Flylady curious

[Bellatrixurstrange]

Can someone share their daily routine as I'm thinking of trying it (chronically untidy, hoarder, panic at the thought of guests). However the site totally put me off a few years ago and the EMAILS were cult-like and made no sense. I've lost my way in housekeeping due to a recent bereavement and a nasty round of scarlet fever.

So I would appreciate a no-bullshit, spam-free routine to get my bungalow in shape so I don't avoid houseguests. Can ANYONE advise? Please don't redirect me to flylady - it's too much for my eyes!

Please help/advise.

[Bellatrixurstrange]

Nobody? Nobody will share their cleaning routine? Or offer advice? Well I never!

[newyearnotnewme]

Hi Bellatrix,
I did flylady a few years ago and decided I hated it after a while. I found it really patronising and hated the way she suggested that everyone else would get on board if only you did everything first and set the example. Def not true in my house! I also hated the anti-feminist message of the whole thing. Maybe it's changed since then though.

I'm a single mum (widowed) with three young children, so I have to keep on top of the house as it goes to pot very quickly otherwise. I've come up with a plan that is working so far...

First, make a list of all the regular cleaning jobs that need to be done, e.g. Hoovering, cleaning bathroom...

If you have more than ten jobs in your list, group them so you end up with ten, so for example hoovering and washing floors might go together. If you have less than ten in your list split them (e.g. Hoovering could be split into upstairs and downstairs.)

Then allocate these tasks to a two week rolling timetable, Monday-Friday.

The advantage of this is that you only need to get one or two bits of equipment out per day. I think with flylady she works in zones, but that means most equipment has to be used every day. What my 'system' means is that no single area looks totally sparkling at any one time, but equally you can keep on top of the whole house. Also it seems quick and manageable - if all you have to do on a Monday, for example, is dust through, it feels doable.

This assumes that you have at least 10-15 minutes every day to give up to cleaning. It's not a method that will work for everyone, but it works for me at the moment.

With the hoarding, I find I'm much better at getting rid of stuff if it's going to charity. I do remember that flylady thing of three bags - one for charity, one for rubbish, one for ?? What was the third? I think a variation of that could be useful.

Hope that helps!

[newyearnotnewme]

Oh, and it means you get two days off at the weekend, not one as flylady suggests. I'm far too busy at the weekend to clean - not exactly having 'family fun days' as she suggests, but trying to keep three kids busy and entertained.

[Bellatrixurstrange]

Thanks newyearnotnewme

[Wauden]

I have to confess the only thing that works for me is to get a cleaner. I have to get things off the floor, clear up surfaces and tidy up so that she can actually clean. I spent a long time thinking about it and finally admitted I couldn't cope otherwise! I have cut down on things to pay for it. Too stressful to work away ages before a guest comes.

[mybrainhurtsalot]

There is a monthly mumsnet thread where the OP posts the day's tasks so you can follow a flylady routine without having to get flylady emails etc. I'll try to link:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/2626901-May-be-this-time-Fledglings-flutter-through-May-2016-Flylady-thread

I'm not on it but sometimes lurk for inspiration.

[SpareCrust]

Hi Bellatrix I would thoroughly recommend giving Flylady another go. I agree the language on her website is barftastic in the extreme but the underlying system is sound.

Me and a few others started the Fledgling website six years or so ago precisely for the reasons you state (to avoid all of her clap trap) and all of our houses have improved as a result. It is a very friendly thread. YOu would be very welcome to dip in and out as you please! Don't let all the off-topic chat put you off (I'm one of the worst off-topic culprits ) but we've known one another for so long now and supported one another through various trials and tribulations that we do tend to natter quite a bit. However, it is possible to just go to the posts of the thread leader (highlighted in different colour if you have that customisation) and follow the links for that day (usually posted night before) without any of the other Flylady nonsense and intrusive e-mails.

The basic system of building up daily routines ie keeping your kitchen sink clean, doing one load of laundry a day, laying out clothes for the next day the night before, doing a quick daily swish and swipe of the bathroom, decluttering for 15 mins a day (on the grounds that you can't clean clutter) etc etc becomes second nature and hugely improve one's ability to give on top of the daily grind.

And although I don't necessarily do the zone work exactly as she lays it out, it gives me a structure on which I can loosely base my own routines and stops that panicky "rabbit in headlights, everything needs doing all at once, where do I start?" feeling. And if you miss a certain zone or room one month, it will come around the next.

Basically, the main principles of working in short, sharp, focused bursts working (vaguely!) systematically throughout the house, focusing on yourself too (sleep, exercise etc) without perfectionism are all really sound. Particularly helpful too (I find anyway!) is the allocation of the days of the week to various different activities ie Monday = 1 hour or so house clean, Tues = planning, Wed = anti-procrastination etc etc.

Good luck with it!

[SpareCrust]

Forgot to mention, as it's the end of the month, the July thread will be starting soon. Will post a link to it here in case you want to join us!

[Bellatrixurstrange]

Thanks to all the replies - I have been dipping in and out! SpareCrust if you could post the link I'll give it a bash. No harm in trying my house is a hovel of epic proportions

[Slingcrump]

Don't worry Bellatrix so is mine has greatly improved

[feeblefingers]

I have never been on Flylady but I find that if I make the beds and hoover, everything looks a bit better! That inspires me to tackle other areas. I whip round the bathroom quickly (a cat lick clean rather than a deep clean) I keep the kitchen fairly tidy. My kids are older but they are given tasks - they moan and do only a passable job but it all helps. Keeping on top of the washing/ironing helps me not to feel overwhelmed by it all. I fold/iron laundry in front of the telly. I sometimes use a big basket that I chuck everything in then go round returning the items to their rightful home. Once you get started it's a bit easier. Good luck! If all else fails use the back of your car to hide everything in until your guests have gone (that's what I did when I was selling my house!)

[Trickymoments]

Sparecrust I'm trying to do what you said and go to the highlighted thread leader posts on the flylady thread but can't seem to do it. How do you customise it?

[Slingcrump]

Hi Trickymoments (it's still me Sparecrust but I've name changed)

If you go to "Help and Information" at the bottom of this page, then click on FAQs, then click on "How do I customise the way my talkboards look" you should come up with the following link here:

www.mumsnet.com/info/faqs#Customise

(Just explaining it in full though in case it doesn't work for some reason.)

Then click on the link to "customise" and you should get a list of options to choose from!

HTH!

[Trickymoments]

Thanks the link works but which option should I choose?

[Slingcrump]

Um, not sure, I'm not the best at these sorts of things but how about:

Highlight post for thread author and then choose colour .. forest green or one of the lavenders?

Then do the same for your own posts?

And have the newest post first come up?

Think that would allow you to spot the Flylady links easily every day and find your own posts (if any) in the thread.

I'm afraid there may be a complication with the June thread however. The thread leader (most of the thread contributors take turns to do this every few months or so, but by no means obligatory!) usually posts the links every day (either early in the morning or on the previous evening). This June though, another poster may be taking over, so their posts will just appear on the ordinary white background if that makes sense. But the person posting the links usually highlights them in other ways with a line of dashes or special formatting so usually not a prob!

HTH!

[Trickymoments]

Ok thanks it didn't give me the colour coding options but I'm on my phone so maybe I need to do it from computer. I like the flylady idea but not sure if I'm well disclipined enough to stick it!

[Slingcrump]

June Fledgling Flylady thread here for those that are interested! Newcomers v welcome!

[Slingcrump]

Don't worry Tricky about being disciplined! We follow the basic structure, not to the letter! And loads of us dip in and out!