Chicken picking at feet

[Plum]

You are a bad influence. No not ordered a roomba or scooba but completed day 1 of fly lady - I have a shiny sink By day 7 am I going to be wearing a frilly pinny and tea dress. (Stepford wives) Sounds like swish and swipe is on it's way too (is that a credit card movement?

[bronze]

flylady people can you boss me about each day and tell me what I need to do. That way I can do my house sorting for selling jobs but also keep on top of the normal stuff

[Staffordmum]

This is really sad but it is my birthday next week and I have just asked OH for a Roomba

He has however said, "Buy it!"

 

Ooh, you lucky girl!

 

It's not sad to want one - I think ALL OH's should buy one for the house - not just for birthdays. It's hardly personal is it? wanting a few extra minutes to oneself.

 

That said, I am all for practical presents. Was happy to have a WIR for Christmas AND Birthday (2 days apart) if it meant I could have one

 

There comes a time in one's life when there simply isn't anything more to "want" (apart from a bigger WIR - and another Cube, a larger greenhouse, etc.)

 

Rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

[Lesley]

Swish and swipe = swish round the toilet with the loo brush, swipe over the mirror, sink, window sill and loo seat. And yes, i know loo brushes are unhygenic but i keep mine in it's holder filled with water and loo cleaner which is changed at least once a week. I swish and swipe after doing my teeth, hair etc and it just takes an extra couple of minutes so i don't even notice i'm cleaning now.

 

We both 'swipe' the washbasin every time we use it - we have our own towels and it's only our own splashes that we're wiping up. The towels are changed frequently anyway (saved for one big wash a week) and it really makes a difference for just a few seconds work.

 

...and I do the dusting with clothes which are on their way to the wash basket........e.g. T shirt off........dust the bedroom mirror and bedside tables on the way to the basket...

 

(of course....I only do it with Carl's T Shirts )

[WitchHazel]

I am giving this a go, just started today and so far so easy! But, what is swish and swipe? I imagine its dusting and wiping?

 

Swish and Swipe is FLylady's way of helping you keep your kitchen and bathroom (and living rooms) looking clean & neat even if you haven't cleaned them.

 

For example, in the bathroom, it means using a bit of toilet paper to wipe down shelves while you are brushing your teeth, or while you are sitting on the toilet. We have a solid floor, so I take the opportunity to swipe any dust bunnies within reach. Then you can just flush the paper away.

 

Her "shine the sink" philosophy is also very effective, if you look beyond the words. I did this (and tidying my living room on my way to bed) for years and seeing it on Fly Lady made me smile.

 

Shining theh SInk before you go to bed means that when you get up in the morning, you aren't faced with last nights debris to clear up before you start anything else.

 

If you can ignore the hyper-enthusiastic attempt at over-motivation, Flylady has a very sound approach to housekeeping, especially if you are on the extremes of either struggling to do any, or else spending half your weekend cleaning. She advocates tackling one room (or area) a week for a proper clean, and then some other bits that need to be done every week to keep the house looking good.

 

If you're struggling, I'd recommend swallowing your reservations, ignore the "motivational" encouragements, and give the system a try. You'll soon find what works for you and what doesn't.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've been doing that for years . I'm often found wiping up the dust & grot round the skirting boards in the bathroom with bits of loopaper whilst still dripping from the shower . (Well, not "found" really, that wouldn't be fair on anybody .)

[Lesley]

......discarded pants are good for the skirting boards

[Staffordmum]

...and I do the dusting with clothes which are on their way to the wash basket........e.g. T shirt off........dust the bedroom mirror and bedside tables on the way to the basket...

Am so glad to hear it's not just me then - don't tell OH

 

Rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

[WitchHazel]

......discarded pants are good for the skirting boards

 

I use DH's pants for that. He leaves them discarded on the bedroom floor, so I stand on them and use them as a mop. Very good for collecting dust bunnies from under the bed (as far as my leg can reach anyway).

[Blackrocksrock]

......discarded pants are good for the skirting boards

 

I use DH's pants for that. He leaves them discarded on the bedroom floor, so I stand on them and use them as a mop. Very good for collecting dust bunnies from under the bed (as far as my leg can reach anyway).

[Plum]

......discarded pants are good for the skirting boards

 

after you have worn them in the shower as a cap

 

Just off to sweep the porch and wipe the door

[Valkyrie]

Plum wrote:

 

after you have worn them in the shower as a cap

 

There is no way on earth I'm doing that with OH's drawers!

 

Today I emptied a big cupboard full of fabric mainly. I sorted out family photos, DVD's, batteries. The fabric is still all over the place! But the ironing board is out because I am going to work on a suggestion in a quilting organiser book - re-iron the fabric and fold it so that they are all folded and rolled the same way and so better organised when I get it back in the cupboard. I also have a value finder so that I can sort them into darks, mediums and lights (some are obvious but others are dead sneaky - florals in particular). Oh well it's a start.

[Plum]

If I started that I really never would get anything done.

 

I've cleaned my front door, cleaned the living room windows and polished the picture frames and the glass display shelves (not before I had written 'this won't last' in the dust). Looks so much better I may get carried away tomorrow and clean the light shades.

[Peaches]

Actually, I'm quite a sad person, I like things to be tidy. Unfortunately, 2 springers and a husband who is untidy/into lots of sports and hobbies, plus living in a house half-done means the place is a tip.

 

However, I have signed up for flylady and after I've made the chocolate cake (see other post in nesting box) I shall go and get my sink nice and shiney.

