Weekly Flylady Thread 12 January 2026

Valli

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.
Welcome to the weekly Flylady Thread. 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 (ooh a compound adjective) content!
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 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

ok Here goes this Week...

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.  Scrub doorseal.
Wipe 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

NEW YEAR CHALLENGE - CLEAR THE BACKLOG

This is an optional challege.  

Go through your food store - dry goods and cans - and list what needs to go.  Then ensure this list stays where you food plan and plan to use it up asap.

Then food plan for the week making sure at least one day has a plan which gives you the opportunity to use up something from your food store.

Tuesday ...Living Room, Hall, stairs and landing

Level 1

Open lots of windows and let that fresh air in while beds are airing
Deal with cut flowers and pot plants - top up water/wipe leaves/remove drooping or dead blooms
Wash out vases
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 tables and leave tidy
Sort newspapers/magazines

Level 2
Clean windows and mirrors 
Clean doormats
waggle a long thin duster or brush behind/between radiator panel and remove all that fluff and dust.  

once the dust has settled vacuum it all up.


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 open/close it.
Check for cobwebs and eliminate!
Clean lightshades and lampshades; check all lighting is functioning as it should - vacuum fabric shades; wash glass shades 
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

Wishy Washy Wednesday 

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

HHI
S&S kitchen
sit in a well-lit corner and attack your mending pile 

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, sill, wipe switches and sockets
clear and then desk (if office)

Level 3

Vacuum/sweep/mop floor
And think - does this room offer every comfort to guests?  An extra blanket/pillow for the bed, accessible lighting from the bed?  Tissues?  A chair?  Bedside table with space for glasses/phone?

extras

HHI
S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom

Friday Flourish - you can't pour from an empty cup so you need a clean, tidy and restful Master bedroom

Level 1 

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

Level 2

Dust/vacuum headboard and/or bedframe
Flip mattress if you are able to and if necessary
Vacuum mattress
Remake bed

Level 3

Dust and wipe - all flat surfaces and sticky pots (lotions and potions)
Polish mirrors - while you're at it you may as well clean the windows
Vacuum/sweep/mop floor

Extras

S&S kitchen
S&S bathroom
HHI

mumofjusttwo

thank you Valli for the new thread. 

Honey_Bear

Thank you for the listies Natty and Valli.

Didn't post today as I gave myself an afternoon off.  However, in the morning I flung some ood herbs and spices, washed and recycled the empty instant coffee jar and managed to finish sorting out the Cupboard of Doom in my RoD.  I've looked in it for weeks and not known how to deal with all the gibble; did a bit every day for a few days and this morning realiesd I had one more shelf to sort out and it would be finished.  So it is.  Much relief.  

Tomorrow I move on to another cupboard or drawer of doom but I haven't decided which it will be yet.

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for threads and lists. 
I haven't posted for a few days, no particular reason so I'll have to summarise:
- Friday started with Pilates then a bit of tidying before Mr N and I hit St. Evenage shops. Bought new hob (with voucher); new swimsuit (M&5 so not as cheap as other sports shops I'd looked in, but certainly better quality. Why do even 'sports' shops sell suits that are so thin - for aqua aerobics I need a bit of support!! sorry tmi).  H0bbycr@ft: bought a Christmas tree storage bag for the church tree and decs, reduced to a fiver and I had a £2.50 voucher.     Sadly we couldn't find any curtains; seems now it's cold, the demand is for super thick ones and these need to be manageable for the kitchen, not Jacquard!
- Saturday deliberated over my usual lake swim as weather was just grey. Sun and ice is fine; snow would be exciting......anyway friend said she'd meet me there for a coffee so I did go in. Lots of ice still although there was a bit more lake to swim in than last week, but still limiting although fun.   Afternoon was leisurely flying then Mr N and I decided to go to the cinema (yet another voucher: 2 free tickets courtesy of a certain bank cashback).
- Sunday I read in church.  Made a 'loaf' of lentil bread from a recipe I'd discovered. It's a bit more like a strange nut roast than bread, but a slice was nice with cheese and it was quick & easy to make.      Hand-washed a few Christmas clothes (jumper, blouse and skirt) so they are hanging up to dry.     Nearly finished knitting another glove. Got a bit of a head's start on the kitchen as Mr N cooked so I wudupa and wiped surfaces.  We've booked a show for his birthday (August, but tickets were selling fast) and looked at hotels to make a mini-break of it; he will be 75. 

