Weekly Flylady Thread 7 September 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.





Monday List

Level 1

Open some windows for some fresh air.
Wash up, dry up and put away (or remove all pots to DW) 
Put away as much clutter from the worktop as you can - ideally only frequently-used appliances should be out. Wipe them first!
Clear sides and wipe down - wipe small appliances and caddies etc.  Don't forget the splashbacks or tiles! Got a 'wooden spoon' pot by the hob Or a 'tool' rack? Give it a good clean and wash the tools too!
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!
Clean/polish table - wipe mats/change cloth
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
Good slug of bleach down plugholes and in overflows
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 (see level 3 and extra tasks) ; update shopping list as appropriate
Wash and wipe fridge shelves and baskets.
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

Level 3

Check freezer - you need an up-to-date inventory. If you need space then use your invenory to inform your meal plan.
Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
Clean chairs (and highchairs) - don't forget under the seats where sticky fingers linger.
Clean windows in both rooms.
Go round the whole house wiping door handles, light switches and banisters - we WILL be germ-free!

EXTRAS

HHI
S&S bathroom
Check your 'prepping' stock - winter is not far away.
Meal plan for the week.

Tuesday's Tasks

Level 1
clear the deck - if it moves ship it out - we are not going to be 'scutchers' and wipe round things in the bathroom!
flush loo and squirt chemical of choice round the bowl
towels and mats in WM - on a hot wash
scrub bath/shower and taps

Level 2
wipe all shelves & ledges
clean window - and if you leave it cracked open (like I do) open it wide and wipe the frame
scrub basin and wipe outside of it, and pedestal if you have one

Level 3

Clean loo inside and out - really it should be outside and in because I always clean the bowl/under the rim last!

Clean floor according to type.

Extras
S&S kitchen

*scutcher - someone in Valliland was advertising for a cleaner but they didn't want a scutcher - well I had to ask… turns out that's someone who doesn't lift stuff up to clean under it.

Wednesday's List - lounge, hall, stairs and landing

Level 1

deal with flowers and pot plants
empty bins/ashtrays
clear gibble
plump cushions
wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum - look for all those dust-catching crevices - lift cushions and vacuum under them and swap them around for even wear

level 2
clean windows 
vacuum floors - and use an edging tool to get into all the nooks and crannies

level 3
dust all round - don't forget sills and skirtings
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
stand in the doorway and look back into the room - is it clean?

extras
S&s kitchen

S&S bathrooms
Check smoke alarms are working as they should

Thursday - kids/spare bedroom

Level 1

open windows - all over the house if you can!
strip bed
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin

Level 2

make bed with fresh bedding
clean bedside tables - check lights and lamps wok
vacuum/sweep/mop floor

Level 3
clean windows and sills and frames
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

Friday Flyladies come first list - master bedroom/boudoir

Level 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 - and fling anyting OOD/past it's best

EXTRAS

HHI
S&s kitchen
S&S bathroom

ionafan

Thank you Valli x

We're not sure whether or not we're meeting my uni friend P for lunch today - her DD is awaiting a phonecall from her GP and may need to go to hospital at short notice, so we are expecting P to ring us before 10.30. I can already hear DH moving around I the kitchen, so whatever happens, we shall have an earlier breakfast than usual - he obviously took to heart my comment last night that he will have to be ready to go out at 10.45 if P is able to make it.

I wrote my to-do list for this week and it is loooooong. Realistically, I doubt that I shall manage everything, but at least it's a plan of sorts. Two batches of jam and one of chutney will use up the last of the F&V and add to my stocks at church. The jam purse is filling up nicely 😊

This morning I need to phone my old utilities provider regarding my final electricity bill which has not materialised since I switched provider 2 weeks ago, although I received the final gas bill almost immediately. They are sitting on a pot of my money and I want it back! First, though, I will check my account online in the hope that something has been done by their "clever" software over the weekend when their call centre was shut. Somehow I doubt it. Wish me luck.

So far today I have checked finances and shuffled money around, and I've FUPA clean washing. One day this week I might even get round to dusting and hoovering…

DH has just called me down for breakfast. Wil report back later xxx

leftatthetrafficlights

Thanks for the new thread @valli 😁

I'm making my damson jelly and chutney today so I'll definitely need to sort the kitchen after that! 😳😂

roundtuit

Good luck iona xx

Morning all 😘

I'm up, made my bed, turned over the calendars, taken my meds, waved to NN's daughter as she heads for the school bus, supped a brew, and written a list for today - which is actually the Saturdailies list with extras. (Seeing as the Saturdailies didn't get done on Saturday and everything is topsy-turvy as a result.)

Horrible things like renew car tax insurance and make optician's appointment need attending to and keep being put off til tomorrow and then tomorrow never comes!

I'm on cat feeding duty for DB this week so the plan is to throw on some clothes, feed the puddies, then come home and start.

I think I have inhaled some of iona's guag. I'm making the most of it while it lasts!

Love to all

Rxx

Edited to change car tax to car insurance - brain fog!

Fayolle

Morning all,

Thank you for the list, Valli.

My horrible list includes finally just get this car insurance paid and done, then it’ll be back to business as usual. Towels are swishing, so that’s a start.
I have been struggling to get tile grout clean in the shower, so will try the pink stuff as I think I have some of that lurking. Thank you LATTL. Otherwise my armoury consists of white vinegar for anything shiny or when nothing else has worked and also to dilute fabric conditioner, bicarb for the kitchen sink, bio washing powder for oven shelves or anything else that needs a good soak. Washing up liquid is another go to for cleaning, and citric acid descales the kettle. Washing soda cleans the wm. I do use a supermarket bathroom cleaner and still use bleach for the toilets which makes me feel guilty at every glug.
Yesterday I managed to get a bag of decent sized potatoes dug so hopefully can repeat that today. After I’ve done the car insurance obviously 🥱.

