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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

It's September so the Fledgings Fly, as we wave our clutter bye bye

805 replies

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 30/08/2012 21:22

Welcome to the ongoing Fledgling Flyers thread for September, thanks to Bitchy who kept us posted through August.

Right, most of you should know how this works. It's a three pronged attack.
Phase one: The babysteps master these and you will be working like clockwork.
Phase two: Adding in Decluttering this will help you keep on top of the amount of stuff contributing to CHAOS.
Phase three: Missions Targeted activities to keep the chaos at bay and starting the deep cleaning.

The golden duster of Flying is stage 4: deep cleaning. This is for most me anyway, somewhat unrealistic and in theory you don't need to worry about it until you have finished decluttering that's never then. Just do it if you want to.

Now for those of you who are completely lost, lets rewind a bit.
CHAOS: Can't have anyone over syndrome. We've all been there

The fly lady approach works by breaking the house down into tiny activities which you do repeatedly until they become habit and don't feel like chores any more. The house is split into zones, each zone is tackled for a week before moving on and comes round again at the start of the next month.

There are lots of experienced Fledglings on here, hence lots of advice and support and chat about anything except housework some days. the main thing is that you can post any time you like even if you haven't lifted a finger around the house that day because with Flylady you just pick up again the next day and off you go again.

We advise against signing up for Flylady emails as they can lead to a great deal of clutter in the Inbox, each days steps will be posted on this thread to save you having to find them yourself.

In the meantime here is a link to the Flylady website for anyone who would like a browse.

Getting started Remember - don't subscribe to the emails!

OP posts:
BitchyDragons · 09/09/2012 20:16

Routine? What's routine Confused

I am about to get very very Angry with ds who is moving more slowly then you would think possible in an attempt to avoid going to bed.

Will be back later.

elliepac · 09/09/2012 20:36

'routine, what routine?' says bitchy. my fecking problem preciselyGrin. (hope ds has gone to bed ok)

elliepac · 09/09/2012 20:37

Oh and mymums evening one is a problem too, in fact all of them are but Rome wasn't built in a dayWinkGrin.

Mymumsdaughter · 09/09/2012 20:48

That is true it was n't

castlelough · 09/09/2012 20:55

Hi everyone, hope you have all had lovely weekends! Just dropping by to say I'm looking forward to coming back properly next week, have had trouble keeping up with the thread but have been thinking about you all and thinking about flying too! Time to get back on board!

BitchyDragons · 09/09/2012 21:08

He went down fine after a dose of painkilles cos I accidentally made his foot bleed BlushSad

Done the ironing
washed out the lunch box
folded a little bit of washing
sorted ds' school bad out

Just about to give up and have an early night. The alarms are set for tomo.
Night all.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 09/09/2012 21:17

Evening all,

Welcome to Rowingboat and Welcome back to Castlelough

I'm tired and want to get back to watching the Closing Ceremony so won't stay on here for long tonight.

We had a lovely day, on the beach by 8.15, gloriously warm and sunny. Bacon sarnies from the cafe, a short (very) swim in the sea, lots of paddling and splashing and a rather smug feeling when we left at 11 and passed a 7 mile queue of cars waiting to get in the car park. We aren't natural early risers in our house but there are some times when it's really worth the effort.

Home for lunch and the F1 (for the boys), just playing for me and DD. Then more decluttering - I managed to go right through all the DCs clothes, put out 3 carrier bags worth to get rid of and tidied out all their clothes storage.

Tea in the garden, evening routine and bed for the DCs. Phew.

OP posts:
WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 09/09/2012 21:22

Links for Monday (10th)

Babystep - The power of 15 (minutes) - this is another very useful one, it is surprising how much you can get done in 15 mins if you put your mind to it.

Mission - wipe round the base and the back of the toilet, hate this one but it needs doing.

