Weekly Flylady Thread 22nd September 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

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 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 - 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 in both rooms.

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
This week it will be 3 months to the big day - time to start creating some freezer space!  meal plan and aim to use up food from the freezer


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.
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 - 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
Wash showercurtains (if any) and put outside to blow dry - possibly!
HHI
S&S 

roundtuit

Morning all xx 

YL You are not alone with your anxiety. Now mine has been triggered it won't go away. I'm hoping that going back to work tomorrow will provide the distraction I need to refind my peace of mind. 

I'm up, made my bed, taken my meds, turned over the calendars, completed Strands with four hints (brain would not work), completed Wordle in three (educated guess after no correct letters found in my first two guesses), completed Connections with two lives lost (found the purple and the yellow lines then pure guesswork came in), changed Joey's seed and water, got weighed, and I'm supping a brew. 

DS and DDil are driving to Manchester Airport this morning, then flying to Cyprus on honeymoon. 

I'm going to ring the optician's and postpone the appointment I made for 9 am tomorrow. I felt pressured into making it. It's all wrong for me, which I knew even as I was agreeing to it 🤦‍♀️. So. After much cogitation at 4 this morning I've decided to postpone to a day and time that I am comfortable with. Even if that's in my November break. And breathe....and they need to explain why I need new glasses as I'm not convinced that I do. And if I do need them, and they can't obtain the frame I want, I'll maybe have this pair reglazed...if I can find my last pair. Too much to think about in a rushed appointment.

On a more positive, and flylady, note my kitchen no longer looks like a tornado went through. So yesterday's effort MAD. That's satisfying. 

Brew 2. Join me?
Love to you all. Get well vibes heading out to the poorlies. 

Rxx

Fayolle

Morning all,
Thank you for the list. I really need to pay attention to them as I am completely aware that I am mostly skimming my flying duties. Level 1 for today is mostly done although there is room for improvement. Having said that, it is a beautiful sunny day, albeit chilly, and the allotment calls. See how easily I can distract myself?
The wm is running with towels, yesterday’s HHI did not get done, but I did manage to make an apple cake to use the oven space while dinner was cooking. I need to get some fish from the freezer for tonight’s dinner. No matter how hard I try, making freezer space is my nemesis.
Thank you for the second cuppa, Round. Fortified with that, I’m ready to start the day. 

Have a good day all. If my spoons will help anxieties, please help yourself from the jar on the (wiped!) kitchen surface x

eltee2

Morning all - GWS vibes eminating to all

Yesterday I managed to plant about a third of the spring bulbs, along with the blue grass stuff (fescue?🤷‍♀️) and some winter flowering pansies and heather. Fingers crossed - it's my first 'proper' gardening for a few years.

Today I intend to complete levels 1, 2 & 3 from the list; do another couple of HHG sessions; S&S bathroom; WM x2 (TD if needed) and FUPA.

Plus the usual air & remake bed, exercises, DW/WUDUPA and cajoule DS into tidying & cleaning his nearly ex-room (or at least let me in to do it)

El

eltee2

Valli - I did wonder for a second what was happening in your life in 3 months time!

DOH!

kazwookie

Morning

Thank you for the lists.

I've cleaned for 3 hours, floors, bins, bed change,  hoovering, shower screens  and plug holes, WM x 4 done, just waiting on last one to finish, then off out walking, loads of other small stuff done as well.

OH is going to take me shopping today, I am wondering why? I'm guessing he wants to try 'odd stuff' which he thinks will do him good, until, he gives up the biscuits, sweets, chocolates and such like, not a lot will help him. 

Have a good day 

roundtuit

I phoned the optician's and cancelled tomorrow's appointment. Remade it for next Monday- it would seem that the Monday girl doesn't know that they don't trust her to dispense glasses! So I may yet get another phone call. However. I've found my last pair of glasses, so they can reglaze my current frames thankyou very much. 

I'm dressed, fed the birds, put out the recycling, filled the kettle ready for when P&S drop in for coffee, noted that there's an awful lot of traffic passing by, checked on tinternet - yep, there's a problem on the A15. Hope everyone is OK. 

