Weekly Flylady Thread 14th July 2025

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 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
If you have a shower curtain get it washed and on the line
Clean loo brush and holder and pop outside to dry in the 🌞 
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 - do cushions need turning over or swapping round for even wear?
Wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices.  Lift seat cushions if you can and vacuum underneath - turn/swap for even wear if you can
Wipe/dust coffee/lamp/occasional tables and leave tidy
Fold throws and drape neatly!

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 or other neglected area

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
clean and clear desk (if office)

Level 3

Vacuum/sweep/mop floor
While vacuum out check for cobwebs and eradicate 
And vacuum any chairs, seating, headboards, blinds etc

extras
HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathrooms

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

Clean windows and sills
Sweep, mop or vacuum floor
Pick a drawer, empty it and clean.  Replace contents tidily.  If a bottom drawer dust underneath it.

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

kazwookie

Mornnig

I'm in thank you for the lists.

So far WM is on.

Cats fed

Going out walking, OH can deal with weekend guests who don't seem to be making any noises about 'we will be leaving by ....'

It has been raining overnight

Jazee

Thanks Valli. Morning all. Wordle in three.

Brilliant list for today. We've decided to sort all kitchen cupboards to get rid of stuff we don't use so I'll clean as I go.

Have a great day everyone.

weenancyinAmerica

Every time I start to follow the list something happens. Now roommate G is in hospital. We have a new phone system as when I tried to call the paramedics they couldn't hear me on the phone. I tried twice and after the second time the police called to find out why I was calling the paramedics. Thank goodness, as they were able to connect me and get him to the hospital. He may have had a stroke as he is slurring his speech. But like roundtuit's Pops, he keeps wanting to come home from the hospital. Need to make sure he is okay first. My legs have given out almost completely now, so I definitely can't take care of him. We are hoping they will finally talk him into rehab. 

I am still trying to clean though. Have even changed the toilet seats in both bathrooms as the ones that were there were lightweight plastic and we couldn't sit on them. Our friendly maintenance person is coming to put up a grab bar in the bathroom. He leaves his van here in exchange for doing the maintenance work on the house. Will need to empty one set of cabinets to see what is actually there as I don't think anyone has known for the last six years when one of roommate's friends from Wales was here.

I'm trying the ten item fling with roommate Di - makes it about half the time.

Valli

Morning all

caught up with fred from last week…

@Round gotta ‘love’ people who are too precious to do hospital visiting (and similar unpleasant activities).  selfish imo.

Have had 1 ebay sale from about 20 listings so that’ll need packing and posting. 

Was gifted about 12 lbs of red gooseberries so that’s all been jammed.  Something like 40 jars up there now.    Got to offer the donor some, hoping he’ll take at least 2

Went to DS’s for my tea.  took the ancient playing cards found with mums stuff (non revoke cards) for DS’s collection and DiLs dress that I finally got round to shortening for her.

Im glad it’s cooler, need to go to town to bank the funeral collection then I can pay out the final donation.  Will bank for work, too.  Two birds and all that.

Hope all have good days… if its too hot to fly sort Toots lists!

MinnieMousesMummy

Morning all, I'm in for this morning, and then I'm away on holiday until Friday. 

This morning I need to 
Take the cat to the cattery for his holidays DH is away doing this with DD so I'm having a bit of time to myself
Try to cancel the laptop order from yesterday and reorder it, remembering to use the discount code. I've reordered and I'll send back the more expensive one when it arrives. 
Take DD over to the stables to check on her horse and finish cleaning his field
HH pamper time (shower and I need to cut my nails)
Check banking and move money around
Finish packing for my holiday
Hoover the living room carpet
Drop off DS's outfit that he borrowed for the weekend event
Go to the chemist and pick up DD's meds
Remind DH to check over the car
Print paperwork that is needed for the holiday, and make sure I have everything
Pack the car and head off on holiday

I think this is everything that I need to tackle this morning. I hope everyone has a lovely week, hugs to those who want/need them. 

ionafan

Valli, I checked the fruit bowl and found something that was furry, but - rather than keep it or throw it all away - I ate most of it, because (a) it was a peach but (b) the furry bits were not just ordinary peach skin but would have quickly contaminated the rest of the bowl with spores.  I cut off the furry bits and they went straight in the compost bin.  I hope I did the right thing!   

It's a bit cooler today, for which I am very thankful.  I hardly managed any thing last week as it was well over 30deg indoors most days, despite shading and windows opened to catch any passing breeze, and just twot to move.  My poor garden is suffering (apart from the pots).  However, the house is in reasonable shape, apart from some empty boxes in the DR which have come out of DH's mancave and *will* be going back in there this week, and some cases full of wargaming figures ditto ditto.  I'm hoping to start making my bedroom curtains soon, once I'm not so washed out by the heat..

