Weekly Flylady Thread 15th April 2024

Natty68

Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread.

We often see new flyers (gents welcome!) around this time of year so please don't worry if you feel you cannot keep up.  Similarly if your house has been neglected it won't be turned around in a day - but if you stay you will get into some good habits which do help!  Happy flying.

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 Valli 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- thats 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 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 stooping, 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!

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

Here Goes This week...

I have included a deep clean challenge this week. I thought as the weather was going to be nice this week it would nice if we did a bit of deep cleaning  Obviously this is purely voluntary, you do not have to do it if you don't want to..

 

Killer Kitchen - Monday
Level One
Clear and wipe work surfaces
Open the windows and let in the spring!
Level Two
Sweep and Mop the floor
Clean the gacky filters and drawers from DW's, WM's etc
Wipe the cupboard fronts, appliances and all those manky corners!! Sort out the cupboard you visit the least - do you need all that stuff?
Level Three
Wipe the table, replace cloth if needed
Clean all those small appliances, wipe their home then put them back..
Wipe the gicky things out of the fridge.
Wander around downstairs and make a list of all the homeless things which make flying tricky
Extras 

• Clean oven/hob if you must.. *rolls eyes*
• HHI .. with your clean iron!!
• Clean windows and sills
• Treat the pets for fleas!!! This is prime time for them to be developing an infestation.. the last thing you need in your house

Deep clean challenge day one..

I do not want anyone straining themselves so if this is too much or not sensible because you'll hurt yourself don't do it!! Listen to your body.

• Empty the cupboards and clean the entire insides, start with the worst cupboard!!.. shelves, everything.
• Get rid of the chipped plates etc.. the chipped parts harbour germs of disgusting proportions as the pottery is porous they have lots of places to hide.. revolting.. get rid!
• Figure out what needs using up first and work it into your meal plan this week!
• Clear clutter from shelves and wipe them over.. I want to see empty spaces and shiny shelves!!

Mad Tuesday - Living room, Hallway, Stairs
Level One
remove clutter from floors, chairs and fireplace
Open the windows and let in some fresh air
Level Two
Vacuum floors and sofas
Wipe and water neglected plants
Dust those flat fluffy surfaces
Level Three
Vacuum under the furniture you can move
Clean windows, pictures, mirrors etc.
Clear a hotspot
Vacuum hall and stairs.. all the way up to the top!!!!!
Extras

• Update financial spreadsheets/accounts.. if you have none to do.. DO SOME FILING.. all that paperwork HAS a home!!
• Wipe woodwork in the hall and stairs
• Wipe front door.. inside and out!
• Wash any nets/curtains that need cleaning.. put up fresh ones!
• Sort that corner full of shoes and coats and bags... I know you all put this off so Get it sorted.. before the proper nice weather hits!!

Deep clean challenge

• Drag out all the furniture and clean the skirtings and all the woodwork
• Change the pictures in the frames that you have been meaning to update forever!!
• Put all the paperwork in one heap and sort through it
• Sort out the magazines and newspapers and sling them in the recycling... if it's anything like mine I have my own magazine shop building up.
• Scrub the manky marks off the carpet
• Scrub the manky marks off the sofas

Wicked Wednesday - Study or other reception room & bathrooms 
Level One
Clear the clutter from all these rooms!!
Wash any curtains/blinds/mats etc that need doing

Level Two

Vacuum the floors
Clean bath, toilets, shower and sinks
Wipe down the tiles and defragment the pc while doing this.
Level Three
Declutter and dust the pc desk
Wipe away cup rings and sticky things
Wipe the keyboard, mouse, cables and sockets and suchlike.
Clean the windows.
Extras

• Vacuum under movable furniture
• HHI..
• Deal with any calls etc that need doing
• Clear a hotspot
• Replace any dead toothbrushes and sponges

Deep clean challenge

• Haul out the pc desk and deal with the destruction which lies beyond MSE land
• Wash the curtains/nets
• Drag out the larger furniture you can manage and clean under and behind it.
• Scoop all that hotspot into one heap.. and fling it in the bin.. keeping the bits you really have to, but put them away nicely.
• Clean up any floor gibble

Thursday - Master bedroom & landing 
Level 1
Check fire alarms are working
Remove and wash bed linen and duvet covers.
Fling open the window and let in the spring!
Level 2
Dust surfaces & make sure no cobwebs..
Vacuum & turn mattress before replacing with fresh linen..
Air the duvet if the weather permit
15 minutes floordrobe clearance
Level 3
Vacuum floors in bedroom and on landing
Sort 10 things from your wardrobe (or someone elses) that you can get rid of..
Clear a hotspot.. or spend 15 minutes clearing one.
Extra tasks list, as usual choose one or more

• 33 fling boogie time, go on grab a bag and clear that clutter
• Clean windows in these rooms
• Clear a box of clutter from the landing
• Sort through that airing cupboard!!

Deep Clean Challenge

• Sort through a pile of landing gibble
• Sort your 'stash' in your bedroom.. you know the place that you stuff things and think.. yep.The one you hide presents in, yep we're all guilty of it me included especially as I lose presents until way after the event..!!
• Dive under your bed and drag out all the boxes and get them reorganised..
• Find the floor.. not just a bit of it.. ALL of it!!!!!!!! and vacuum it
• Wipe over the skirting boards

Friday - Childrens/spare rooms or a catchup
Level One
Clear the floor
Spend at least half an hour doing something just for yourself.. a nice bath, a manicure.. just your time! Make that appointment to have you hair done!!
Level Two
Strip the beds and wash those sheets.. and any duvets that need doing
Flip the mattresses over
Binbag dance
Level Three
Vacuum the floor
Deweb and defluff the room
Clean the windows
Extras

• Wash any curtains/throws/cushions etc that need it
• Wipe sticky marks from walls and doors and skirting
• Clean any tv's, pc's playstations in the room
• Put the discs/videos in the correct boxes and books on shelves

Deep Clean Challenge

• Wipe the bed frames down
• Drag the junk out from behind wardrobes, chests of drawers and under the bed.. deal with it appropriately.. and that does not mean stuffing it back under!! lol
• Clear, wipe declutter and make pretty any shelves
• Wipe over the big furniture.. wardrobes etc
• Make the clothes in the drawer all neat and tidy

pigpen

TY for Fred.

I have a million things to do this week.. Dots EHCP review on Thursday.. grandboys on Monday.. a sofa to get to DIL.. a car to vacuum.. Dot has a table cricket tournament on Wednesday and has to be at school for 8am.. like that is going to happen!

My brain hurts already.. and I have an incredibly sore mouth and throat..

Valli

Thanks for the new thread, Natty.

DD and i did the kitchen today.  The baking cupboard was emptied, cleaned, OOD colouring and flavouring flung, though i refused to fling the slightly ood choc chips - as i said to DD they are best befor, not ‘you will die if you eat them’ and put back tidily and kitchen cleaned inc. windows.  Bathroom and LR also cleaned, washing all ironed and DD cleaned her car.  
Alarm set, taxi to station booked.
See you on Wednesday.  

Asparklierblonde

Morning all

Thank you for the thread xx

Valli have a fab time! Xx

I have been out to bring the milk in and get more logs. Absolutely pouring with rain here as has been for most of the night. 

I’ve got the fire going and brought a cuppa back to bed. Will waken DD at 6.30am, and then shower before my hair gets much worse! Have fab days all xx

leftatthetrafficlights

Thank you for the thread 😁 

I've dipped in and out of here on and off but felt a bit of a fraud as I used to employ my dd to clean for me twice a week so only did my own cleaning on days she wasn't here but she was  unexpectedly offered a temp job last week in the profession she wants to be in so she's abandoned me!! 😳😂 I'm really pleased for her but I'll be doing all my own cleaning from now on as I have decided that I don't want a stranger in my house....

I'm really pleased that I have come in on a deep clean week as that is exactly what I planned to do this week anyway - I was intending to start with the bathroom but I'm going to follow the thread and do my kitchen - I could be there for weeks!! 😳😂 

@pigpen - I hope Dot's EHCP review goes well 🤞

ETA: I've just looked at the kitchen cupboards and decided that a full rearrange is required so the kitchen will probably need 2 days to do! 🤦‍♀️ It will be worth it though - just need to decide where I want stuff 🤔

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

Hope you have a fantastic time Valli xx

It's tipping down here too asb. I've not opened the curtains yet but I can hear it hammering on the window. And the wind kept me awake half the night. 

