No kidding. The enforcement is often kind of brutal too. As a couple the house not being clean creates a pervasive sense of judgement that falls on the feminine half of a couple. It doesn't matter if they are a killer breadwinner with an amazing career and winning at life the messaging and conditioning from childhood and enforced by older friends and relatives is still that they are at their core a failure if their house doesn't meet regulation. That judgement is not extended to the masculine partner because he's kind of expected to be a hapless subordinate who maybe helps but is not responsible for it. That old "sorry about the state of the place" is practically just begging for social leniency from deeply ingrained shame.

If your fem partner is neurotic about cleanliness that's basically why. They are made to feel horrible about themselves when company comes calling.