PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.
Weekly Flylady Thread 17th July 2023

Valli
Posts: 25,286 Forumite


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 IF YOU'RE NOT TOO HOT
Level 1
Open some windows (not just in the kitchen!) for some fresh air
Check fruit bowl and remove anything furry that’s not a peach.
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.
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
Make sure people and pets have water to hand
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 - make sure air can circulate so food stays cool - and safe
Dust dining area/room
Level 3
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
EXTRAS
HHI if you're keen
S&S bathroom
Mealplan for the week and plan at least one meal you can make two of and freeze the spare for a lazy/busy day - even if it’s just baking some jacket spuds to make efficient use of the oven. They too can be frozen
Terrific 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.
Remove rat tails from plugholes
Level 2
Clean out baths and/or showers
Clean shower heads and hoses
Clean handbasins including taps - don't forget the out of sight bits!
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
HHI
S&S kitchen
Plan some me time..time with a book, coffee with a friend, a pamper session
wednesday - hump day Lounge, Hallway, stairs and landing
Level 1
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Empty bins/ashtrays
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/lamp/occasional tables and leave tidy
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!
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?
Extras
S&s kitchen
s&s bathroom
HHI
Thursday - guest room, spare room, office
Level 1
Open window to air
Strip bed if necessary and remake
empty rubbish
clean window
Level 2
Check all lighting fully functional and dust free
dust furniture
ckean desk (if office)
Level 3
Vacuum/sweep/mop floor
extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
Friday Finale - ready for the weekend - your bedroom which should be a calming restful sanctuary
Level 1
Clear floordrobe
Open window
Strip bed
Empty Bin
Remove anything that doesn’t belong in your room. It is not a dump and you are not a martyr
Level 2
Make bed with clean fresh bedding
tidy and dust bedside cabinets
dust other areas, wipe potions and lotions
Level 3
Cleland windows and sills
Sweep, mop or vacuum floor
Extras
Check shoes - do any need cleaning/mending/flinging? sort into appropriate boxes ready to be dealt with
HHI
S&S bathroom, kitchen, en suite
Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY
"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily Dickinson
Janice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear


Thank you Honey Bear
7
Comments
-
Fanking ye for Fred..
Marvellous Monday - Kitchen and Dining Room IF YOU'RE NOT TOO HOT NEVER too hot
Level 1
Level 2
Wipe down all cupboard and drawer fronts inside and out
Clean microwave
Level 3
EXTRAS
Did most of that list today!
This week we have the girls bedroom to sort.. I will have order in there.. it looks like Arkham at the moment!
LB moment 10/06 Debt Free date 6/6/14Hope to be debt free until the day I dieMortgage-free Wannabee (05/08/30)6/6/14 £72,454.65 (5.65% int.)08/12/2023 £33602.00 (4.81% int.)8 -
Thank you Valli x
K is coming to help me clean on Tuesday, so tomorrow will be a PUPA and finishing-off-small-projects day: hopefully not too arduousK has given me 2 Wolf Cub badges and the tops to sew them onto, and there are more papers to sort and leather books to clean and feed, as well as various phonecalls to make and things to drop off at the CS. It all takes time.
This afternoon, after Rosie and I had had our walk (we timed it to fit between the showers), I decided to make scones and vegan chocolate cakes. All turned out very well - we've done a quality control of the sconesI cleared up the kitchen, put the remaining baked goodies in the freezer, and loaded and ran the DW, so only have the cake tins and baking trays to put away in the morning. I spent most of the evening researching places for coffee with an old teaching colleague on Wednesday.
Hope everyone has a good week with reasonable weather. GWS to Pixie and anyone else who is struggling xxx8 -
woke up as needed the loo, so went dow n stairs to put a wash on…as it’s dry outside and light out went the first load which included the tablecloth from Saturday which had had to be vanished…it has worked so all good.
Some clearing and putting away done. in office in preparation for visitor so all good.
Off to a flying start 🤣Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily DickinsonJanice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear8 -
Morning all, thanks for the list.
A lovely weekend here. Saturday DGD1 came to play. Yesterday we went to the cinema and then I had an afternoon baking. No flying apart from tidying as I went.
Today I am supposed to be going out for the day with DD but DGD2 had a temperature last night so I'm waiting to hear what the plans are now.
Have a great day everyone.Spend less now, work less later.9 -
Morning ladies
I WILL report in every day for accountability. Thank you for the lists xx
So far animals have been fed and I have tidied a bit. 6 hours at paid stuff today, then an awards event for DS tonight in the next town along (AKA 35 miles away).
I caved and bought an air fryer - I am thrilled with it
Electricity meter read has been taken as well, need to keep an eye on that this week. Before we head for work/school, I must shower and also sweep around the fire - we had it lit at the weekend, it was so damp (although much needed for the grass!)
Have fab days all xx9 -
Morning all
I need to stay accountable too ASB, plus its nice to catch up on the news. 30 minute HIIT workout done, washed the utility room floor mat yesterday so that's out on the line. Long day at the paid stuff today and I have to drop DH off first, a little bit anxious about the first day back after the hols but not letting it overwhelm me.
Need to call at Li@l too for some supplies at some point.
Have a good Monday all xx8 -
Morning all xx
I'm up, made my bed and I'm supping my first brew. I had a much better night's sleep after several nights spent exploring WAC.
I want to get up and on. But not sure where to start. Just read that procrastination isn't laziness! But I've forgotten what the article said it is instead. Bother.
Brew 2, breakfast, get dressed, find article about procrastination 🤣 - that's my starter for ten.
Wishing you all a lovely week
Rxx
IT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme8 -
Thanks for the thread Valli,
A late night for me finishing DS stuff (not perfect but made with love). Doogie squawked at 530 so got up and let her out, fed her, made a cuppa and came back to bed.Need to get up now and plan is
Another cuppa
Eat
Shower and dress
Sort clothes and pack a bag
Sort dog stuff to take
Check what time DH wants to leave (then add on at least 30 minutes before I am ready)
Write a birthday card for work colleague,
Stop at a supermarket for flowers and make him stop at work to drop off - mwah ha ha he will learnMortgage, we're getting there with the end in sight £6587 07/23, otherwise free of the debt thanks to MSE help!8 -
Morning all,
Thank you for the lists. I am ahead - although maybe destroying a kitchen in the name of keeping up with the list might be seen as somewhat extreme flying…
Another one who has spent several nights in the WAC. Last night was just possibly self inflicted as friends came round for a quick drink and we got carried away chatting for a good couple of hours, supping the wine as we went.
Day off work today, to make up for the extra days worked during May when we had all the bank holidays. Hospital with DD this afternoon, so any spare flylady vibes are most welcome. Wm is on with a load of towels. I might stretch to HHI later, still need to meal plan, but that feels like a moving target with DH and DD around and neither working full time. Otherwise I need to clear out a kitchen cupboard or 3.
S’pose I ought to get dressed at some point too.7 -
I'm dressed, fed the birds, put out the recycling, DUPA the pots that were LTD yesterday, WUDUPA, and wiped down the cooker top.
Coffee now
RxxIT ONLY TAKES SMALL DAILY ACTIONSFOR MAGIC TO HAPPENRosemary Ikpeme6
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 348.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 452.4K Spending & Discounts
- 240.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 617.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 175.7K Life & Family
- 254.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards