say what you mean, mean what you say

So, I don't really know who all reads this blog, and I'm not really asking people to reveal themselves if they don't want to. But, if you don't happen to know, there are about to be some major ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in my life. I am in the midst of quitting my job and moving away from Seattle. I can write more about that later, but it's all a good, positive thing, and I'm really at peace with the decision and excited to see what comes next in my life.

But one of the things that comes with this kind of change is you have to deal with your landlord and the renting of your beloved apartment to someone else. Today my landlord came over to fix my oven door handle and to see the general shape the apartment was in. Last night I cleaned up, sweeping, artfully arranging things, etc. I even got up early this morning to make my bed.

When I got home, there was a little note from the landlord. One thing that stuck in my craw is she told me to replace a light bulb in a light fixture that I have already told her is broken. But here's the thing that really gets me:

"I will be showing the apartment this week, so would appreciate if it was clean."

Now, as I said, I cleaned before she came over, and the current state of my apartment looks pretty good to me. Does the sentence above mean, though, that certain people did not find my apartment to be clean? Does that sentence mean that I need to clean more? Or, does it mean, as a heads up, hey, don't let your apartment get messy, as I will be back shortly? I don't know whether to try to clean more, or whether just to maintain the current state of cleanliness.

Normally, when I complain of someone in my blog, I send a little hope to the heavens that they do not find my blog through Google. But if you're a landlord, and you wrote that sentence to a departing tenant recently, could you clarify? Are my shoes, which to me, are neatly lined by the door, messy to you? Should I take the trash out every morning? Does the scent of maple syrup lingering from breakfast repulse you? Can I not leave a stack of magazines on my own coffee table?

All I'm saying is, I dusted for this woman, and I haven't dusted in the 2+ years I've lived here. Dusting to me is the epitome of cleanliness. If you're telling me that I have to clean more, I'm going to need a little more direction.