This evening the Old Wives are having a meal at one member's house and I have promised to take new potatoes (I cooked them yesterday) and coleslaw (which I need to make today).  DH is just getting pasta and tuna with tomatoes tonight.

Lovely to see you back on the thread, Honey_Bear xx
Sit on Pops if necessary, Round xx
Hope you had a great birthday celebration, Jazee xx
Happy holidays, MMM xx

kazwookie

Right me again, weekend guests have finally gone, it is nice to see them, but great now they have gone off on their travels to other parts down south.

Walking over the weekend has been kept up todate, they had the option to come with me, when they heard how far /long they opted out. fine by me.

WM x 3 done out on whirly, more to do but run out of line space and pegs, so tomorrow will do.

Bathrooms cleaned from top to bottom, just got 2 shower plug grid thingys to do.

Beds all stripped , one remade the others I leave until others come to stay.

Bins done

All capets hoovered, filters on hoover cleaned, it works so much better now!!

All hard floors swept and washed, now drying.

Loads of extra cushions/ pillows / duvets / bench covers pads / seat pads etc all in storage bags and air sucked out and flat packed away.

All rooms windows open and airing, 2 windows squiged with wd40 as were stiff, seems to have sorted them.

OH cleaning his bike

I'm having a rest!! and water. 

Have a good day 

Honey_Bear

I have, at last, caught up.  Thank you for the lists Natty and Valli.  It sounds as though you're having to do a lot of work regarding your mother's things but I hope you're finding it cathartic.

I get hugely irritated by the selfishnes of people who say they don't like hospitals and therefore don't visit people who are at their lowest ebb and have every right to feel a bit sorry for themselves.  (I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like that.)  I'm so grateful the hosptials are there and we don't have to pay to be treated.  I hope Pops takes your good avice Round, but let's be honest - he probably won't.

Sorry I missed your birthday Jazee.  I hope it was lovely.

Welcome back Soapie.

Good luck with 1,000,000 steps Kazwookie, and I hope your guests appreciate your hospitality, unlikely though we both know that is.

Good luck with exams MMM and I hope you have a lovely holiday.

It's been busy.  I bought a tray of apricots in France, so making apricot jam took a couple of days.  I then went to Penzance Lit Fest and had a wonderful time, stayed at a youth hostel and will be trying to book myself a single room for next year's event so I can stay down there all week rather than commuting for the first few days and slouch around in private between talks.  

Then - the ivy.  

It took five car loads to the tip to get rid of it all and each time the car was completely rammed  full, the last of which trips was this morning.  John, the builder, said it was the hardest day's work he'd ever done and he literally couldn't move off the chair the last time he came down off the ladder until he'd had a decent rest and a drink.  I helped him load his van.  S and Belovéd helped with chopping and bagging, and tip runs over the weekend, the last of which was this morning by moi, which I then extended to Mr M which is out that way.  

I'm going to spend the whole day in the kitchen as while I was away I discovered a fab café and had the same lunch every day and it blew my mind, as well as being 100% perfect food for me according to my digestion.  So, lots of lovely salads will be featuring in the fridge for the next few weeks, and I have a choice at lunchtimes.  

Flying will be fitted in around the cooking.  Dusting can wait.  

I can't complain about the heat over the past few weeks although I know a lot of people have found it unbearable.  I've found if I sit to work in the garden and stay in the shade or our yard I stay fairly cool most of the time, and one of the benefits of having the big windows in this house on the north side means the house is fairly cool as well.  The yard is really cold, so that helps, with all the windows open there is a cold wind blowing through the house too.  Perfect.  Lots of showers though.

Two loads through the WM and line-dried yesterday.  It's the only Flying I've been able to keep up with, the laundry.

Jazee

Dog walk and dailies done.  The kitchen cupboards have all been sorted.  Lots of unused stuff sorted and some already collected.  Oldest jar was six years out of date so around the time the new kitchen was fitted, eek.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a lovely weekend.

roundtuit

Hallooooo xx 

Thank you Valli and Natty for the lists xx

Belated happy birthday to you Jazee xx

We've had a power cut for most of the day so I sat and read a book. Twot for starters. Twoter with no fan deployed. 🥵

Pops is being discharged today. DB will do the drop off and pick up, it's the bit in between he avoids. Babs informed me that she will be either bowling or dancing every night this week - I guess that's her way of telling me that she won't be looking after Pops. Even though she lived with him for six months last year so that he could look after her following her knee replacement. 🤐 Luckily I'm on Annual Leave and only live round the corner so am on hand. I'm hoping Pops wakes up to what she's like - but I'm not holding my breath. Mutter. Mumble. 

Oh my days. My phone rang while I was typing....that's today's cardiac test passed!

Flying? I've made my bed, fed the birds, put out the recycling,  and I'll refill the bird bath and water the hanging basket later. 

I do believe it's going to be cooler tomorrow. I do hope so.

Love to all.
Rxx