Next: text DS and ask him to let me know when they are (a) at Manchester Airport and (b) on solid ground in Cyprus. Please.

Looking at Valli's list for today. Please sit down. Do you know - I'm inclined to have a go at Level 1. I'll need to tweak it a little as kitchen (like every room) is a WIP so it's abour half decluttered. But here goes....

If I don't report back please send out a search party.

Many thanks 
Rxx

Valli

Morning all

Still got aching ankles from being on my feet a lot of yesterday.  Taken some parrots. But I have ironed all yesterday's dried washing so it's now on the maidens, airing.  I've emptied the DW and put most of the things back into their proper places.  Yesterday's dinner required a double run of the DW so one was done last evening and then it was reloaded for a second run.  The line is full again as I've done two loads and pegged out.  

I've just booked my swimming group for today.  I might level 1 in the kitchen, the floor could do with a mop and I'll wipe down the worktops but I'm reluctant to do a full clean as the decorator is due this week.  I did manage to get all the glass shelving out of the cabinets I am flinging, and also the lights/wiring.

I've an order to pick up - for you know what (unless you're Eltee lol) 

Fayolle

Lots of progress at the allotment this morning in glorious sunshine with a chill in the air. I came home, and in the name of flying I cleaned various filters (Challenge for the day off my list), then cleaned the utility room sink. Cloths etc now hanging out to dry on the line. It dawned on me that, now the builders are slowly progressing through the many RoD, the rooms now need extra flying rather than the door just being shut. Bother. Still, at least I am making sure that there are no random places which are difficult to reach as we go through the rooms.
DH is cutting the hedge.  Unfortunately I am allergic to that particular hedge so I can’t be of assistance 🙄. I am going to plant a few plant babies in the back garden, then see if the ironing pile looks any more attractive than it did yesterday. After I have wandered off in search of Round, who may have fallen head first into the kitchen sink, or other such malarkey.
HB - I didn’t like to presume that it was a year since your event - that year has flown past. I hope you had a lovely celebration.

roundtuit

It turned into a mix and match.

Open some windows for some fresh air - one window opened for 20 minutes. Very fresh air.

Wash up, dry & put away ✅ - followed by washing and drying the grill pan and rack, and WUDUPA two vases 

Throw away manky dish cloth - I used it to wash Joey's cage floor. No inclination then to do anything other than bin it!

DS and DDil are at the gate - maybe even boarded now. He'll text me when they're settled at the hotel. 

I've put a treat in Joey's newly cleaned cage. He's side eyeing it in case it turns out to be something that attacks budgies! 

So, that's a tiny bit of Valli's list merged with a few bits off my own list. 

Rxx

Honey_Bear

eltee2 said:

Valli - I did wonder for a second what was happening in your life in 3 months time!

DOH!

Me too!

Thanks for the Listie last week Natty and this week Valli.

Thanks Fayolle.  We shared it with the three people who were our witnesses and all had the opportunity to reflect and chat about the institution of marriage.  Interesting as one is a divorcee, one is a widow and the other one has never been married, so we all have different experiences and feelings about it.  Neither Belovéd nor I had been legally entwined before, so we left it quite late to get hitched - he was 77 and I was 68.  There's an old maxim that if a women is still single at 35 she stands a higher chance of being involved in a terrorist incident than ever getting married but I don't think it's true but it bothered me when I turned 35.

Today I've:

- dealt with the next phase of the front steps (from several days ago, it's a bigger job than I wanted it to be); 

- dusted the pictures on the stairs and a few others for luck (yesterday's job, no time then);

- put the bird feeders back together, filled one of them up and hung it back up outside on the apple tree (they had to fully dry before I put them together as they're a bit rusty and I wanted to see if a bit of WD40 would help - it did); and

- did today's 'That needs doing' which was wiping down some paintwork.  I also dusted a dusty place but I didn't want to get carried away so I stopped.

There's a WM load out on the line in the sun.  Lovely.