, the light above the table was broken (we were pretty much in the dark) and DH was sitting in the next room with the TV blarring. The only ones that showed up were her daughters and they were nasty to each other . Kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, I could go on ... YUCK TO THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE. On the flip side ... I have been in some gorgeous $500,000 homes that I was almost afraid to cook in. I'm just glad I didn't have to use the bathroom while I was at her house.

I have never had a show in a house like that, but in my previous career, I was a Personal Chef, and I had one client who's house was DISGUSTING! The whole house - but the kitchen especially! I had to clean the kitchen before I could work in there - and my feet stuck to the floor, and the oven was caked w/ dried. burnt, spilled food - And Ann, she had mold inside her refirgerator too, and stuff spilling out of her freezer....how does stuff spill out of the freezer? It's supposed to be frozen! The kicker is - this was probably a $1,000,000 home on the water, and the clients were very well known Realtors in the area.....and they offered a House Cleaning Service for a month to everyone who closed a house with them....so why couldn't they have a house cleaner??????

 

[Kathytnt]

Teresa your daughter is going to need a maid - I am fortunate that my hubby helps me around the house. I am not the most organized person in the world. It does frustrate me quite a bit.