Monday is also the day for Weekly Home Blessing Hour although obviously this can be done any day that suits you or postponed indefinitely

OP posts:
Mymumsdaughter · 09/09/2012 22:17

I really don't get the point of vacuuming the middle of a floor - could be cos my house is small or that there would be an attractive border of mess which would annoy me! Oh joy tomorrow's mission is the toilet Hope you all enjoyed the weekend

OrangEyesDoMoreThanSee · 09/09/2012 22:25

It's a good thing tomorrow's mission is the bathroom, work starts in DD's future bedroom tomorrow and DH has a virus so will be in our room. Bathroom might be the only room I can clean!

BitchyDragons · 09/09/2012 22:36

Mymums it is not about hoovering just the middle in that respect, it means don't bother to move the furniture to hoover underneath. So not the entire room, just the bit (the middle) you can get too. iyswim.

rowingboat · 10/09/2012 00:35

Hi a
Everyone and thanks for the welcome!
That beach and bacon sarnies sounds lovely!
I'm not sure whether to start baby stepping again? Perhaps I could! But keep going with my existing routines. My main problem is lack of time to do the basics! But that's partly because I want to have time to myself or to catch up with friends on a day off, not do smelly vacuuming!
Have done ds's packed lunch and brought in the washing - it's still in the basket!
There's a bit of a barney going on outside might have a furtive peek...
Better put on another load of washing before I go to bed
See you tomorrow!

madwomanintheattic · 10/09/2012 01:22

Beach? Bacon? Sounds idyllic!

madwomanintheattic · 10/09/2012 01:24

Oh, and for pencil grip porn I like 'special -direct'. Dd2 has tried most of the pencil grips on the market to no avail. She actually had more luck using pencil weights, to be honest (but that was a royal faff). Fortunately these days she is mostly allowed to use a laptop. Muuuuuuuch easier. And you can read it. Bingo.

BitchyDragons · 10/09/2012 03:23

Oh fuck it. It is Technically Monday. It has been for nearly 3 hours. I am going to post a ta da list.

Ta da
Important research for business plan thingy
Finance review - most but don't do online banking so need a trip to bank to finish off.
Read some more of book
feel guilty about ds' foot somemore as it woke him up :(
Work on knitting my current a 10cm x 10cm square -15mins

I think it will be a day of coffee and longs lists judging by this. Alternatively I will say wtf and grab a nap at some point.

laurenamium · 10/09/2012 07:59

Morning all! Just a list dump as I have mindee coming soon, I will catch up later! I didn't get all of my list done yesterday so there's some repeats!

To do:
Home bleugh
Clean windows
Clean bathroom including mission
Food shop
DD and mindee to playgroup
Shred (slept in!)
Walk dogs
Playroom!
Nandos with DD and my friends for tea!

BBL!

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 10/09/2012 09:01

Ta-da!

Morning routine (easy on a Monday as I don't bother with swish and swipe or sweeping floors as I will do both properly in home blessing hour)
DCs to school

To Do

Write a letter and wrap up a parcel
Go to pilates class
Go to post office / Sainsburys
Home blessing hour + missions from last week if poss
Tackle paperwork mountain while watching a bit of telly
DS home from school
Baking
Pick DD up from friend's house later
Evening routine

OP posts:
ToffeeWhirl · 10/09/2012 09:34

Good morning all. Hope date night went well, lauren Grin.

I did not shine my sink and tidy up the kitchen last night, so I still have a big pile of dirty dishes on the worktops Sad. Just back from the school run and now have to walk DS1 round to his English tutor, so the kitchen will have to stay messy.

BBL.

foad · 10/09/2012 10:44

My name is foad and I'm crap at housework but really good at avoiding it.

I'm back again, still shedding bits of sticky back plastic. Toffee thankyou for not shining your sink, you make me feel less hopeless Grin. I have started the dishwasher and will s&s the kitchen. Then go and look at start on the bathroom of doom.

Still haven't caught up with you all, so apologies. I could do it now Smile or is that just more housework avoidance...?!

Mymumsdaughter · 10/09/2012 10:45

That makes so much more sense I really shouldn't read fly lady when tired.
Ta da's
Emptied dish washer
3 loads washing done
Phone calls made
Shopping done

To do
Get things ready for tomorrow
Hoover
Kitchen sink
Make beds

ToffeeWhirl · 10/09/2012 11:32

Glad I've cheered you up, foad. Will it cheer you up more to know that I still haven't tackled the kitchen and am now adding dirty dishes to it?

