Why are many single men absolutely filthy?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the cleanliness of living spaces, particularly in bachelor pads, and whether this is a characteristic more prevalent among single men. Participants share personal experiences with filthy living conditions and explore broader observations about cleanliness across different demographics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their experiences cleaning a filthy kitchen in a bachelor pad, expressing disgust at the conditions and questioning why single men are often dirty.
  • Another participant argues that cleanliness issues are not exclusive to men, citing a story about a house cleaner who found most homes to be filthy, regardless of the occupants' gender.
  • A participant recounts a horrifying experience moving into an apartment previously occupied by a couple with a baby, emphasizing that poor cleanliness is not limited to men.
  • Some participants share anecdotes of living with tidy male roommates, suggesting that cleanliness varies among individuals rather than being gender-specific.
  • One participant reflects on their own habits, noting that while they tend to keep their personal space clean, they struggle with scheduling chores and maintaining overall cleanliness in shared spaces.
  • Several participants discuss experiences with extreme cases of filth, such as hoarding situations, and the necessary precautions when dealing with such environments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the issue of cleanliness is more prevalent among single men or if it is a broader societal issue. Multiple competing views remain, with some asserting that cleanliness is not gender-specific while others focus on the stereotype of messy bachelor pads.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying degrees of personal experience and anecdotal evidence, which may not represent a comprehensive view of cleanliness across different living situations. The discussion includes references to extreme cases of filth that may not apply to typical bachelor pads.

gravenewworld
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I've moved into several places before and had all different types of roommates, but every single time I've move into a bachelor pad it is always absolutely, disgustingly, filthy. Why is it that single men are so dirty? I don't see an excuse for it as a man myself. Yesterday I finally had a chance to clean out the kitchen at my new place (rooming with 3 guys). The place was so dirty that the when I was vacuuming the vacuum line got clogged with the amount of mouse droppings I was picking up. Cleaning up the kitchen was one of the most vile projects I've ever had to do in my life. One of my friend's dad is also in his early 60s and is divorced. His place is probably the most disgusting house I've ever been in. Some of the food in his fridge looks like it has been in there for almost 3 years. I cringe every time I go there and have to drink water out of one of his glasses or eat something off of one of his plates or anything that was cooked in his kitchen.
 
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I don't think it's just men, but people in general.

Several years ago I heard a story on the radio about people who have unusual jobs. This one guy, he was a house cleaner...but not just any house cleaner. He specialized in cleaning the places where, for example, someone had died and not been discovered for a while. He would clean it up after the authorities took the body away.

The one thing that stayed with me about that story was what he said about human cleanliness in general. In his job, he was kind of like an unexpected guest. He said, the vast majority of the homes he cleaned were unimaginably filthy. Pretty much just like you described.

 
The worst place I ever moved into was an apartment where the prior renters were a couple with a baby (we stupidly only looked at similar units; young an naive). My new wife and I were so horrified by the kitchen (1/4" undisturbed dust, droppings, etc. on all surfaces) we threatened the landlord either get professional cleaning service in there immediately or we get apartment condemned. The most horrifying thought was the idea of a baby living in those conditions.

So, no, it really isn't just men.
 
The most horrible apartments that I was in in the '60s were "maintained" by women. Hands-down!. When I was in college, my apartments were always tidy and clean. The two young ladies that rented the house across the street from me later on glommed onto me and would have grabbed me as a room-mate.
 
On two separate occasions I have had two male housemates who were very neat and tidy. They were ex-military and completely psycho with PTSD.
 
no idea, the rooms I have lived has always been tiny though
 
Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend to help him clear a house he just bought for less than $20k. It's a decent sized house (3 BR, 2 BA, 1800 sf) but when I saw the photos he'd taken, I knew why it was so cheap.

It had been foreclosed after shut down by Dept of Health.

The folks who were living there were hoarders, and my friend says the place still has some pretty atrocious odors, so I'm bringing a protective mask...
 
gravenewworld said:
I've moved into several places before and had all different types of roommates, but every single time I've move into a bachelor pad it is always absolutely, disgustingly, filthy. Why is it that single men are so dirty? I don't see an excuse for it as a man myself. Yesterday I finally had a chance to clean out the kitchen at my new place (rooming with 3 guys). The place was so dirty that the when I was vacuuming the vacuum line got clogged with the amount of mouse droppings I was picking up. Cleaning up the kitchen was one of the most vile projects I've ever had to do in my life. One of my friend's dad is also in his early 60s and is divorced. His place is probably the most disgusting house I've ever been in. Some of the food in his fridge looks like it has been in there for almost 3 years. I cringe every time I go there and have to drink water out of one of his glasses or eat something off of one of his plates or anything that was cooked in his kitchen.

