Weekly Flylady Thread 5th July 2021

Valli

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread.

What is FLYLADY? Well, it's our version of the US flylady idea - but we work on the principle that housework is not fun, it's boring, can be time-consuming, is often thankless but, unfortunately, necessary. It's here on Old Style to provide the support we all need and to make the whole task easier and quicker. We also accept that, sometimes, life just gets on top of us and we can't keep up, maybe because we're time-poor, not in the best of health and/or we have littlies who need us. We are definitely NOT control freaks aiming for perfection and utterly spotless show-homes.

You're more than welcome to join us in the everlasting battle against dust, grime and gibble. The aim of our thread is to make those onerous tasks less daunting, and to support each other - and to make time for the finer things in life!
Please do remember we have to abide by MSE rules; each post should, ideally, include some mention of flying.
Thank you Natty for last week's thread.

Please follow the forum rules on this thread as Flylady has been here a LONG time and is a fabulous support and resource for lots of us. All posts should have some Flylady-related content! (i.e. it should be on-topic)
The idea is that even if you are really busy you don't need to fall off the wagon!
Every room comes back around next week so please don’t stress about catching up
These lists are only suggestions and not a must do list; you are more than welcome to post and follow your own lists.
Also adding a declutter mission each day will help to gradually clear the clutter and make flying easier.
A few of the basics before we start the week -

Hotspots are areas where if one thing gets put there, loads of other things follow!
Daily routines are anything you need to do on a daily basis like washing, swish and swipe kitchen and bathroom, ironing, making beds, vacuuming high traffic areas, making meals etc.
Night-time routines are all things which make getting ready in the morning easier, preparing clothes for the next day, making lunches, swish & swipes of the kitchen and tidying the living room before you go to bed plus personals like shower/brush teeth etc.
Fling Boogie - stick on some loud music, grab a bin bag and whiz around the house finding items that can go out with the rubbish, recycling, for charity shop, basically anything that will stop it cluttering your home.
Swish and swipe/S&S means have a quick wipe over an area such as a sink or toilet to prevent the build up of dirt. This is usually done on a daily basis

HHE/HHC/HHI Half Hour exercise/challenge/ironing ... run around for 30 minutes to the Benny Hill music frantically cleaning exercising or ironing.. .other music may be used if you prefer!
WM ~ Washing machine
TD ~ Tumble dryer
SC ~ Slowcooker
BM ~ Breadmaker
DW ~ Dishwasher
SOAADFA ~ Sit on 'bottom' and do 'nothing'
KH/XH/FW ~ Ex-husband and other not so polite versions
DH/DD/DS/DW/DP ~ Dear husband/daughter/son/wife/partner/whatever
OH/SO ~ Other half/significant other
NN ~ nice neighbour
Toxic (friend/mother/sister/whoever) ~ person in your life that seems to exist to make your life miserable
AF ~ Aunt Flo 'time of the month'.. nothing to do with flying but it comes up often.
ETA ~ Edited to add
Gibble ~ miscellaneous crap that appears forever homeless
Dot-to-dot ~ pick a small area (not a whole room) like a chair/coffee/table/shelf/worktop or wherever- that’s your first 'dot' - totally clear it - clean it - and only put back what should be there - deal with what you have removed (not just move it somewhere else) then if you have time move on and do the same to another 'dot' -the idea is just like a dot to dot puzzle, you aim to join up all the dots and have a tidy room. The trick is to keep each dot tidy until you get them all joined up! All credit to former Flylady AnW's Mum for this one
RoD ~ Room of Doom, the one room that feels like it is a permanent pit and cannot be used to its potential!
MAD half hour
- Mad is the abbreviation for Make A Difference.
The idea is that you have a Forth bridge (ie never-ending - or just huge) task but that you work on it in half-hour bursts. This way you know you ARE stopping, and that you won't get it finished but you will make a difference - so it might be clearing out - the garage or shed, or clothes sorting, or weeding - you get the picture - but rather than keep going until you've lost the will to live you do half an hour...but, eventually those half hours will get the job done!
Frog (or other amphibian) ~ google 'eat that frog'
Spoons ~ google 'but you don't look sick' and/or 'The Spoon Theory'.

Mr S/A/T/M/L/Al - supermarkets Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi. You get the picture!!

