Neat and clean in 2017 - it's the January Flylady thread

[CotswoldStrife]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to the January Flylady thread, where we try and maintain our nests in good order by following the Flylady method. We'll post links each day to the Flylady website for the babysteps, daily focus and extra missions in the current zone. The habit of the month is shining your sink (or whatever other place in your home motivates you).

If you are just starting, Flylady recommends decluttering the weekly zone before doing the detailed cleaning and not to do too much at once!

All are welcome, so feel free to join us anytime.

Another newbie checking in! Happy New Year everyone. I may not last long, but I have visitors coming in 3 weeks time so even if I last that long, I'll be happy!

I've had a terrible case on CBA(shocking as an "old-er-- timer" on this thread)
My thickly coughs taking me to the sodding edge!!
I've de cluttered most BRC(bag random crap for the newbies)from upstairs. Hoping finish it before bin men come tomorrow and collect recycling!!(usually they trundle up around lunchtime)
Zoolets(my DC)fed and watered
I've even washed up and shined sink
vim is powdered cleaner in UK.available home bargains and some supermarkets
Tempted put moggies out early before one decides as usual to take a seat in said clean sink and shed a nice bit tuft of cat hair...good job I love the little bugger!!haha

PS,when are we opening up naughty corner?

Even naughty corner in the purple household is messy...

I propose we join cotswold in a hotel room instead.

I'm up for that. When do we leave? . I love hotels, mainly because I rarely stay in them.

ASAP?! I'd quite like a holiday from the Christmas holiday?

Had a fairly lazy day here.

One load of laundry washed and dried, it's just finished in TD but as it's dd's will be put away 2mor.
Another dried load put away.
Quick scrub of shower wall whilst having my shower.
Sofa cleared
Kitchen - dishes used for lunch washed, reused, washed

I have a question about the shining of the sink. Do you all do it every single day? I work 12.5hr shifts, both day and night, and the thought of staying up even longer to shine my sink..... I won't do it, I know I won't. I would fall at the first hurdle. Plus the thought of all that water

Can I do the full shining once a week? Is that acceptable? (Then just my usual wiping it down the rest of the time, just to be clear!!)

I have a question about the shining of the sink. Do you all do it every single day?

No, I don't do it at all. I just clean my sink normally when the kitchen gets cleaned.

There's no right or wrong system-I ignore lots of bits on the website because they don't work in my home (although I am lazy and do less than I should!). Just pick what's helpful and ignore the rest.

Please can I join? I need it

I think the idea is the shining of the sink should be an infrequent thing and the wiping down daily should be sufficient

Please can I join? Currently living in a shit tip with 2 non sleeping toddlers. Need to get it all tidy and clean but when and how?
Did sort my wardrobe and 2 giant bags for charity which was satisfying. Trying to chip away little by little

The kitchen sink is one of my things. That and the living room. Both need to be clear at the end of the day for me all cutlery, plates, and pans put away.

abbey and mummy welcome to the madhouse thread
purple naughty corners ate allowed be either shit tips or spanking clean.I don't give monkeys long has chocolate and good laughs

Ta Da's for today

Dishwasher unloaded, reloaded and put on
One load of laundry done and hung on rack to dry (had never heard of superstition about laundry on NY day!!)
Kitchen is much cleaner than normal although once I start these things I have very definite perfectionist tendencies so not entirely happy with it.
Downstairs swept and hoovered.
Christmas cards taken down

So overall feeling really good after a fairly productive day

I have a question about the shining of the sink. Do you all do it every single day?

I don't do the shining sink thing either. I do try to tidy the living room though as coming down to an untidy living room bothers me way more than an untidy sink.

Happy New Year to you all! I just got back on MN having been away overnight and I see I have plenty to catch up on.

Huge welcome to all the newbies! Settle in! [plumps cushions]

Oh and today (well yesterday now) the sum of my achievements was putting a wash on. And that's only because we need clothes to take to mum's! :o

Happy new year everyone! Nice to see lots of new faces.

