Weekly Flylady Thread 20 October 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

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
Flylady card swap --have you signed up yet?

Wednesday - Hump day 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?

Extras
HHI
S&S kitchen and bathroom
Binbag dance

Thursday Thrills - Master bedroom

Level 1 

Strip bed - and leave to air for as long as you can
Open windows
Clear floordrobe/chairdrobe
Empty Bin

Level 2

Dust/vacuum headboard and/or bedframe
Flip mattress if you are able to and if necessary
Remake bed
Check all lighting is fully functional

Level 3

Dust and wipe - all flat surfaces and sticky pots (lotions and potions) and electricals - hairdryers etc can get yucky quickly
vacuum hairdryer air inlet
Polish mirrors - while you're at it you may as well clean the windows
Vacuum/sweep/mop floor

Extras
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroomr

Thank goodness it's Friday
kids room/spare room whatever

level 1
open window - if not to windy/rainy
strip bed
remove rubbish

level 2
remake bed
clean window and sill
Level 3

dust everywhere
clean floor as appropriate
extras
hhi
s&s kitchen
s&s bathroom

Teaparty_mum

I would like to join please.

Today I’ve literally blitzed the house from top to bottom as I’ve not done any cleaning since last weekend as I had injections in my spine so been unable to. So today was my “reset” day. This week I’m looking after my grandchildren as my DD is working so I’m not going to be at home so that’s another reason why everything that needs to be done has been done and I can just keep on top of the house daily. X

ionafan

Welcome Teaparty_mum.  I agree that going out is the best way to keep your house tidy!

Hope you're feeling better, round x

Thank you for the new thread, Valli x
I shall be in as much as possible this week, but the decorator is coming to do my bedroom on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday so I shall have to work round him and the redistribution of the room's contents.

I have already moved out all my precious family history stuff, in the process rearranging the study shelves to accommodate my grandfather's school trunk and the airing cupboard to make space once again for the metal shelving unit which is piled high with albums and boxes or prints, negatives and slides.  As you can tell, I haven't been doing much photo sorting over the summer [hangs head in shame] but it is firmly on my to-do list for the winter months
.
Whilst sorting through the things in the airing cupboard I decided to heed Natty's exhortation to declutter anything that I was holding onto for Justin Case, and found enough stuff to fill 2 bags for the CS.  I even dropped them off at the Air Ambulance CS on my way home from church today (well, it was a bit of a detour, but it's done now!).

The WM is on, as I'm hoping to get a lot of the pile almost dry in the TD so that it will dry thoroughly on the airers before the decorator starts his work.

Tomorrow I must empty the rest of bedroom cupboards and drawers, label the jars of marmalade and jam and pack them up in boxes, and move what I can of the bed downstairs.  I also want to make another batch of marmalade in the SC, as I was gifted another 6 empty jars today.  So now, in what's left of this evening, I must deal with admin, update my diary and clear my desk, as well as finishing off WMx3. 

Hope you all have a good week xxx 

weenancyinAmerica

@Teaparty_mum Sounds like the shot may be helping? I hope it is.

Teaparty_mum

@weenancyinAmerica it’s not too bad tbh I have got pain. I have fibromyalgia so living with pain is like the normal for me.. I just keep going until everything I’m doing is done as I also have ADHD so I can’t just stop.. 🙄

ionafan

FLYLADY SECRET SANTA

Thanks to all who responded so promptly.
This will definitely go ahead.

If anybody else would like to join in, please PM me as soon as possible.
The absolute deadline is midnight on Friday 14th November.
Thank you!

weenancyinAmerica

@Teaparty_mum - I was diagnosed with fibro also, and am ADHD too. Today I have managed to feed the cats, turn on and off the water faucet in the pool (have to keep it at a certain level or the filter doesn't work), done some of the dishes, cleaned up after cats, and cleaned the toilet. This may be the extent of my flying today. I really need to sweep also but we shall see. We had to have our oldest cat PTS on Wednesday, worked at the two day Library book sale, and got my Covid shot. The combination is not good for getting much done. 

Too cold now to use the pool but I have to keep the filters going so it doesn't turn green. I only used it a couple of times as there is no handhold to get out. I found something I can put in the end of the pool to help me get out so maybe next year - once it warms up - I can try again. The neighbor's children have enjoyed it a lot (I am glad to have someone use it as I have to pay to have it cleaned every week).

Our storm from last week is still heading to the British Isles. It is a strong one. Stay warm and dry. 

Narc0lepsy

Welcome Teaparty mum.
Honeybear said  If Narco and Fayolle are up for it I'll happily join in a Sort My Recipe Collection Challenge.     Sounds good to me; I didn't complete the September challenge as it was way too big i.e. converting my home office into a hobby room, but I'm plodding on. However the recipe sort is a tiny bit more manageable as I have one book which I've written recipes in, the newish file of plastic pockets that I've barely begun, plus lots of bits of paper.  Well, plus years worth of Mr T magazines to go through (and probably some Mr S etc as well). Looking through some recipes is a bit melancholy-inducing as my heart is in the days when my parents, DB and SIL, BIL, Mr N and I used to take turns to host Christmas day; I used to love getting the magazines (and probably in those days, Family Circle and something else that always had a Christmas special), planning special meals and cooking.    My stepdad and I were the real Christmas fanatics and he's been gone nearly 20yrs; DB has got less keen on festivities as the years have gone by and of course Mum is in a care home. This year is Mr N and I's turn to have Christmas dinner in the care home with Mum and somehow sort out what we will do with BIL who would otherwise be alone, plus trying to persuade DB to do something festive (although as we are sadly burying SIL's mum on Thursday, there is no saying what they will want to do).       However I'm lucky in many ways with who is still around and I should just be happy with the memories.......

Walked to church today and managed to avoid the rain, which started within a few minutes of me getting home.
Had a chat to DB about funeral arrangements for Thursday, followed by email from SIL who confirmed that if I'd like to do some flowers for the grave it would be appreciated.
Caught up on a whole load of 'flagged' emails.
Compared the wall calendar from the kitchen with what's on my electronic calendar as we have quite a few birthdays, funerals, medical appointments and other events this month.     Particularly I need to plan when next to visit Mum as I will need to get her Christmas list of card recipients, get cards and help her sign them next time I'm there. 

Jazee

Morning all.  Welcome teaparty and sorry for your loss weenancy.

 I was quite busy all weekend.  Had a charity fundraiser, cut grass back and front, cut down raspberry canes, hoovered through, made a chocolate cake and kept washing up to date as well as usual dailies and dog walks.  Also spent more time getting my head round windows 11 on my new pc.

Today DD is visiting with her two and I have a dentist appointment this afternoon.

Have a great day everyone 

Teaparty_mum

Morning all,
Rubbish night’s sleep due to restless legs but managed to grab a couple of hours in the chair so nothing planned today as I’m on nanny duty today as DD is working, So going to save my energy for that as all 3 grandchildren have SEN needs bless them. Luckily the house was blitzed yesterday.. 

Have a good day everyone xx 

Valli

Morning all

I am actually doing the kitchen as per the list, not least because it was a dumping ground.  So far I have emptied the DW, emptied the WM and run a load through TD all while clearing out - to the bin, the waste food bin, the compost bin and the recycling bin.  Jam jars have gone to the big box in the shed and stuff has been WUALTD and pots away.  Already I can see order coming from chaos.  So, now it's clear I can actually clean.

Just popped onto the mac to book my swim.

Welcome TeapartyMum