Have a good day all x

ionafan

Thanks round - it worked! xx

I have received my final electricity bill and a refund of £288 will be in my bank account in 5-10 working days. That's progress 😀

Keep up the good work, Flyfriends xxx

ETA:

No, we haven't gone out to meet up with P for lunch, but will rearrange for another day.

I have done various bits of admin and taken in a parcel. Need to go to the PO now to post a different parcel and a birthday card.

Honey_Bear

@Blackcats I've just bought Nancy Birtwhistle's (ex Bake Off winner - I liked her a lot from the start) Clean Magic because I'd quite like to use fewer evil chemicals. As yet I haven't actually done anything about mixing up any of her potions but I've dipped in a read a few. We seem to have quite a lot of the ingredients she's using so I will, at some point, do something about that. If I find her recipes work well enough I'll gradually use up all of the old stuff and go fully green.

I've managed to calculate my protein intake for two meals and revved up how much I eat to see if it will give me some guag and stop me snacking on chocolate. We'll see. I meant to weigh myself this morning first thing but completely forgot. Tomorrow will do.

Spent an hour and a half working out how to connect the new hub for t'internet which works, and then a fruitless 20 minutes trying to find out how to return the old hub to Virgin. If they want it they're going to have to tell me where to send it to because it's not in their (almost useless) instructions. In the meantime it'll have to go up to the attic, along with all the other carp I don't actually want but can't seem to let go of. I did manage to clear an entire work surface in my RoD over the weekend and now that we've got t'internet back up and running I can put a coffee table that we no longer need on F/book M'plce at last. fling

Pollybear

Afternoon all. One washload done, hokey-cokeyed but then dried well and put away. Yesterday I dusted, polished and vacuumed through downstairs and washed the kitchen floor so I'm going to count that as today's flying ;)

Went out with DD1 and got a little shopping. Tomorrow I have to be round DD2's by 6.45 to "babysit" and then take DGD4 to school.

Hope everyone's OK x

roundtuit

I'm not a happy bunny. I contacted my car insurers to update them regarding my thyroidectomy and my renewal quote went up £200. 😱😳🤬

I looked at various comparisons (including mse) but by the time everything was added on they were all much of a muchness. So I contacted my original insurers, upped my voluntary excess, removed the guaranteed hire car and enhanced breakdown, and brought the quote down by £100. Still annoyed that I'm paying a £100 more than originally quoted for less whistles and bells but Google says insurers think I'm a higher risk now I'm on synthetic hormones 🤷‍♀️. Muttley muttering about the price of being too honest going on at this house.

I've showered, washed my hair, shaved, moisturised and got dressed; paid the gardener who mowed the grass and cut back the buddleias this morning; put out the rubbish and recycling; put new bin bags in bins; brought down the laundry hamper; put out fresh towels and tea towels; changed Sassy's water and seed; fed the birds; and requested a repeat prescription. Made a note on the calendar to pick up my prescription at the weekend, and to pay for car insurance next week.

Making an optician's appointment can wait until tomorrow. NN's daughter will be walking past on her way home from school at 4 pm so I'll wave again. I'll feed the puddies again at 5pm.

That's me done for the day!

Rxx

Fayolle

🤬I got above and beyond myself and the last batch of plum jam caught the bottom of the pan. Oh well, I have still jarred it. Then promptly remembered that I was going to make a cinnamon plum cake, and plum clafoutis 🤦‍♀️. After sprinkling sticky jam everywhere, I had to wipe the kitchen surfaces, the hob and the backsplash. I am leaving the hob deep clean for another day. Maybe. Kitchen peely bin given a wash and a scrub, td filters cleaned just because the list reminded me, wm drawer scrubbed with an old toothbrush and white vinegar. DH is stripping wallpaper in the DR, so no point in me venturing into there. Kitchen and utility floor vacuumed.

Dinner tonight will be a big veggie stirfry to dent some of the lurking veg in the fridge. Oh and I renewed the car insurance. Big girl pants on, called, made a minor change and got an acceptable sum knocked off. It shouldn’t have to be this way.

Valli

@ whoever was asking (and to whom HoneyBear replied) ah - Blackcats I too have Nancy's clean magic book (on kindle) and intend to whip up some of her recipes, not least because my friend bought me some ingredients but the little 'open all hours' type shop over there points in our tiny little shopping centre sells household soda and citric acid and I know where the reuse shop in town is so I have no excuse. I do swear by household soda - it is a fantastic degreaser and works wonders on plastic eg lego bricks.

I have been up and down my stepladder today carefully cataloguing and shelving jams and jellies. I need to turn my tally chart into a proper list but this time I will keep a paper copy in the cupboard with the jam for crossing off purposes. My friend rang v. stressed as she wanted to clean her wm draim and couldn't find a tray shallow enough to get under to catch the water - I told her I always use a towel as it can be shoved under the machine so then I googled how to get the flap off and I have cleaned my own WM filter. Eww.

DW emptied.

If anyone is into coffee and chocolate teacakes M&S capuccino teacakes are absolutely delish. I have now found out about el nino (wondered why the preppers were in a bit of a tizz - it's a thread I read and contribute to from time to time) so I have tinned soup and tinned tomatoes now… Power bank is almost full charged but I have found the little torch won't work - it's got that stuff from batteries in it so I think I am going to try a brillo pad on the contacts. Or see what google suggests.

Lots of tidying in the kitchen but I am planning on actually cleaning it tomorrow, now. I still have my swimming stuff to bring in and I also stuck the towel from the WM drain clean on the line - my laundry hamper is fabric so it is best if damp stuff never goes in there.