Because I'd been awake half the night I got back into bed after nipping to the loo at 6.30am. BIG mistake....there was a massive BD waiting to pounce on me. By 7.10am the walls of the tunnel had closed in dramatically and OVERWHELM landed. And breathe.....
So I made myself get up, made my bed, did my Monday morning weigh in, and made a brew. I've lost 2 lbs this week. 5 more to go and that'll be 2 stones off since January. Losing weight is something I do have control over. When I'm tempted to comfort eat I reach for my knitting or my current book. 

I don't know if I already said but P goes for his bone marrow biopsy on Thursday. I sincerely hope they don't find what they're looking for!!! He's really struggling to cope with it all and going to the GP to ask for antidepressants this morning. 

I have a very bruised right knee, but no black eyes. Various aches and pains and a tender ear and nose still....not sure if my nose is swollen on one side or if it always looks like that and I've never noticed 😂

Hope your meal went well yesterday CoG xx

I'm meeting L for brunch at the posh farm shop cafe at 9.45am. Won't take the box of stuff for her sister if it's still lashing down with rain. 

Priority today is to ring and rearrange an appointment that's been made for Friday. I'll be at work. 

Brew 2 first. 

Love to all
Rxx

kazwookie

Morning

Thank you for the lists.

Whole house hoovered

Bins done

Floors done

Large bin out

Builders are here, they are in for a rough day, it is very windy and lashing it down.

Off out to post office, and to buy window cleaner to remove nose art!

roundtuit

Brew 2 supped and I'm dressed, fed the birds, and put out the recycling. 

I couldn't pick up the box of stuff for L's sister, so I've filled a carrier bag with half the stuff. And the rest can be bagged up and taken next time we meet up. The box will be used to pack DS's trophies for him to take - they're lighter!

Sun is shining here now.
Rxx

Goodintentions

Good morning 😊
DH hobbled home last night. It was not his day yesterday, and he is disappointed. He had to walk a fair bit of the marathon as he had pain in his knee & hip. He has since reflected, and is proud that he actually finished as he nearly gave up a couple of times. He still came in at 4hrs 48mins!! 
I spent a few hours at the allotment yesterday. I had to keep taking a break as I was in danger of over doing it! I cleared & levelled a corner, laid slabs & wood chipping and moved a plastic playhouse from another allotmenteer's plot (with permission) to mine (with help!)
DS & GF made a cake, and (mostly) cleaned up after themselves. The cake wasn't a huge success as it was a bit flat and very heavy!! It tasted okay though. He also cleaned his fish tank, but still needs to reseal & set it up,so the fish won't be moving back in this week.

Today is a busy one. I have the WI committee over tonight for a meeting, so need to run the hoover round. I may make some cakes as well, if they are lucky! WM is on (2nd load). 1st load in TD as it is raining. Food shop needs to be done.

Car has been taken for a service (under a service plan). They called back within an hour with a list of things that needed doing that are not under the plan - including a new battery, new spark plugs, brake discs, pads & fluid! The total was over £700!!! The car was mot'd a month ago. I have spoken to the garage over the road who have said it sounds like up-selling (well known orange brand beginning with H). It is booked in tomorrow for brake pads and possibly fluid & discs, if needed. The car has only done 21k miles - he said the battery & spark plugs should be fine for a few 10k more!! I am picking the car up in an hour 👍 Is it too much to hope they have washed it? 🤔

Round take it easy today lovely! Well done on the weight loss 😊 I am 2 lb down this week - probably due to the d&v bug last week!

Ok - I must get on!! 
Have a good day everyone 

pigpen

Well, I was certain the EHCP review was Thursday.. but it was today.. and now it is tomorrow.. I am an utter clown this week.

Shops attended.. did not buy either of the 2 things we needed.

I've had a text from school saying Squeak is not there but I have visual confirmation from a member of staff that she is before the text was sent.. and I watched her bus get there.. she may have skipped out on registration.

It rained overnight so just waiting for my washing to dry again.. and I have 2 more loads ready to go out.

My mouth is insanely sore.. and my throat hurts too so my ears hurt for attention.

roundtuit

Bag of stuff for her sister's church's thrift shop handed to L. Also returned a tape cassette to L. Vegetarian sausage sandwich and coffee despatched.
Came home, changed into my scruffs, phoned social landlord to change appointment. Told them I'm available any Monday. A new appointment letter will be sent out.
No cotton wool pads or foam at this house so I've cut up a pant liner and padded my glasses' nose bridge and left ear piece with that. It's not pretty but Ahhhhh that's better. Thank you piggers xx

Rxx