Anyone use a system for doing housework? I've been using the flylady.net

[Critters2]

website, and my house is bordering on presentable. I guess I just need someone else telling me what to do!

[LisaL]

1. No. How does it work?

[Critters2]

7. Well, the basic concept is that you take on small tasks one at a time.

But, for those of us who can't even decide what task to do first, she actually tells you which part of the house to clean each week. Then, she breaks that down into manageable segments. And has things to do each day.

The very first thing you're supposed to do is clean your sink. Wash the dishes, clean and shine the sink. That's to give you a starting sense of accomplishment, so you can move on to other things.

There are things to do each day, as well. Like, on Monday you do what she calls "the weekly home blessing" (some of the terms and things are a bit saccharine). This just means you vacuum just the middle of each room not under or behind furniture--you do that when you're cleaning in that zone), dust, mop kitchen and bathrooms, change sheets, empty trash. And only do any one of these tasks for 10 minutes. Then stop, regardless of how far you've gotten. That keeps you from feeling overwhelmed.

Each week, you're given a zone to clean. This week, it's the master bedroom. Then you have a specific lists of things to do to clean the zone.

It sounds like a lot of work. She says to do one load of laundry a day. That really helped me get the pile worn down. Now, I don't have to do a load everyday, since I live alone. But I don't let it pile up like I used to, either.

It just keeps me organized. There are probably other similar systems out there, but this one is working surprisingly well for me.

The url is flylady.net

[CreekDog]

12. my advice is that 20 minutes of cleaning everyday

means that your house is clean enough for company with 20 minutes warning.

people think i like housecleaning --i actually hate it. i could never spend hours doing it throughout a day. little at a time.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

2. Ack!

Anything that starts off telling me I have to put shoes on every day is just wrong. I totally get the concept of focusing on cleaning one manageable area at a time so you don't get overwhelmed by the entire pigsty and also tossing out crap you haven't used in a year (or so), but after that, she loses me. I know a few people who swear by her, but it's all a bit June Cleaver for comfort from where I stand.

Of course, next time I whine about being so disorganized that I'm dressing out of the clean laundry basket instead of the closet, you're justified in not feeling sorry for me. :eyes:

[Critters2]

4. It is a bit June Cleaver, I'll grant. I try to overlook some of the editorializing

and just do the tasks. God knows what I've been doing wasn't working!

[spinbaby]

15. Flylady strikes me as being for total beginners

It seems to be for totally clueless people who need to be reminded to do the dishes and get dressed in the morning. I've got the basics down; I need more of an intermediate Flylady level to remind me to change the furnace filter and dejunk the bookshelves.

[Inchworm]

3. Hmmm

That's what I need -- a system!

My system is basically.. I need a clean pot, wash it. I need clean clothes, wash em.

What happens in my system is that I realize I really don't NEED all these things. :rofl:

:hi:

[PRETZEL]

5. We use the old fashioned system,

"What do you want me to do next dear"

My wife loves it. In fact she uses it everyday.:)

[Critters2]

9. My problem is that there's no "dear" to ask. So someone needs to tell me what to do! nt

[supernova]

6. Yes, I was reading her this morning.

I'm pretty good as cleaning as with bucket and soap, a mop and vaccuum. You know, old fashioned scrubbing I kinda like and get enjoyment out of. But picking up is my downfall. I'm a terrible picker upper. I just find it totally frustrating. But doing a little every day, to a timer, is a pretty good system.

[CTyankee]

17. Straighten every little area you are in every day.

Make a list of chores. Give yourself a little, inexpensive treat (today I went to the library and got a book). Plan meals once a week (I keep my supermarket circular and consult it for specials). Stagger laundry loads (I detest going into the basement). Wipe down kitchen counter and bathrooms as you use them (I keep those wipes nearby as they're easy and fast). Take a scrub sponge and cleanser in the shower with you once a week and scrub it down while you're there. I do have help once a month with heavier stuff like the vacuuming and big cleaning of the stove top and microwave, and the mopping.

That's about it for me, but there is just me and hubby in a small house.

[crimsonblue]

8. The internet can clean my house for me now? YES!

I knew it'd happen one day. Zippity Doo Dah, Zippey Ay!

[Critters2]

10. Um, you actually do the cleaning. The internet just tells you how.

Sorry. :hug:

[tigereye]

16. what, she doesn't come to your house?

:cry:


My husband keeps telling me to hire a cleaning service once per week, but I can't quite bring myself to do it. Just seems too decadent, somehow. He does the kitchen clean-up every night ( my kid does the garbage detail), so if I can vacuum every week, and do the kitchen floor almost that often, I think of myself as doing well. It's the dusting that kills ya!



What I really need is someone to dredge out the basement. It's like the Augean stables down there (well, minus the part from horses) :yoiks:

[CreekDog]

11. i think i could write one of these

i have all sorts of maxims. :think:

[Critters2]

13. You should! Anyone can start a website! If you have something to offier,

you should give it a go!

[JitterbugPerfume]

14. Fly Lady is so cool!

It was recommended to me several years ago by a DUer I can't remember.

[crispini]

18. I sorta-kinda use Flylady

Honestly, I couldn't stand all the emails -- way too much stuff in my inbox! -- and the attitude was kind of wearing on me as well. But I do still try to use the idea of "routines" and doing some every day, and it does help. My house is much less of a disaster zone. The decluttering, now, that's something I have to get back to working on.

Every now and then I spend some time looking at various and sundry "Hoarding" websites to remind me about just exactly how horrible it COULD be if I let it go too far. Ha!

[Digit]

28. Enjoy an episode of How Clean Is Your House....

At least your house doesn't look like this:

Crazy Birdshit Lady (parts 1-3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHltq39Uo44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9UbUHnOWA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTaUFo6FBkQ

[skygazer]

19. My system is to keep out of my husband's way while he does it all

It seems to work pretty well. :P

[LisaL]

20. That's a good system. The only flaw is that not everyone's husband

would clean everything.

[skygazer]

21. Excellent point

I got a great deal when I found this one.

[LisaL]

22. If you could clone him you could make a fortune.

[LeftyMom]

23. This sounds like a good system. Maybe I need a husband.

/me checks ebay to see what that will run me

[skygazer]

24. I found this one in the Produce department at Safeway

He's pretty cheap - periodic sex and a bottle of tequila. You can't beat that. And he cooks.

[LisaL]

25. Cleans and cooks? You got yourself a good deal.

[skygazer]

26. I don't do anything

Seriously.

Well, I work full time and go to school full time. He feels that's enough.

So he cooks, cleans, shops, does laundry AND works.


Oh, and he's good looking, too. :)

[NV Whino]

27. Does she make house calls?

[InvisibleTouch]

29. I was on her mailing list for a couple of years...

...but I'm so hopeless at housekeeping that I just ended up ignoring that massive influx of e-mails, and finally deleted them en masse. I think it's a rebellious reaction to my mother's neat-freakishness. :)

I've made a perfunctory attempt at a zone system of my own - each room (including the yard, front porch, garage, and van) or related group of rooms gets assigned a particular day of the week. I'm not very good at sticking to it (and one of my rules is, if I miss a day/zone, it stays missed until that day of the week rolls around again - no frantic doubling-up the next day!), but at least I have a bit of a framework.

It literally took me years to train myself to do the dishes every damn day, no matter how much I hate it. Because leaving them, even once, makes it that much worse.

Somewhere near the top of my list of intentions for when I strike it rich, is to hire a housekeeper. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Yep - it's two-fold. One is that I pickup and keep things tidy as much as possible,

and two, the cleaning lady does the rest.