Help To Remember A Word.....

[merrythought]

there exists a word to describe an unnecessary task such as tidying the house before the cleaner arrives . Any ideas ? TIA

[elliemay1]

madness!!

[Tilly2]

Guilt

[Frank97]

Futile ?

[SirOracle]

Nugatory

[merrythought]

I am fairly sure the answer I want is a noun _ yes I know that madness and guilt are both nouns ,but I trust they are "tongue in cheek"

[Clanad]

Obsessive...

[vulcan42]

vanity?

[Zeuhl]

Is it supererogatory?

[Psybbo]

hypocrisy?

[murraymints]

Superfluous

[emmie]

futile

[andres]

Preparation?

[Psybbo]

supernumerary

[stewey]

Merrythought, you used a perfectly suitable word in your original question: "unnecessary ".

[plowter]

palaver

[Trefoil1]

Stupid

[Daisybellemay]

Displacement activity ('tho two words!)

[Canary42]

Pre-emptive (but doesn't carry the "unnecessary" connotation)