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FlyLady: the house is still running smoothly!

Like most housewives I adore order, and I do not hide it, I like to devote my time to it, considering it not a job but an active recreation. I like to take a global approach to chores, like throwing everything away and sorting out my closet all day, or fixing up the bathroom from floor to ceiling.

But to be honest, it’s not particularly effective: After all, to keep the whole house in order all the time, you have to constantly jump around the rooms with a bucket and rags – without a break!

Where did the “flying lady” come from??

Small appliances for the kitchen

Perhaps similar musings may have been the starting point for American Marla Sealey. She probably didn’t like the “neglected corners” of the house either, and wondered how she could get all this mess to conform to some system.

So she devised a routine she called the FlyLady, or “flying lady.

Marley has streamlined household chores, coming up with a flexible and simple system that any of us can tackle. This system consists of several points.

Getting into the perfect hostess shape

Marley suggests that any of us start our day with a makeover: as soon as you get out of bed, you stop being an idle person and become a person of action. How to do it?

– Put the bed away as soon as you leave it of course, if LM beloved husband is already up, too .

– Get dressed, but not in a terry robe with flowers – you should have a special work, but home attire, will do and sports. Now shoes: forget about slippers, even those – your favorite, furry ones.

You should have lace-up shoes on your feet, they keep you organized, and they’re not easy to throw off if you feel like getting lazy.

– Go to the bathroom, tidy up, apply light home makeup.

Now you don’t look like a slob, and if the plumber comes by or the neighbor stops by, they’ll see a woman in good order. It’s simple? That’s how you start your day? Great, so we move on to the next step.

The system breaks records

Vacuum cleaners

You don’t have to get up with cockerels and spend the whole day cleaning to start living the FlyLady life. Divide the house into large areas, areas of your efforts: ideally, there should be 5 areas the number of work days.

You need to spend 15 minutes a day to sort out a certain area: say, the kitchen window sill, a shelf with baby stuff, a shoebox. Don’t take on more than one thing at a time – one area, one topic, one case.

So gradually the whole situation in the house normalizes. The main message – do not do, but DO, and be engaged in the selected area exactly 15 minutes it is even advised to keep a timer, so as not to get carried away and get used to a new rhythm . So, just a quarter of an hour and a little revision is done, and you’re not even tired!

Today I tidied up the coat rack in the hallway. It’s been “prying” into my eyes for a while now – it’s time for the windbreakers to go into winter “hibernation” and the down jackets, on the other hand, to leave the dark room.

You sorted things – put some in bags, put some in the wash. Checked the state of our gloves and hats… That’s it, we’re ready for the cold weather.

Advises the one who flies

Elena Malysheva, M.New York

Large appliances for the kitchen

– Elena, you’ve been living with the system for a few months now. You are comfortable in it?

– Yes, I feel like FlyLady is a great help in my daily life. After all, the essence of the method is order in the house, which you achieve not at the cost of an enormous effort, but just between jobs. I’m entering the community, and it makes me feel good that I’m not alone, and thousands of women in the care of the house are doing what I’m doing today.

I like that I can do a lot of things “on the fly”. In the morning, for example, I don’t leave the bathroom until I’ve freshened up the sink and swabbed the toilet bowl with the toilet brush. Although it takes time for the system to start working on “automatic”, but when you get used to it, it becomes very simple.

– Aren’t you afraid of such a strict systematic approach to home life, especially since it is not inherent in our American character??

– Well, no: I immediately liked the idea that the work at home can not take so seriously. It was the system that attracted me!

Previously, cleanliness in my house was something incomplete: it seems to be in order, but when you look in the closet – it’s time to “general”. It’s easier now. For example, the kitchen: I did it every week for 15 minutes for 5 days, quietly went through everything, wiped off the dust, checked cereals and food preparation. The order both outside and inside.

It’s just the level is different. It seems like you do not work so much, but steps forward is simply tremendous. For example, I decided to rummage in the closet: I turned on a timer – I sort things out, the alarm rang – without regret I close it and go. You don’t spend much time and don’t get tired.

