Weekly Flylady Thread 29 June 2026

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 - please bear in mind it was written some time ago but Toots, sadly is no longer with us but she is fondly remembered, as are Money Saving Diva, Cycling Yorkie and Mummy's Little Boy

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 - add to washing up if necessary!
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
Pop a jug of water in the fridge to chill for refreshing drinks if you have room.  I keep my water bottle (one of those metal flasks) in there once it's clean so I can take a chilled drink to bed with me or when I am out and about.
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
Clean the oven *shudder*
Dust dining area/room

Level 3

Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Sort through your jars of herbs and spices - check best before dates - list what you've got - and if it's grey when it should be green - fling it

EXTRAS

HHI if you're keen
S&S bathroom 
Do any of your dusters and cleaning cloths need a wash?
New month begins,  Do you need any cards?  
Get financial/budget/meal plans and/or spreadsheet up to date

ETA

While it is a little cooler look at ways to keep cool and, if you're using the oven, double up for one of those days when it is too hot to prep and cook and you're fed up of salads.

Triffic Tuesday

Living room

Level 1

open window
deal with flowers and plants
empty bins and ashtrays
clear coffee table, dust, polish and put back tidily
remove gibble

level 2
vacuum, dust or wipe sofas - lift cushion pads and remove crumbs if you can - swap them around for even wear
clean floor

level 3
dust all round
clean windows - all round the house if you have the stamina/time - I've done mine you can do yours

extras 
s&s kitchen
s&s bathroo

Wonderful Wednesday - the Boudoir

Lvel 1

open windows
strip bed
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin

level 2
make bed with fresh bedding
clean bedside tables
vacuum/sweep/mop floor

level 3
clean windows
dust all round
Use a damp cloth to wipe lotions and potions 

extras
S&S bathroom
S&S kitchen
Bin bag dance...fling that gibble

Thursday - bathrooms of any type

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.

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
Get a bucket of hot, soapy water and wipe down window frames - open them and clean all the grime that gets on the frames, sills and in the traps. A drop of oil in the hinges wouldn't go amiss too.
HHi
S&S kitchen
The nights are drawing in - Do you need to book a chimney sweep?  Order logs?  Heating oil?

FRIDAY FLOURISH - DEAL WITH A DISASTER AREA

You know the kind of place - you open the door, grab what you need and scarper. It might be the airing cupboard, under the stairs, a shed, porch or garage…

First of all - take a long hard look. It may well be too much for one day - that's fine. If that's the case pick a 'dot' - a cupboard, a corner, a shelf and deal with that (see dot-to-dot, above). If it's a smaller area, empty it out, sort into 'throw/donate/retain' and put what you're keeping back, neatly, having wiped/vacuumed/dusted. Put anything to be thown in or by the bin, put donations in the car ready to drop off.

If it's a dot-to-dot project then identify the next dot - and schedule it into your diary. Stop before you get tired, don't be over ambitious. A garage or a shed is a lot of work…

Narc0lepsy

Thanks for lists even though I'm more off-piste than ever in the heat.

After a rather restless and sultry night, I got up at some unprecedented hour (for me) and worked in the greenhouse and garden from 4.45-6am. Then went back to bed and woke up at about 9.30.

• went to church. After church, the vicar demonstrated the new (to us) robot vacuum cleaner. Wow. He can just sit at home with his phone and ask it to vacuum round whichever part of the church it's in, after which it will return itself to its station, empty its dust, park and re-charge. Cue mass heading to Am@zon by the congregation.
• went to next-door villages open gardens. Started to get pretty hot again so we didn't do them all.
• put car on charge when I got home; all worked fine. So its first 90miles cost £1.94 if we're reading the meter correctly so I'm not complaining.
• Did a variety of admin work.
• Mr N did a lot of kitchen surface clearing/disinfecting as we've had mouse issues. 3 or 4 caught in the last couple of days; 3 in humane trap and carted down to the garden (def. 1 big and 1 small; could have been 2 big or maybe a repeat offender) and 1 in snaptrap.
• drumming practice

ionafan

Wow, Valli, what a journey! I'm glad you the party was worth the effort.

Thank you for the new thread. I'm not sure how much flying I shall manage this week as my diary is surprisingly full of one-off events.

This evening I decluttered the job of prepping and cooking our main meal, having encouraged DH to take me out to one of our local pubs because they had sent me a 25% off voucher to help me celebrate my half-birthday! I have now deleted the used voucher off my phone, so that's even more decluttering achieved 😁. I thoroughly enjoyed my lasagne, and DH enjoyed his fried haddock - but generously saved the tail end for Rosie. In true MSE mode we came home for dessert (ice cream) and coffee 😉.

xxx

MinnieMousesMummy

Morning all, Thank you for the new thread

My list for today

• Feed the animals and walk the dog
• Do paid stuff (kennels, promoting, invoicing)
• Attend physio appointment
• Attend uni meeting
• Empty the living room bin
• Empty the bathroom bin
• HHI
• Laundry x 1 load
• Take the car to the garage for MOT retest
• Attend docs appointment
• Spend 2 hours on exam revision
• Sort out the finance spreadsheet for next month
• Spend an hour on the required coursework
• Feed the animals and walk the dog
• Sort bags, lunches and clothes for tomorrow

I think that is everything that I need to tackle today. I hope everyone has a lovely Monday

wendywitch

Sorry I have been absent again. My Dad was rushed into hospital last week after having 2 consecutive seizures. I was half way to my group on the bus when my mum called me. I jumped off the bus just in time to get the other on going back.