Thought I'd report on outcome of my first ever consistent month of decluttering in December. I have spent literally years (since I first tried out Flylady maybe 10 years ago when the kids were little) telling myself that 15 minutes a day couldn't make a difference, that I wouldn't be able to make myself do it, and that it wouldn't work anyway because 15 minutes is too short a time when you need to get everything out of a space, go through it and put it back. Well, I was wrong on 2 out of 3 and I made no 3 work anyway....

During December (effing December and all the festive nonsense!) I decluttered in the kitchen for an AVERAGE of 15 minutes a day. There were maybe 5 days when I didn't do any at all, and there were some days when I did up to 45 minutes a day. I kept a note of where I was with time (obsessive, moi?!) so I kept myself up to scratch.
I've just counted my kitchen units and I have 13 cupboards and 4 drawers, a tall fridge and a 4-cupboard-long cupboard top. During December I have cleaned out and decluttered the cupboard top, the fridge and fridge top, 1 of the 4 drawers and 12 of the 13 cupboards, which took 8 hours.
I actually feel a bit weepy writing this which is over-reacting maybe but my kitchen has become an increasingly untidy grot-hole ever since we moved in 5 years ago, which was the last time that everything was really properly clean all at the same time, and I've done it a bit at a time rather than a huge, impossible chunk. At Christmas we had family here and I didn't wince if they opened a cupboard!
For me doing one room for one whole month worked really well as it meant I could really see the transformation quickly. Also the kitchen was a good place to start because it is pretty easy to break down into chunks.
I haven't quite got my head round how to keep the kitchen clean now because I'm fired up with clearing out another space completely in January, which will be a work shed - although every time I open a kitchen cupboard I do put back anything that has gone astray from its divinely appointed position ;)
Good luck to all newbies on the thread - I'm in my third month now and it has already made a huge difference to the house but perhaps even more importantly to my sanity levels.

That's brilliant newchick and I really like the average of 15 minutes idea as I'm sure to have days where none gets done due to working late etc.

Hello and happy new year!!
Ready to start again :)

Re 'shining of the sink', I have a microfibre cloth I wipe with, it's very easy. So before bed, the sink and countertops are clear, wiped down and that's it. I use a bit of Cif if I cooked and used the sink to drain etc, but I'm not going mad. I work long days too.

Just put the first load of washing on.
I have just shoved things into cupboards and drawers this past month, so I must start sorting them out.

My plan with the sink shining is to do it weekly and then make do with a good wipe round every other day.

Ta da's
Sports bottles washed and put away (we have loads of these and they are always hanging around)
Wash on
Kitchen tidied

To do's
Clean bathroom
Hoover living room - should have done yesterday
Mop kitchen floor
Dry hair

This thread is keeping me motivated, long may it continue!

purple naughty corners ate allowed be either shit tips or spanking clean.I don't give monkeys long has chocolate and good laughs

Dh is a teacher so it's still like mount chocmore here. That's one lot of decluttering I think I'll enjoy although I'm not sure how it fits in with my "be able to do jeans up and still breathe" posg Christmas health kick.

I'm feeling proud of myself for using the time delay function on my washing machine so I've got up to a finished load. We both did a mega kitchen clean last night and it looks wonderful. I've made some printable list templates for the fridge (a month to view calendar and meal plan) and today I'm going to adapt the detailed cleaning lists from the website to fit my house. 2017 will be the year of being organised.

This is what I need. I'm still in bed, but after having my plan of action laid out for today, I'm ready to stand up start flying.

Ready to shine that sink and sort out the entry/front of house.

newchick, that's great! Have managed 15 mins decluttering a day for the last few days. Aiming for 5 mins a day once back at work / school then anything else is a bonus.

Welcome to more new people!

Ta da:-
Washing machine on cleaning cycle - clothes are coming out smelling and I don't know why as it is only a year or so old and I do a regular hot wash.
Everyone has had breakfast
Decluttered one book
Calendar check for the week

To do:-
DH is going to take Xmas decs down today so I'm taking DDs (age 6 and 3) to soft play to get them out of the way while he does it.
Put away some Xmas presents
Still need to put away bags from yesterday .

Also hoping to get out for a run later.