So, not an enormous amount but I'm fairly satisified with the last few days.

ionafan

Thank you Valli for the new list xx  I shall be in this week, a little every day.  I do need to do a proper FF/store cupboard inventory

I haven't done any more photo sorting today but I did take all the rubbish pictures and negatives and the paper recycling out to the bins.  There is a bag of soft plastic to go to the C0-0p tomorrow, but that's considerably less weighty!

Rosie stayed huddled up in her corner all afternoon and let me sleep.  It's now pouring with rain, and the temperature has risen from around minus 1 first thing this morning to plus 9 this evening!!!  DH went out to his wargames and said the hills were fine apart from the last hundred yards to the hall where they meet, with that particular road being a dead end and therefore having had very little traffic along it.  I doubt that there's any of the white stuff left anywhere round here now.

I've just ordered DGS2's birthday present and it should be delivered to my DD tomorrow, in plenty of time.  I bought DH's birthday present (for the end of the month) before Christmas, and there are no other family birthdays in January, but my goddaughter W will be 12 on 1st February so I mustn't forget to plan for that: I might take her out for a day in half term week, if I can find a suitable exhibition or other event - that needs a bit of research.

Hope everyone has a good week xxx

weenancyinAmerica

@Narc0lepsy - I made my kitchen curtains out of terry tea towels. 

Fayolle

Morning all,
Thank you for the lists, I am definitely in this week after the distractions of the past couple of weeks. And as much I usually avoid the kitchen lists, I am knuckling down. Towels are in the wm, the full dw is running. Splashback and one surface cleaned, as is the fruit bowl.
DH’s car alarm has been playing up since he went out last evening. Spookily, the tv also turned itself off twice when the alarm triggered…. He needs to find put what is causing the car problem - and right on cue it is off again. Last time it was a mouse that got in and kept triggering the alarm. Try finding a mouse in all the nooks and crannies!

Valli

Morning all

DW, WM and TD all x 1

Upstairs (office) recycling bin brought down - I filled the bin last collection so this never got emptied.

Waiting to have my breakfast. Another 10 minutes....

twinklie

I’m working today but I emptied out some of the bins whilst rushing round this morning before leaving the house. 

Had a slight woo hoo (actually a bigger one) moment. The kitchen circuit broke over the weekend. So we’ve been cooking via lamp light, which has been hard work (and led to a backlog of washing up). FIL was an electrical engineer so he came and had a look this morning. Turns out the switch went, so that element is now sorted. But it’s led to a conversation about changing the lights. Boo. 

I’m sooo tired today. Not sure how much more will get done today outside of the necessary in the kitchen. 

I did clean all round the cooker, counters and extractor fan hood yesterday though. 

Honey_Bear

Five minutes dusting in the kitchen has dealt with the glass shelves that I somehow never get round to doing, DW unloaded and all put away, rejects and leftover washing from last night run through the sink.  I've also written an email that I knew would have to be done today but didn't want to write.  I'm relieved it's done and pleased with the composition of it, although sad to have to have sent it.  One of those.  A tadpole that I didn't want to become a frog.

I'm going to jump in the shower now and then walk the dog.  I want to finish checking the herbs and spices for out of dateness, and stocktake the fridge to see what needs using up.  I think we're pretty much through all the Christmas / New Year / Belovéd's birthday special supplies, all of which have now settled around my middle.  I'm a kilo heavier than on New Year's Eve!

After that I'll tackle the kitchen list but I'll probably cherry pick the things that are easy peasy or so grim I can't ignore them when someone reminds me These Things Probably Do Need Doing.

twinklie

Scratch that - longer than expected break. 

Put a wash on, hung one on the airer and have another on my bed ready to fold. 

Being fairly productive in the breaks of the training day I’m on. I’m attending remotely. It’s like a nice sensory break actually and keeping me focused whilst I’m in the sessions because I’m glad of the sit down.