Click here to read Toots wonderful welcome guide

Marvellous Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room

Level 1
Open some windows for some fresh air 
Check fruit bowl - add to washing up if necessary! Deal with anything wrinkly or fluffy if it shouldn't be wrinkly or fluffy!
Wash up, dry up and put away (or remove all pots to DW) 
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances and caddies etc.  Don't forget the splashbacks or tiles!   
Empty bin and clean it out too - put it outside to dry in the sunshine, if you can. 
Clear and clean sink and accessories - don't forget those out-of-sight places - under plugs and under draining racks - and shine those taps - or clean them!
Glug some bleach down the plugholes.
Clean/polish table - wipe mats/change cloth - don't forget the legs and places where sticky fingers can reach.
Clean chairs/stools/high chairs - and don't forget legs and rails!
Throw away your grotty dish cloth and/or sponge and replace with a new one!  Put out a new hand towel and a new tea towel too
Clean cruet, salt and pepper, wipe any sauce bottles that are used on the table

Level 2
Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts inside and out, not forgetting handles and tops and bottom as well as fronts!
Clean hob
Clean microwave
Sort fridge and wipe seals; weave stuff that needs using up into your meal plan; update shopping list as appropriate, wash shelves etc and check running temperature  Honey Bear - you are excused this! 
Dust dining area/room
Descale kettle if needed
Clean WM , TD and DW filters; remove WM detergent drawer and wash it out.
Wipe inside of washer drawer and DW door paying particular attention to manky crevices

Level 3

Choose a drawer, shelf or cupboard for special attention.  Empty, clean out, replace what is needed or useful and fling what is unused and/or out of date - with any luck you'll get them all done before long
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.  You could also wipe frames & sills inside and out!

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom 
Wipe all the handles/sockets/switches/banisters/grab rails especially if people are leaving the house
Sort through everyone's coats/scarves/hats and gloves - add to washbasket if they still fit and are serviceable (and washable); if not then it's Errol Fling time!  Deal with any repairs and take anything precious to the dry cleaners.  Add them to washloads as and when you have time and the weather is fit to dry them.  Then, when those chilly Autumn days loom you'll be good to go. 

Twinkly Tuesday Bathrooms, cloak rooms and en suites

Level 1
Open window
Remove towels and fling in WM
Scrub Loo inside and out, slug some bleach or descaler down afterwards.  Pay special attention to under the rim.
Dust anywhere that needs dusting - wipe any 'on display' bottles down 

Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins including taps

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
Chuck any lurking potions that are not being used/are old
Clean light pull

Extras
Wash showercurtains (if any) and put outside to blow dry
HHI
S&S kitchen

Hump Day- Master Bedroom/Boudoir
Level 1
Open windows, 
Clear the floordrobe/chairdrobe
Strip the bed and leave to air
Take out the rubbish
Bedding in WM
Wipe all switches, handles, rails, light pulls etc.

Level 2 (after breakfast/a period of time)

Remake the bed with clean, fresh linen
Dust/clear bedside tables
Clean windows, frames and sills - check everything closes/locks as it should

Level 3

Vacuum any soft furnishings - don't forget the headboard if it's fabric!  Of not wipe/polish it
Dust everywhere else; as you remove lotions and potions from dressing tables wipe them over with a damp cloth.
Minimise clutter/organise essentials - in this time of stress your bedroom needs to be the cosiest, snuggliest place of peace, calm and refuge
Vacuum/mop floors

Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathrooms

Thursday Thrills (and post match tidy up) The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

level 1

deal with flowers and pot plants
empty bins/ashtrays
clear gibble
plump cushions
wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices

level 2
clean windows 
vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies

level 3
dust all round - don't forget sills and skirtings
Wipe door handles, banisters, light switches and sockets - and the bits of the door where people hold to close it
Check for cobwebs and eliminate!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should
stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?

extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom

FRIDAY FLOURISH - Kids room/spare room/guest room 
Level 1
Open window
strip bed
clear detritus from floor
occupant of room to assist if available
Empty bin

level 2
anything that needs to be homed -put away occupants of room to help
vacuum floor
If spare/guest room check all lighting fully functional

level 3
clean window
wipe sockets and switches
dust all around

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
HHI

Jazee

Thanks Valli, I'm in.  

pigpen

TY for Fred. I hope your report writing is going well

Pack ups done.. sports week this week.. and swimming is back on from Tuesday..

OOh OH has 2 days off... I get to write him a listy... Joy..