I think the correct question here is "why are so many filthy men single?" and I think it answers itself.
 
Pengwuino said:
I think the correct question here is "why are so many filthy men single?" and I think it answers itself.

You beat me to it.
 
  • #10
Most of the women I have dated have been fairly messy. When I live with other people I get a bit messy since I almost always retreat into my room and basically live in that one area instead of in the apartment/house as a whole. When I had my own place it was usually relatively clean though I tend not to dust or vacuum... actually I did not even own a vacuum. Once I decided I needed one they all seemed so expensive so I got an old one from my family but it did not work so well.

I think I have an issue with scheduling chores outside of a one week time frame. I do laundry at least once a week. I wash dishes a couple times a week (or as I use them). I take out the trash at least once a week. Anything else that I do not do at least once a week usually gets forgotten until it obviously needs doing. My hair usually gets pretty shaggy before I get it cut. My nails usually get a bit long before they get cut. My clothes usually start coming apart before I buy new ones. I am rather frequently late a couple days paying my bills.
 
  • #11
DoggerDan said:
Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend to help him clear a house he just bought for less than $20k. It's a decent sized house (3 BR, 2 BA, 1800 sf) but when I saw the photos he'd taken, I knew why it was so cheap.

It had been foreclosed after shut down by Dept of Health.

The folks who were living there were hoarders, and my friend says the place still has some pretty atrocious odors, so I'm bringing a protective mask...
I bought a house from a man and his wife years ago that wasn't quite that bad but it did need a lot of cleaning. Their back yard was a forest of untended plants - you couldn't even see the fence. They also had a severe flea infestation in the house. If you put your head near the floor and looked across the room, you could see hundreds of them jumping. It took several bombings to get rid of them and their young two weeks later.
 
  • #12
DoggerDan said:
The folks who were living there were hoarders, and my friend says the place still has some pretty atrocious odors, so I'm bringing a protective mask...

Don't forget galoshes and heavy duty rubber gloves. And maybe clothes you wouldn't mind throwing away when you're done. Oh, and duct tape. Duct tape your clothes shut so nothing crawls in your boots or up your sleeve or down your back...
 
  • #13
ArcanaNoir said:
Don't forget galoshes and heavy duty rubber gloves. And maybe clothes you wouldn't mind throwing away when you're done. Oh, and duct tape. Duct tape your clothes shut so nothing crawls in your boots or up your sleeve or down your back...
I helped clear an old landfill on someone's farm once. The smells were unbelievable. We tried not to breathe it but, the gases got inhaled anyway. That night we had our own scene from Blazing Saddles. :rolleyes:
 
  • #14
ArcanaNoir said:
Don't forget galoshes and heavy duty rubber gloves. And maybe clothes you wouldn't mind throwing away when you're done. Oh, and duct tape. Duct tape your clothes shut so nothing crawls in your boots or up your sleeve or down your back...

Also do not cross contaminat the inside of your mask (I would bring several). People tend to set them down with the inside facing up (exposed) then distrub the polluntents, allowing them to settle down on the inside and then reuse.

Extra clothing is important so that you do not transport mold/bacteria/creters to your car or home. Bed bugs love to hitch a ride... on most anything soft or material, from what I have been reading!
 
  • #15
Pengwuino said:
I think the correct question here is "why are so many filthy men single?" and I think it answers itself.

touche
 
  • #16
ArcanaNoir said:
Don't forget galoshes and heavy duty rubber gloves. And maybe clothes you wouldn't mind throwing away when you're done. Oh, and duct tape. Duct tape your clothes shut so nothing crawls in your boots or up your sleeve or down your back...

Lol, you folks are funny!

The stench was awful, but some open windows killed most of it. There were no fleas or other critters. I suspect a dead rat or three is lying somewhere in the garbage we didn't get to.
 
  • #17
I don't room with other people because I like to keep a pretty clean place. But wow, that's nasty, mouse droppings still on the floor? Did you see the place before moving in?
 

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