The FlyLady cleaning method is huge on TikTok. What is it?

[Jilly_in_VA]

TikTok is embracing a new way to tidy our homes, just in time for spring cleaning: The FlyLady cleaning method.

Though the method was created by Marla Cilley in the 1990s, according to the FlyLady website, it has reached new audiences on the video-sharing app, with the hashtag #flyladymethod amassing more than 64 million views.

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"All I ask is 15 minutes a day. Set a timer and just do a little every day," Cilley writes on the FlyLady website. "You will see a difference in a week’s time... It didn’t get dirty in a day and it is not going to get clean overnight."

The zones are as follows:

Zone 1: Clean entrance, front porch and dining room during the first week of the month, which may only be a few days.
Zone 2: Clean kitchen during the first full week of the month.
Zone 3: Main bathroom and one other room in the house (such as a child's room, extra room, office, craft room or utility room) during the second full week of the month.
Zone 4: Master bedroom (including closets and bathroom) during the third full week of the month.
Zone 5: Living room is the fifth week of the month and usually lasts only a few days/rolls into zone 1 time frame.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2022/03/10/spring-cleaning-tiktok-flylady-cleaning-method-explained/9408493002/
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As much as I hate cleaning, this might just work

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. The 'having the housekeepers come once a month' method is kinda my favorite :) nt

[mitch96]

4. After having a "trusted" house keeper rip me off, I defer to the "do it your self" method. nt

[Hugh_Lebowski]

6. Yeah, I don't have that much of real value around here except for rather large things that would be

very difficult to remove w/o my noticing. LIke 65" TV's and 50lb stereo power amps, that kind of thing.

I also don't leave them alone in my house, so ... this scenario works for me.

Not saying I do NO cleaning of my own, of course, but ... being a single dude with only a cat as a pet, it doesn't get dirty round here all that fast.

The worst thing that I ever had happen as a result of housekeepers?

BEDBUGS.

And that, admittedly, freaking sucked

[mitch96]

10. "being a single dude with only a cat as a pet, it doesn't get dirty round here all that fast. "

Same here. The one that ripped me off was my next door neighbors wife. Little things at first but the kicker was when a reasonably expensive motorcycle jacket that was always hanging by the front door automagically disappeared. I questioned her about it but all I got was denial.. So I told her not to come back. Months later I come to find out she was arrested for petty theft and shoplifting. They had money to buy the stuff. Uff...
I always feared bed bugs on my travels. I would do a half assed inspection of the bed before unpacking.. Never found a one. I did a lot of long distance motorcycle trips and hated camping so it was Comfort inn/quality inn/motel 6 for me. I needed a few beers, hot shower and HBO at the end of a long day of riding.
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[Lettuce Be]

2. Literally have done this my entire life. Started when I wanted to watch TV after school

and I was supposed to clean the living room (we kids were assigned a different room each week), so I'd jump up during commercials and clean and sit back down to enjoy my show when they ended. Brilliant. Worked then, works now. I use a timer all day long else I get nothing done

[luvs2sing]

3. Fly lady is a takeoff of Sidetracked Home Executives..

who were a big thing in the 80s. Flylady might have a good system, but she’s a right-wing, religious wacko. Hard pass.

[Jilly_in_VA]

7. I don't care what her politics are

if her sh*t works, and since I don't TikTok, I don't watch her. If her method works for me, I'll go with it.

[woodsprite]

5. If you work her system, it will definitely work for you and you'll see progress in your house.

Using her system, I was able to get our house ready for sale, despite finishing up some remodeling, dealing with a 7yo and toddler, and keep it clean and realtor/buyer ready during 6 mo. or so of showing appointments over the holidays. I religiously did the 'swish and swipe' on all the bathrooms and laundry area, made sure I didn't go to bed without the kitchen being in order, etc. That was 20 years ago!

I desperately need to get back to her system with this house. After these past two years of working from home, one of those years going through cancer treatment and just not feeling like it, no guests other than our son's GF -- let's just say the house has REALLY gotten away from me.

Oh, and some of her products are AWESOME!!! Her rubber carpet rake (rubba sweepa) worked wonders for dog and cat hair (German shepherd and Maine Coon). We use the rubba scrubba for cleaning lint from our dryer. Hubby loves her calendar (it has bigger date boxes than any we've ever found on others). He kind of makes fun of me if I immerse myself in music or one of her pep talks online and start cleaning, but he always checks with me to make sure I've ordered her latest calendar. It's kind of hard to keep everything shiny when 3 of the 4 people in the house don't 'buy into it'.

I have listened to her podcasts or videos on her FB page before and you can get some good ideas from them, but sometimes they are hyper religious depending on who she's talking to, so I pick and choose. I love her "Countdown to the Holidays" emails because it helps to destress all the prep and spreads it out in... BABY STEPS!

Give the shiny sink a try for a week. When I did that, the shiny sink spread to the counter, etc. My big issue is paper clutter that nobody wants to deal with. It's like the blob that expands to take over everything. I did like her better when she just did email reminders because you don't get the right wing/hyper religious stuff coming through. Think she's gotten a little to 'big for her britches' with all the up sale stuff.

[Jilly_in_VA]

8. I've started buying cleaning stuff

from Grove Collective, and it's got me cleaning more. Stuff smells good and is more ecologically sound. Speaking of shiny sink, a little hint I learned long ago to keep your faucets shiny is to wipe them down daily with a cloth and rubbing alcohol. Well, I do it every other day or when I think of it! Thanks, La Leche League!

[woodsprite]

9. Yes! We've switched over to a good bit of Mrs. Meyer's or Method products.

I absolutely love Meyer's seasonal scents! And you can get a really minty-fresh bathroom with Method's eucalyptus mint bath cleaner and mint Windex alternative.

[vanlassie]

11. In her early years I saw her speak.

She advocated getting fully dressed including shoes in the morning and always starting the day scrubbing your kitchen sink. She was not a very good speaker but her suggestions are good.