There is a reason for that – the task is not so global, and that’s why you get down to business without fear. I’m not so hard on myself, by the way – sometimes I get tired and skip some chores.

– What do you think about having to scrub your kitchen sink every day?

– I’m used to them looking like new all the time, and I like it. I walk into the kitchen in the morning and the sink is shiny and there’s a freshly used dishcloth right next to it.

I use it to collect droplets after every use of the sink, and it leaves no streaks on the walls of the sink. But I don’t use window cleaner when I clean my window washer, it has too pungent an odor, moreover, I’m completely satisfied with the result without it.

– What “hot spots” have you identified in your home and how has your daily cleaning changed??

– With us the most common clutter arises in the hallway: then you leave packages, then you put all sorts of things in the basket for small things. So the hallway and the special attention. Talking on forums, I began to understand that the household should be done with modern devices, all sorts of “gizmos”: it’s faster and more efficient.

So I’m looking at new products, like melamine sponges, disposable window cleaning cloths, a dusting duster. Not so long ago we bought a new vacuum cleaner, and now I really only use it once a week – it helps me save time and works great.

– You’ve got a home uniform?

– I feel cozy in T-shirts and pants. But lace-up shoes don’t really work for me, I just wear slippers.

– You throw a lot of things away?

– In fact, sometimes I dare. For example, I disassembled a closet on the balcony and threw out a lot of unnecessary books. And then one of them, as if on purpose, is needed! The hardest thing to part with is clothes. You know you won’t wear it, but it’s a shame to pick it up and throw it away anyway. I put them in a bag, I take them to the front, and I think I have to give them to somebody… You have to get in the right frame of mind and think about where to send the things you don’t need.

– You see yourself in the system in the future?

– Yes, of course, I think over time I will learn to distribute my energy even more, systematize home storage somehow more efficiently. Maybe I’ll get a new technique. I’m glad that now I live without rush, that I can prepare for some important events, like family celebrations, Christmas, New Year and Easter in advance, and I’ll have order and beauty, and that means that at any time I will not be ashamed of how I manage the house.

A little pure lunacy

Home Appliances

Any of us have places in the house that, in our mind, don’t tolerate mess – ever.

For FlyLady this place is a kitchen sink – it should be the embodiment of order. It’s recommended to keep it perfectly clean.

My friend, who has been living with the system for a year, says it’s better to pile dirty dishes around the sink, but it has to be spotless. Here’s a recommended technique for bringing the sink “up to date” that’s good for the first time:

– Put a stopper in the sink, pour hot water up to the brim and a glass of bleach chlorine or oxygen-containing into it, leave it for an hour. If you have a double sink – first of all, take care of one.

– Put your gloves on take care of your hands , let the water out. Rinse.

– Take any cleaner in powder or paste form. Wipe the walls with it, use a brush or other device to remove any dirt under the edge, around the faucet. Rinse.

– Spray a little glass cleaner on the sink and wipe it down.

– Put a special towel near the sink. Now every time you use the sink, wipe it dry so it always shines.

Of course, it’s a little clinical to scrub a sink every day, but in the morning when I get in the kitchen it’s nice and shiny, and it seems like my whole house will be just as shiny.

♪ Right away it’s quick, then it’s long ♪

The petty affairs of order it’s better not to put off in a long box: try on a blouse – do not throw it on the bed, put it immediately in the closet dirty stove, splashed kitchen apron – get a rag and clean up immediately. It’ll take a few minutes now, an hour tomorrow!

I’m not a supporter of urgent cleaning, but in just a week, when I started living by this rule, the kitchen and bathroom have become much cleaner, and the free time did not seem to diminish.

Go for the hot spots

The FlyLady dictionary includes many new expressions, and here’s one of them: Hotspot – hotspot. It’s the expression for a place that magically makes a mess, and it happens all the time.

It’s enough to put down papers or a magazine, throw in a sweater, a couple of CDs, and already after a couple of hours, the stack grows and requires instant unloading. Examples of hot spots are the nightstand in the front, the window sill in the kitchen, the dresser in the bedroom.

