WeeklyFlylady Thread 27th February 2023 27 February at 12:10AM edited 2 March at 11:29PM in Old style MoneySaving 82 replies 6.2K views

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

Mixing it up a bit this week

Marvellous Monday - the boudoir (master bedroom)

level 1

open windows
strip bed, leave to air
Empty bin - and why not make it a whole house binbag dance
Wipe or wash bin
clear floors robe/chairdrobe/exercise bike or wherever else is pretending it’s only there to hold clothes - put them to be laundered or put them away (see VALLI mantra)

level 2

remake bed
vacuum/sweep and/or mop floor

level 3

dust everything
wipe sticky lotion and potion vessels
clean windows and mirrors

extras choose as few or as many as you like
s&s kithchen
s&sbathroom
wash brushes and combs and let them dry in the sun
empty a drawer - clean it, put back contents 
have you read meters this month?

Terrific Tuesday - The Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing

Level 1
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Open windows
Empty bins/ashtrays - wipe out or wash
If you have a woodburner/real fire attend to that first - and lay fire for lighting
Clear gibble
Plump and straighten cushions
Wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices.  Lift seat cushions if you can and vacuum underneath
Wipe/dust coffee tables and leave tidy
Wipe coasters

Level 2
Clean windows and mirrors 
Vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies - and stairs!
Clean doormats
Dust/wipe electricals - use a just-damp cloth.  Don't forget the remote controllers!  Include lightswitches

Level 3
Dust all round - don't forget sills, skirting boards, tops of curtain rails and/or battens and top and frame of door.
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 
Wipe lightbulbs (if cold)
Dust pictures/paintings on walls - and dust behind them too!
Stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?
Open front door and vacuum then wipe doorframe
Check smoke and/or CO detectors are fully functioning

Extras - as required
Don't forget the dailies - beds need making, pots need washing
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI

Last day of Feb…
Write a list of cards needed for March
Update financial spreadsheet/accounts


Wipy Wednesday
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

Level 3
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins

Level 3
sweep and mop or vacuum floor as appropriate
clean windows
polish mirrors
dust and polish where necessary
Give the tiles/grout a good scrub - especially in the shower/round the bath
Put out clean towels and washcloths etc

Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen

Thuitrsday (sorryt)

kids room/spare room whatever

level 1
open window
strip bed
remove rubbish
level 2
remake bed
clean window and sill
Level 3
duust everywhere
clean floor as aporopriate
extras
hhi
s&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
somewhere...in any room
empty a drawer
clean it out
sort contents 
fling/charity bag or eBay anything you can
bin the rest

Get set for the weekend : Kitchen and Dining Room

Level 1
Open some windows for some fresh air 
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!
Replace what lives there, wiping as you go
Empty bin and clean it out too - put it outside to dry in the fresh air (if possible)
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 - and don't forget legs and rails!
Check fruit and wash bowl
Throw away your manky dish cloth 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 
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
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows and sills in both rooms.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Do something organised - make a list of who has keys to your door(s) or check that the list you made last time is up to date.  

pigpen

TY for Fred. 

Todays interaction will result in 2 calls to the police and another 2 calls to SS.. The anal sphincter bf of sil threatened to call SS on me because I was one of 6!!!! people who called about them.. 

EC having a meltdown.. I will do see what that is about.. she is 19 tomorrow.. 

I really wish I had people willing to help with my dramatic life like SIL has!! I would not be turning those gifts away! 

YORKSHIRELASS

Oh Pigpen what a start to the week, hope it gets better x

Not feeling lively this morning, I was out for a meal with friends last night so was late to bed (although no alcohol was involved).  Trying to decide whether to go for a little jog, or do an indoors workout.  Might need a coffee first.

Late start and finish at the paid stuff, house is reasonably clean and tidy after some flying yesterday.

Hope Monday is kind to you all x

Dfw38

Thanks for the new thread.
Goodness pigpen, what a start to the week. Hope all goes well.
Enjoy your exercise Yorkshire lass, sometimes I find it wakes me up and weirdly gives me more energy!
Hope everyone has a lovely day 💗 

Crazycatlady2

Going to start the week by getting a horrible job out the way and cut the grass

have a top to post back and library books to return

hoping hubby heard about job today as hate waiting 

Crazycatlady2

Good start…mower broke so I’m having a coffee 🤷‍♀️

hope everyone ok x

pigpen

Dentist done.
Prescription collected
Optician appointments made.. 6 of them!!! 4 upstairs bears, OH and Squeak. 
Parcel collected.. FLING

DW I loaded last night before I went to bed and S&S'd the sides.

Just waiting on the police non-emergency to report Sil's CF.. 

I haven't had a weekend at all and now I can't think straight about what I need to get done. 

kazwookie

Pigpen, I suggest you take a deep breath, then do some tihng for you.

Bed stripped and remade

All bins emptied, the recycling council bin emptied, I have washed that out, it is now upside down drying in the sun.

Whole house hoovered

2 x WM done out on whirly

Cat nose art removed from various windows, and polished up

Kitchen done

All wooden / tiles floors washed and drying

Last nights left overs for dinner today.

Logs in.

Christmasshopper2

Good morning fly babies,
We have had a crazy weekend here. I live in the quietest, friendliest cul-de-sac ever. On Friday mornings I was woken by my neighbour to tell me that there was a fire at the end of the street. Then we found out it was an arson attack. The police have sealed off the crime scene. We couldn’t even get our car to the back of our house to take the rubbish to the tip as we had planned. Fortunately nobody was hurt. The Fire Service even managed to rescue a pet pig unscathed.
I’m grateful I still have a house to clean today. If the wind had been blowing in a different direction it could have been a while different story.

pigpen

Xmas.. arson for the insurance?? We had 3 large fires in a week here all the same company and all insurance scams. The company which owned them is based in India and they can demolish anything which has been on fire without any permission but the 3 here are all listed and they simply hadn't realised that it works differently. They have been compulsory purchased by the council now and the company lost 3 huge old buildings.. That looks like a biiiig fire! Glad no pigs were harmed

Joanna Lumley is filming in the house opposite the MIL for a netflix show (fool me once.. I asked!).. I would have stayed to fangirl on her had I known! She is glorious.

I have procrastinated and cleaned the kitchen.. including windowsills and the actual windows.. I have lost the plot!

DW and both WM's are on.. 

Valli

I had every intention of doing some cleaning in my bedroom but I realised my glass display cabinet hadn't been touched for months so I removed all the ornaments and glasses (including my collection of crystal glasses) everything washable has been washed, everything else dusted, cabinet shelves (glass) and sliding doors (glass) have been cleaned and everything put back - slightly different arrangement.  Very old elephants (heavy black wood, so possibly ebony) have been moved to the LR to do mantelpiece duty, for a change.  I believe they were brought back from India during/just after WWII.
I've managed to dry washing between showers.
I've also sorted out the orchid collection - they've had a good soak then drain, a tidy up and outer pots have been washed as per you tube video I came across this morning.  Table they live on out, dusted and vacuumed under.  I did intend vacuuming and dusting the whole hallway (orchid home) but got distracted by the dusty cabinet.  Still, 2 jobs well done.
No wonder I had 40 winks on the sofa.