[WitchHazel]

I have signed up for flylady

 

I found the emails got on my nerves.... so I ended up following her routine without the "motivational" reminders.

 

Will be interested to hear what its like now, as it was about three years ago I think, and things may well have changed.

 

 

PS, If you like to be tidy but are managing with your dogs,husband place half done and aren't tearing your hair out, I think that makes you wewell balanced rather than sad

 

I really missed it when our renovations were finished. I no longer had the "well, there's no point" excuse.

[Seagazer]

Something must have rubbed off from this thread as I washed my kitchen cupboards down today - not like me at all. I must be ill.....

[WitchHazel]

Something must have rubbed off from this thread as I washed my kitchen cupboards down today - not like me at all. I must be ill.....

 

I cleaned the top of my doors. That's that done for a couple of years.

[Plum]

I'm feeling poistitively poorly - tonight I am going to tackle some hotspots

[bronze]

I have someone coming on monday to quote for a deep clean

[AJuff]

I has a 'deep clean' under and around DS bed! YUK! I would be sooo embarased to have someone see that!!!!

 

I have finally put into place a chores rota for the kids! DS has aptly named it the 'Jolly Jobs' sheet in his sarcasm so I've changed the title just for him! Ha Ha.

 

They now have to take turns to;

Empty the dishwasher (holidays only as they are up too early term time)

Set the table

Clear the table

Do the kitchen after main meal of the day (includes all pots, pans, floor, work surfaces etc)

Check and change the downstairs loo towel if necessary

Empty and vacuume the interior of the car

Dust the piano and remove greasy fingerprints from it

Collect their own clean laundry and put it away

Plus every night they have to put away ALL their toys, games, books and electrical stuff (I hate tripping over DS chargers on the floor)

And their sheets and towels have to be in the laundry on a Saturday.

 

Pocket money divided by the number of jobs = how much each Jolly Job is worth!

Jolly Job not done = pocket money deducted

 

They have taken to it really well as they realise that five of us in a house takes a lot of organising and cleaning.

 

I have also gone to great lengths to put labels on the back of the study door for cubs, rainbows, guides, piano, flute, choir, football etc so they can attach the notes/bills - they are usually lost in the astonishing amount of paperwork that comes through the door.

 

I hope that the new house routines will become second nature by the strat of the school term and hopefully everything will run smoothly.

[Valkyrie]

I'll give it a month - it's amazing how youngsters can go without any pocket money if it means doing chores! But I'll keep my fingers crossed because not all children are like mine!

[Tulip]

I don't hate you but I am !

 

 

My OH is a saint really, he cooks (brilliantly) and cleans, and will iron if he needs to. When the boys were born he was brilliant, the place was spotless while he was on paternity leave!

 

However he doesn't notice the amount of clutter he leaves around, but he does somehow notice everyone else's. He reaches a 'point of no return', gets all agitated and goes into 'got cross about the mess and I'm going to sort it out now' mode.

 

For the first ten years I took this as criticism of my lack of housekeeping skills - I can stand the mess happily as long as it isn't unhygienic - but now I have learned to just let him get on with it. I don't get upset and the mess gets tidied... result!

 

He really goes into overdrive when his mum visits though.....

 

OMG, my DH is exactly the same!! He generally goes into cleaning fits towards the end of the working week when he realises we've just dumped stuff as we've walked through the door after work. His cleaning frenzies still freak me out a bit and I get a bit upset that I don't clean and tidy well enough for him! I generally go upstairs and sulk with my crochet

[Plum]

I don't hate you but I am !

 

 

My OH is a saint really, he cooks (brilliantly) and cleans, and will iron if he needs to. When the boys were born he was brilliant, the place was spotless while he was on paternity leave!

 

However he doesn't notice the amount of clutter he leaves around, but he does somehow notice everyone else's. He reaches a 'point of no return', gets all agitated and goes into 'got cross about the mess and I'm going to sort it out now' mode.

 

For the first ten years I took this as criticism of my lack of housekeeping skills - I can stand the mess happily as long as it isn't unhygienic - but now I have learned to just let him get on with it. I don't get upset and the mess gets tidied... result!

 

He really goes into overdrive when his mum visits though.....

 

OMG, my DH is exactly the same!! He generally goes into cleaning fits towards the end of the working week when he realises we've just dumped stuff as we've walked through the door after work. His cleaning frenzies still freak me out a bit and I get a bit upset that I don't clean and tidy well enough for him! I generally go upstairs and sulk with my crochet

 

Just like my OH except only about every 2 years.

 

They now have to take turns to;

Empty the dishwasher (holidays only as they are up too early term time)

Set the table

Clear the table

Do the kitchen after main meal of the day (includes all pots, pans, floor, work surfaces etc)

Check and change the downstairs loo towel if necessary

Empty and vacuume the interior of the car

Dust the piano and remove greasy fingerprints from it

Collect their own clean laundry and put it away

Plus every night they have to put away ALL their toys, games, books and electrical stuff (I hate tripping over DS chargers on the floor)

And their sheets and towels have to be in the laundry on a Saturday.

 

.

 

I'm glad you are not my mum

[bronze]

I'm feeling embarrassed too but I'm going with the theory she'll have seen worse plus I'll whirr the kids up so and she'll feel sorry for me

[Plum]

Bron what luxury, who cares you are going to be spoilt. Make sure you are in the middle of painting your nails when she comes