Weekly Flylady Thread 5 October 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 - she is fondly remembered, as are Money Saving Diva, Cycling Yorkie and Mummy's Little Boy.





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) 
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 - remove turntable and wash it.
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

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
Do a larder inventory - following the Government Emergency Preparedness guidelines and make a shopping list

Tuesday Tasks - lounge, hall, stairs and landing

Level 1

Open windows - let in fresh air!

deal with flowers and pot plants -wipe, water and discard any that have gone over (ideally into compost bin)

empty bins/ashtrays
clear gibble - put AWAY as much stuff as possible - no-one needs a sheaf of papers shoved behind a clock on a mantel - remember a clear space looks like a clean space!
plump cushions
wipe sofas with leather wipes or vacuum fabric - use a damp cloth to remove any marks or to help gather pet hairs - 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!
Dust 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

Wednesday - guest room, spare room, study or a room that needs a reset

Level 1 - clear the deck

open windows - all over the house if you can!
strip bed

clear desk
clear floordrobe and chairdrobe
empty bin

Level 2 - reset

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

Level 3 - finishing touches

clean windows and sills and frames
deal with any neglected area appropriately

Extras

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

Fayolle

Morning all,

Thank you for the lists, Valli. I’m on the kitchen this morning. I have actually cleaned the jug that holds the wooden spoons 😇 so thank you for that prompt. I am contemplating cleaning a window. Just the one as yesterday I actually cleaned the LR windows and french doors which feels way beyond the call of window cleaning duties for one week. Towels and cleaning cloths washed. DH packed off for the day. Other jobs on my list include booking a Mr M delivery for the end of the week.
Have a good Monday all x

Valli

Sorry about the late link - thought I had posted it but it was still there this morning.

Washing on line

rabbit hutch cleaned

Pollybear

Afternoon all. One washload done, I checked the forecast before I put it on and it said dry. When I went out to put the line up it was drizzling and continued to do so for the rest of the morning so I put it on the airer. Finally got it hung out this afternoon but half of it is still only half dry.

Out with DD1 this morning for coffee and moral support (for her), back home and out again with DH for a walk, coffee and shopping. Not planning to do much but I've done the usual daily wiping round in the kitchen and I dustpanned the floor. Good enough for now.

Hope everyone's OK.

MadamMim2013

Evening all 👋🏼

Thanks for the lists Valli ☺️

Weird odd jobs done today.. new chest freezer in, sorted and eventually filled (well part filled.. I now need to do some shopping 🤣)

Kitchen s/s multiple times and various meals made.. did empty the bin and food waste ( gave both receptacles a wash)

Helping neighbour with continued mischievous Ivy.. it’s got in everything and even broken electrical wires 😬😖 thankfully hubster fixed that when he finished work, got sweet treats as a reward & was most grateful for them too 🤣

Broken out in bloomin acne for the first time in yonks.. not amused.. Grrr to HRT.. they can’t seem to get the doses right, yet without anything the body slows to a painful crawl.. 😫 I’m sure it’ll sort itself in the end 🤞🏼

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Well today has gone a bit pear shaped in terms of Flying, I am volunteering for an event this weekend and was drafted in to help with the paperwork tonight after a full day of paid stuff. Just sat down but not fretting about it, this particular bit of volunteering is a one off.

I did manage to take 5 bags of garden rubbish to the tip on my way home (dressed in skirt and smart suede boots). The garden has become neglected and one way or another I am determined that it will get sorted before winter hits, so that was yesterday's project. I keep pointing out to DH that the rubbish has to actually leave our property or we will never achieve anything.

I will empty the DW before bed. Packed lunch for tomorrow is to organise too.

Hope I sleep tonight, I have been dreaming a lot lately. I will put this down soon and read instead.

MinnieMousesMummy

Morning all, Please count me in for the rest of this week. Most of yesterday was taken up with paid stuff so didn't get much done.

My list for today

• Get the kids to school
• Feed the animals and walk the dog
• Clean the coffee machine
• Empty the DW
• Tidy up the kitchen and load the DW
• Attend uni lectures
• Laundry x 1 load
• Update information in the signature
• Spend an hour on paid stuff admin
• Spend an hour sorting planner
• Clean the litter tray
• Collect the kids from school
• Take DD to her tutor session
• Take DD to the stables so she can feed her ponies
• Feed the animals and walk the dog
• Sort clothes, bags and lunches for tomorrow

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

Jazee

Morning all. Hope you're doing okay.

Today I have changed bedding, freshened sofa covers and walked Poppet in the rain before dropping her off at the vet. Turns out she's not got a water infection and is now having surgery today. Posivibes please, she's an old girl now.

I need to wash up breakfast dishes, sort finances (see comment above), hoover through, pop to post office then look at the list. I may or may not go to my exercise class today depending on what time I need to pick Poppet up.

Have a great day everyone.

wendywitch

Hiya,

I spent most of yesterday with DD1 and GD. DD1 came over to put her prime thingy on my TV so I can watch all the seasons of The A-Team (original). We then went back to theirs to play and get dribbled on. After that I went to my appointment at the job centre.

So this morning I've -

• Unloaded and reloaded the DW
• Wiped all the sides
• Wiped all the appliances including the microwave
• Clean the hob
• Cleaned all the cupboard and drawer fronts and inside some of the cupboards that had grumpy marks
• Cleared the table of things that shouldn't be there
• Hoovered the floor, I'll mop later before I go to bed.
• Chuked the sponge and changed cloths and tea towel.

Yesterday, I put both the DW & WM on cleaning washes. I also finished my shopping list and placed the order for delivery.

I've now stopped for a coffee and a snack. I'll start the front room after while I wait for the call from the epilepsy nurse.

Pollybear

Afternoon all. Hope Poppet comes through her surgery well Jazee x

One washload done, sulked on the line and now in front of the dehumidifier. Went out with DD2 this morning and had coffee and bought a few bits and pieces. Didn't spend much. Before that I full cleaned the bathroom and toilet. I regularly clean the toilet and sink but I have to force myself to do the full clean (everything out, everything wiped down etc).

Feeling very tired today and DH is too. I planned to do the bedrooms as well today but I went out instead. I have to pace myself nowadays. Tomorrow I have two school runs and in between have to look after DGD2, who is still unwell, and her dog.

Off to wash my hair now before I forget. It looks awful when I just wash it but it's better when I've slept on it so I do it late afternoon when I don't expect to go out again!

Hope everyone's OK x

ionafan

Posivibes for Poppet - I hope she has come through the surgery well xx

DH and I had our Covid and flu jabs yesterday morning. By mid-evening I had started coughing, then shivering - not sure if it was a reaction to the jabs. I had a rrrrrufffff night and I was still feeling terrible this morning, so I have spent almost all of today snoozing on the sofa. Coming upstairs to my study to catch up with you all was an endurance test - but I made it 😀 As you can imagine, I'm not in a state to fly, but fortunately yesterday I had hoovered all through downstairs and given the kitchen a thorough clean before we went to the pharmacy, so the house is pretty tidy. DH has managed to keep me supplied with tea and coffee all day. Obvs I didn't go to Knit & Natter.

Hoping to have more energy tomorrow: yesterday I also prepped a batch of mini-Christmas cakes (ingredients weighed out but not yet mixed) and a SC full of chutney ingredients, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will be ok.

xxx