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for list. Tomorrow's plan has to include taking Mr N to his pre-op Covid test, collecting from Mr T and giving an online lesson.     I'd also like it to include a run, finishing my last report, drum practice and some flying.      It will likely include confusion from the NHS as I tried to register with the app, at which point I realised that as my GP (and presumably all my records) had missed a letter out of my name, it isn't going to match the photo of my passport details which you have to upload.  It also seems that I messed it up by using my uni email address when I did Covid tests (I presumed as the uni were doing them, they would want the uni address) - it appears the NHS can't cope with alternative email addresses and I don't want to permanently use a uni mail for the rest of my life. Oddly, I'm sure I have used an NHS account to book appointments before, but maybe it's just the app that is so picky.....or maybe I'm an alien.

Wrote myself a fairly long list on Sat and got most of it done.
Have a good week everyone.

ionafan

Thank you Valli. I will try to fly this week.  Shouldn't take long, as most rooms are tidy - which is a good thing, as I have a long list of other jobs to be done. 

We have sunshine and blue sky today so I'm off out for an hour in the garden before breakfast.  The man is coming later to treat the lawn and I shan't be able to walk on it for a couple of hours afterwards, or let Rosie out on it.  She didn't get a walk yesterday because of the heavy rain (her choice!) so will definitely need one later.

Hope everyone has a good start to the week xx

Jazee

Morning all.  A bit dull here this morning. So far I have damp dusted the living room. Now having breakfast before a soak in the bath.  I aim to change bedding, hoover through and take dogs to groomers after walking them as a minimum today.
Have a great day everyone.

pigpen

Sanity has been lost this morning.. I am so very done already.

Dot was piffling about having her hair brushed, Pixie has 'lost' her glasses, Twinkle is being obnoxious and Squeak is dithering about like she has all the time in the world and insisted on wearing leggings which are 4 inches too short and tucking her shirt into it so she looks like a bag of potatoes.. They then proceeded to need wee's, forget this.. then that.. then the other... as the were walking out f the door.. I have in the end lost my cool and just yelled.. fabulous start to the week... The 23rd can not come soon enough.. I hate school mornings.

Looks rainy here today.. and I have my bedding to wash after the naffing cat pee'd on it yesterday.. OH's side so I don't care too much but he gets to wash the mattress and the carpet where cat also turded and OH trampled in it all.. I think I may have a touch of PMT lol.

OH's birthday is next Monday.. so while he worked on Twinkles birthday.. or was supposed too (He emergency booked it off to visit his mother) he has booked the full weekend and Monday off.. seriously sad. Now.. on my 40th birthday I spent the day cleaning and making food for 20-odd people (or 20 odd people!!) ... I am so very tempted to do nothing.. or just hand him a cleaning list..... hahaha.. He got for fathers day what i got for mothers day F-all...

Anyway.. the grass may be too wet to mince.. but the floors in the bathroom and kitchen and loo he can still clean and I want all the cat trays doing too.

nmm

Morning ladies, anyone have any magic solutions to remove baked on grease from the cooker top? i use a metal scourer but even then some is left behind.

Pigpen, i hope your day improves

Jazee

Nmm, pink stuff is great for cookers.
Just having a cuppa, only job left from initial list is dog stuff.  I am in charge of cooking dinner tonight as DH currently has a new job with a bit of a commute.  We're having pie. Now if I leave it till when DH gets in he will want chips whereas I want mash. So I'm going to get the potatoes peeled and in a saucepan ready to go before he gets home.

ionafan

nmm, mix a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda with water to make a runny paste, spread it over the burnt-on areas and leave for a while, then use a scourer or stiff brush.

I have done 2x 3/4 hour in the garden and more-or-less finished weeding the back border and cutting back the ivy that grows through the paling fence.  It looks a lot better, but the allegedly-but-not-actually thornless blackberry has been fighting back vigorously, and my arms are covered in scratches.  Next job is shower and soothe my wounds!

Oh, and straight after breakfast I did everything necessary in the kitchen except sweep and mop the floor.

[Deleted User]

Morning All,

Thank you for the lists, I am in. So far today I have:
- Done the school run, and incorporated a dog walk into it
- Picked poo
- Put loads of laundry away, put loads more on, hung loads more out
- Unloaded and reloaded the DW
- Put some fruit to soak for a tea loaf 
- Made the beds
- Done a small amount of admin

I desparately need to clean the chickens out, but they are all huddled in the nest box laying so it will have to wait until they are done. It is very muggy here and I am very sweaty; I much prefer the chill of autumn and winter to this weather I must confess. Right, I am going to force myself to keep going for another hour or so, at which point I will treat myself to an hour with my book.

Have lovely days all x