I won't go into details but things were pretty rough. Things are alot better now and he's started to use words again. I think alot of it is helped by him not being able to drink alcohol. He currently not happy that he's not allowed out of bed but tbh we don't know if he can walk yet but he can move his legs in bed.

Anyway only the bare minimum has been done since then as Mum and I have been up the hospital everyday but I'm hoping to get back into some routine.

Yesterday I managed to do a freezer inventory, rejig my meal plan and write out my shopping lists.

Today I've unloaded the dishwasher, stripped the bed and collected all towels, flannels and cloths and put a wash on. It's now done and in the TD, no point trying to put it on the line as next door as still doing building work. It's been going on forever. I've also put the WM on a cleaning wash.

I'm going to finish my coffee then hopefully the TB will have finished then I can put that all in the airing cupboard and S/S round the kitchen sides then it'll be time to go to my parents and feed the pigeons for my Dad.

Valli

Hope your dad improves soon WW

Washing on the line. Watered thirsty plants and wandered over the road to pick up the plastic paint lid which was put out with a pile of scrap metal which, of course, the scrapman didn't take. When I put out scrap metal it is on my own property; this was left on the communal 'green' bit where the trees are - why they didn't check everything had been picked up I don't know but I was sick of seeing it so it's gone in my bin.

I've washed the mat from the kitchen so need to peg that out and I've just phoned my sister to tell her who said what at the party. She couldn't make it as she was at a wedding.

I have sent my daily message to my friend so now I ought to shift my derriere and get some cleaning done while it's cooler.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

First day back at the paid stuff after my hols which went well, a little anxious but not too bad. I managed 20 minutes of strength training first thing and a little walk at lunchtime which was good. (Almost) all of the clean laundry put away while DH made pasta sauce.

I will attempt 30 minutes of cleaning in the kitchen once we have eaten, then it's feet up.

Pollybear

One washload done today, we had a little drizzle this morning but luckily it didn't come to much and the washing dried by early afternoon. All put away (I don't iron).

Went to local town where we had a walk, coffee and did a little shopping. Met two gorgeous 5 month old black labs then met them later in the park when they were off lead and they raced up to us like old friends. Made my day :)

Spent an hour in the garden, deadheading, watering, putting down new bark where I dug out a plant yesterday and planted a new one. Then sweeping up. It's been a nice breeze the last couple of days but I'm a bit tired of sweeping up now. Mostly neighbour's leaves.

Hope your father continues to improve WW. Hope everyone else is OK x

ionafan

GWS wishes for your Dad, @wendywitch. Hospital visiting is wearing, especially if you're sitting on a ward without air conditioning in hot weather. Unfortunately even our new hospitals don't seem to be properly equipped for temperature fluctuations. Last time my DH was admitted he landed up in the Respiratory ward which thankfully is on the top floor, so has good ventilation (just open all the windows and let the air blow through!) - but that isn't the case with wards that are built lower down and round small courtyards.

I have cleared a lot of admin today, done another WMx2, collected my meds, and found time to call on a friend and declutter a cuppa with her.

Rosie is in a very happy mood this evening - gone all puppyish!

DH has finally got a GP surgery appointment with one of the nurses, to have his ulcerated leg re-dressed. He is experiencing pain in his foot and I don't want him going sick before our holiday week which starts this Saturday. He has a habit of (unintentionally) ruining our holiday plans. Fingers crossed, not this time please.

Tomorrow I need to check the !!!!!! again and meal plan for the rest of the week before I go shopping. We have plenty of ready cooked meals in the freezer, home made of course, but fish (not already cooked) will definitely have to be on the menu one night as I bought quite a lot last month.

xxx

Valli

Iona! language! (no clue what the word should be lol)

Been to outswimming cancer then we went to a newly-reopened (under new management) cafe in the country park there - waves. Usually we have a coffee in the sports centre cafe. Made a nice change.

WM locked and loaded. Lots of windows cleaned inc car while the sun didn't shine.

Narc0lepsy

WW best wishes for your Dad's speedy recovery.

• went to Body Pump
• went to library, passing unexpectedly a new clothes shop selling the Italian non-iron casual clothes I tend to buy from stalls at county shows and fairs. Lovely young assistant, when I asked in desperation if she was any good at colours, said yes she was a fashion design student and she gave me useful advice so I came out with 2 skirts and 2 tops, mix n match and i know will go with plenty of other things. Got home and sorted out 3 items to take to charity shop. Yes I know I need to find one more item - but I did retire my old trainers after slipping in Body Pump this morning. Into the gym bin they went before I changed my mind.
• spent ages with Mr N, a calculator and a forum-dwellers formulae on calculating best utilities tariffs.
• did various other bits of admin
• did a bit of gardening, picked some 'patty pan' squash, broad beans and mangetout to have with dinner.
• sorted out seating and storage in car, putting its charger, cleaner and tools in the bottom layer (boot has 3 sections). Put back the items I'd removed from the old car and which I always keep in a car (lipsyl, water bottle, pen, £1 coin, disinfectant wipes, germigel, umbrella, ice scraper - cuddly toy anyone?).
• looked up the English test centre in Stratford as a church friend who immigrated her a couple of years ago is going to take the 'Your life in the UK' test and wants moral support to get there. Tried a practice test myself and just passed - I'm rubbish at history and politics!

Tomorrow I need to do my gym swim promptly, have coffee with 'the girls' quickly and get a couple of hours in at work before I go for the boob-squishing (routine).