Mymum - looks like a very productive morning!

Have had a horrible start to the day, starting with DS2 wailing that he didn't want to go to drama club (starts today, he's going with his best friend and I thought he'd enjoy it). Then DS1 absolutely refused to go to his English lesson, which led to a huge upset and me walking out of the house to avoid his ranting. We have made up now, but he's missed his lesson Angry.

About to start HE now - rather late thanks to the morning's events.

Sod the dirty dishes.

rowingboat · 10/09/2012 11:58

Hi everyone
Madwoman I think I remember you from last time I was on here. Well done for keeping on with the flying when so many have fallen! Smile what's that about pencil weights? Grizzly bears! And I complain about foxes! Shock
Bitchy you had a later one than me last night! That is assuming you are in the UK. Did you get your nap?

Ok so going to write a stream of consciousness list now to get started please ignore!
Put washing out for couple of hours (until it rains)
Give washing machine wipe round 5
Make spray 1
Record housewives of OC
Put away dishes 5
Wash up 10
Swish swipe bathroom 5
Swish swipe kitchen 10
Clean floor b and k 10
Plant fuchsias 20
Tumble 2 loads
Hoover dust hall 10
Internet get uplift for old car 15
Sort out new savings account for oct find money 15
Find out if I have a winning code in my shredded wheat packet
Do plank exercise bike 25
Hoover sitting room 10
5 minute room rescue sitting room
Collect son from school and car from garage
Dins stir fry - meat

That's it for now back soon

BitchyDragons · 10/09/2012 12:03

Ok time to extend that ta da list.

Ta da
(pre sleep post midnight)
Important research for business plan thingy
Finance review - most but don't do online banking so need a trip to bank to finish off.
Read some more of book
feel guilty about ds' foot somemore as it woke him up sad
Work on knitting my current a 10cm x 10cm square -15mins
(Post sleep)
ds up and out at double speed (incl. 2x getting dressed, school lunch making)
Put into dryer: load from last night's wash
Get started on today's washing - My bedding done, 1st load other on
Fold and iron pile of clothes abandoned in clean washing mountain
sort through hanging wardrobe stuff.
sort out ds' training kit for tomo
sort out my training kit for tomo
Empty bins
take recycling out
Put ds' washing away - batch one
Start on the great sort through of all my clothes - 1st 1./3rd done
Bins to disinfect

Right time to take 5 mins, grab lunch and then get cracking on again.

Jamillalliamilli · 10/09/2012 13:47

Popping in to say housewarming party went well despite difficult circumstances (it?s not independent living, necessary, but not happy)

Hi to Rowingboat and Madwoman and hope to be back later, but must keep going.

Still to do:
Dr
Shopping
Psychology lesson prep
Iron big curtains
Repair bottoms
General Ironing
Empty bins
Recycling
Rescue and clean speakers
P/up DS from lecture on time
Psychology lesson
English marking
H/E file catch up

IWipeArses · 10/09/2012 13:52

Apologies for erratic thread attendance, had a mad weekend. Smile
Actually cleared kitchen up and washed pots last night, + made DS packed lunch and laid clothes out before bed. Grin

I completed the current extreme kitchen declutter - I have removed all but two adult plates and a set of 3 plastic plates, all but 4 mugs, 2 glasses and two plastic cups per child, all the kitchenalia I never use etc.
It's all packed away in case I do need it, but so far there are no stacks of pots waiting to be washed, lots of room to spread things out in the cupboards so it's easy to find things, highly recommend.

ta da
morning
school
laundry, second load in
feed DD twice
diary and list sorting
lunch
tidied tupperware cupboard (not real tupperware, I wish)
tidied floor of pantry
decluttering DS room - books edited, small pants and pyjamas removed, clean clothes away

to do
hang washing up, room for another load?
wrap and pack present to post
toy sorting
post office
school
tea etc