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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

right, am hopeless - need some quick tips on keeping place tidy-ish!

28 replies

RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 10:16

suffer hugely from that CHAOS - can't have anyone over syndrome as too . i work, got messy kids/cats/dh, not a natural-born housekeeper, tend to hoard. Generally, fairly hopeless. Don't intend any huge transformation as not interested enough, not got time, want ot do other things. But cd do with some suggestions!

OP posts:
Beccarolloveragain · 22/09/2006 10:17

come over to the flylady thread.

Contrary to popular belief its all about doing less housework and having a life rather than cleaning all of the time

its working really well for lots of us

MuckyAnthea · 22/09/2006 10:29

Start to clean/unhoard one room at a time. I find that helps.

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 10:30

oh, will check htat out. was wondering about all that flying!

OP posts:
JessaJam · 22/09/2006 10:32

Another vore for FLY here...try doing stuff in 15 minutes bursts, rather than having a "session" and exhausting yourself and never wanting to see another duster/creased shirt/dirty dish/bit of paperwork ever ever again...it gets left because you hate it even more than before, and it builds up again...

Flamesparrow · 22/09/2006 10:40

fly.

And don't think "shining my sink is pointless"... 3 days without shining and I am in a pit of despair.

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:28

so can anyone sum up the key to flying? is it the 15 min bursts you're talking about?
< rtth can't be bothered to read relevant thread>

OP posts:
JessaJam · 22/09/2006 12:33

Yep.
Babysteps.
Focus on a 'zone' of the house each week. 'Missions' within that zone (such as clear out knicker drawer or wash the fridge ).
Morning routine and evening routine, quick things to keep on top of stuff having done it 'proper;y' once (ie scrub sink until all clean and shiny, including round edges where all teh grime gathers...then wipe it every night before bed so it stays cleanand shiny, that only takes 2 minutes whereas the full one de-tox neededif you leave it takes many minutes more...)

Honest I am NOT a housecleany person, but it is good!!

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:37

right. so is a zone for example - downstairs area or all bedrooms etc then focus in on particular places within that area?
seems v logical, why haven't I sussed it after all these yrs! dh claims it's because i'm on MN too much. i can now say it's very useful for household tips

OP posts:
Skribble · 22/09/2006 12:49

I am anti , house work, hate the term. House wife ( I married my husband not he house, rethinking that though as the house is more responsive). But have to say I am quite enjoying the fly stuff.

15min short burts and a bit of direction as to what to do each day, helps to establish a routine bit at a time. Rather than spending 4 hours clearing of in a mad surge of energy only to find yourself in a sobbing deflated heap at the end of it up to you ears in stuff with no homes.

Start with the Babysteps you can sign up for the e.amils and reminders some people hate trhem, some love them and some (me) ignore them. It leads you very slowly into stting routines and putting things straight.

Skribble · 22/09/2006 12:50

Zones for this month

JackieNo · 22/09/2006 12:51

Skribble pmsl at 'house is more responsive' .

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:51

so cd i be cheeky and ask for someone's routine, bearing in mind i work long days 3 x a week? It's therefore got to be do-able round that otherwise bound to fail. thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:52

made me laugh too! think dh sim and anyway house is currently more in need of TLC than him!

OP posts:
tribpot · 22/09/2006 12:52

I want to start FLYing as well, although I think secretly what I want is a routine that I can convince dh he can do (He is a SAHD but also chronically ill).

Should we start a thread for babysteppers, or can we join in the main thread without feeling overwhelmed?

I assume FLYing does not involve folding towels a la Anthea, I have never heard such nonsense.

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:53

OMG - porch counts?!! i have never, ever cleaned any porch, am I shockingly bad?

OP posts:
JackieNo · 22/09/2006 12:55

I think there might be a suggested routine somewhere on the Flylady website, but the idea is, I think, that you gradually make up your own, that suits you, your house and your life.

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 12:56

that was very tactful, Jackieno, thank you!

OP posts:
JackieNo · 22/09/2006 12:58

. Sounded like I knew what I was talking about, didn't I. I'm not actually doing it, but I do get the emails and have read the website loads.

Beccarolloveragain · 22/09/2006 13:21

definitely join the main flylady thread. There are new flybabies joining all the time and to be honest the original flybabies fall off the wagon adn have to start again from time to time!

As flylady says "you are never behind, just jump right in"

tinshoes · 22/09/2006 13:22

echo what everyone else has said. join us on the fly thread. we all do a bit at a time and seem to be making progress.

tribpot · 22/09/2006 13:24

Great, will do that. A (single, childfree) friend of mine sent me her control journal so I could look at it but of course it was laughably impossible for a WOHM with a 15 month old ds and chronically ill dh, so will deffo be needing to develop my own!

Original poster
RanToTheHills · 22/09/2006 14:18

just joined (was it the right thread, there are so many?) but feeling ignored! I know, i'm impatient!

OP posts:
Skribble · 22/09/2006 15:58

We are starting a daily thread so its easier to just join in rather than feeling you have to catch up. Back to see what Runnyhills has said in the hope I have't ignored her .

Skribble · 22/09/2006 16:00

Nope not on the main flying thread runnyhills

auntymandy · 22/09/2006 16:02

get your mum to stay..my house always seems much tidier when she is here!!!