Hot spots should be checked constantly, in the language of FlyLady – to unload the hotspots.

The cluttered part of the house is the couch in the living room. For some reason, it’s where everyone throws their stuff, bags and what they take out of them, magazines and catalogs, and all sorts of little things. Sometimes by evening there’s just no place to sit on the couch!

Two routines or life on the list

Yes, and routine comes in the plural, namely, evening and morning. In the evening, before going to bed, and in the morning, when your day starts, you’ll always have things to do, organize them.

Routine in the evening:

Home: put in order in “light” mode – put in order scattered books, clothes, toys the kids can help .

Prepare clothes and necessities for tomorrow, pack laundry.

Kitchen: wash dishes, bring the sink to a shine, change towels, wipe the floor.

Put out the “hot spots.

Do something nice to yourself – collect beads, read to the little ones, take a bath.

Make your to-do list – it can include something very simple: dishes plus washing , clothes for work, face mask.

It is best to set aside a certain time for the evening routine and strictly follow it all the time.

Routine in the morning:

Get dressed and dressed, make your bed.

Morning bathroom routine, plus a quick cleaning in the bathroom: clean the sink, go through the toilet brush, change the towels.

The kitchen: it’s been in perfect order since the evening, so we cook breakfast, feed the family, ourselves and our pets. Getting your lunch stuff out of the fridge.

Home: sorting out bills, extinguishing “hot spots”.

I compiled my routine based on the ones I found online. But literally within a week, they’ve transformed to suit my needs. Now there are just my items on the list: check the kids’ homework, call my mom, walk the dog, water the flowers, put seeds in the bird feeder..

There’s no junk left at home

One of the most important points in the system is a merciless fight against junk. Observe the rule: if you bought something, for example, a new magazine, the old one should be thrown out.

FlyLady advises to periodically make small “raids” in search of unused items and without pity throw them away. In one sitting, it is recommended to pick up 27 things, which can include: a beer cap, an old newspaper, a sock without a pair, a torn t-shirt, a used toothbrush, a dried-up pen, expired medications and cosmetics, packaging, spoiled food, broken toys, things you hate, etc.d.

What a relief when you decide: I don’t need all this stuff, it will never come in handy. A bunch of things in the house is lying in wait for a miracle – they are just about to become necessary in the economy, but to be honest: when did this happen last time?? Now the collection of junk in my house quickly ends up in the trash.

The flight is normal?

Vacuuming

FlyLady recommends setting aside one hour a week for more serious cleaning she calls it the Blessing of the House Hour. And this hour can be attributed to a specific day – for example, Monday. Or divide it into several portions, say, 20 minutes each. This hour is about cleaning, that is, doing something on this list:

– vacuuming or sweeping the floor without bigotry – leave the corners unattended ,

– dusting,

– I wash the floors in the kitchen or bathroom,

– wipe down glass in doors and bathroom mirror,

– sort out newspapers and magazines,

– taking out the trash,

– change the bedding all family members are involved .

On weekends I don’t do cleaning, only emergencies – I clean up if there are tramples, spills, spills. And on Monday you have to catch up, but you should get used to not spend too much time on it.

I’ll write it down in a little book!

The best way to organize everything you have to do is to have a notebook. It can be electronic or in the form of an ordinary paper notebook. In it, you need to indicate the areas into which you divided your home, routines, upcoming chores, shopping lists. The notes will help you be more organized and have a better idea of the amount of work needed, and thus help you allocate your energy and time more effectively.

About me, my darling!

The system was created for women, and one of her commandments is to make time for yourself to work out, be beautiful, give yourself the joy of crafts, floriculture, or any hobby.

After all, only we, ladies, know what a serious, painstaking and constant work – to be a hostess. At the same time, we want to be women who feel well-groomed, attractive and successful, even if they only do the housework.

My evening routine has a few things just for me: a report to my homeopath, facials, light back exercises and reading – books, flower catalogs, favorite magazines.

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 1
  1. Penelope Patel

    That’s great to hear! I’m curious, what are some tips or strategies that FlyLady recommends to keep the house running smoothly?

    Reply
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