Marla Cilley - CHAOS to Clean: in 31 Easy BabySteps

CHAOS to Clean

in

31 Easy BabySteps

By The FlyLady

Marla Cilley

Copyright 2017 FlyLady and Company, Inc

Table of Contents

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the perfectionists who cant seem to get started. Jump in and please dont get stuck waiting for all the answers. Peace is just a series of BabySteps!

Acknowledgements

This book, as well as our website, emails, and social media presence would not be possible without everyone who helps me to support all of you! We are a team!

Buzz words

5 Minute Room Rescue: A fun way to declutter your home

27 Fling Boogie: Another fun way to declutter your home

BO: Born Organized

Body Clutter: FlyLadys 2 nd book and also the clutter in your mind and on your body

CHAOS: Cant Have Anyone Over Syndrome

Control Journal: A simple notebook that holds your routines

DD: Dear Daughter

DH: Dear Husband

DS: Dear Son

FLY: Finally Loving Yourself

God Breeze: A message from God

Hot Spots: A flat surface or chair that gets piled high with paper or clothes

Messages: This is the way we help retrain your mind. Join us at www.FlyLady.net

Missions: Every evening we send you a directive to do the next day

Mount Washmore: A large pile of laundry

Purple Puddles: This is when we cry happy tears

Reminders: On our FlyLady Messenger iPhone app, we send hourly reminders

SAHM: Stay At Home Mom

Swish and Swipe: A simple way to clean your bathroom in one minute

WAHM: Work At Home Mom

Weekly Home Blessing: Each week we bless our homes by doing seven things fast

Zones: This is how we break our homes down in doable sections

Are You Ready to Get Started?

I know that you have become overwhelmed by your home and the CHAOS (Cant Have Anyone Over Syndrome) that you have been living in. We are here to help you! Keep in mind that your home did not get this way overnight, and it is not going to get clean in a day. We are going to teach you how to take BabySteps and establish little routines for getting rid of your clutter and maintaining your home.

This system will work for anyone; it doesnt matter if you work outside of your home, stay home with children, are retired, or work at home. You can do this; you just need someone to pat you on the back and give you a great big hug to get you started. You have been living in clutter and CHAOS for many years; I do not want you to crash and burn. This is why I teach you to take BabySteps. If you try to do this all at once, you are going to be mad at me, because this will be like every other get-organized method you have tried. I want you to take your time. As you establish one habit, you will very easily be able to add another one to your routines.

So, what are the rules for BabySteps?

Establish small routines first and then work up to more items. Dont try to do a full-blown routine the very first day. FlyLadys routines are just an example to help you to develop your own. Pick three things for the morning and three things for the evening.

Consistency is the key to all of this. We have to take our time with our routines. They do not happen overnight. It is the result of tiny changes over several months. BabySteps! If you try to accomplish this without taking the BabySteps, your habits will not be everlasting. BabySteps are the key. Yes, you can do your routines by looking at a list of things to do, but they have to become automatic, a part of you, for them to be life changing.

Take your time and enjoy the process. Dont feel pressured to do it all at once. This is worth going slow. I did, and for once I didnt throw in the towel; I did it one habit at a time. When I did fall, I was able to pick myself up and start again at any time. It takes FlyBabies a month to establish a habit. Believe me, I have tried everything to not do this. Nothing ever worked for very long. It doesnt matter if you miss one day; just get back on your horse and keep taking those BabySteps. It is the practice that makes it work. Do not beat yourself up about this! Pace yourself!

Take your time with this! Dont go too fast or try to jump ahead. This is worth the extra effort to go slow. I know it is not in our nature to plod along. You are going to have to quiet this voice in your head and take it one habit at a time. Consistency has its rewards.

Are you ready to go from CHAOS to Clean in 31 Easy BabySteps?

Day 1

Shine your sink!

Keep it clean and shiny.

Before bed, make sure it is empty.

Your First Assignment

You may not understand why I want you to empty your sink of those dirty dishes to clean and shine it, when there is so much more to do in your home. It is simple. I want you to have a sense of accomplishment. You have struggled for years with a cluttered home and you are beaten down. I want you to smile. When you get up the next morning, your sink will greet you and a smile will come across your lovely face. I cant be there to give you a big hug, but I know how good it feels to see yourself in your kitchen sink. This is my gift to you each morning. Even though I cant be there, I want you to know that I am very proud of you.

Go shine your sink!

Shiny Sink 101

Follow this procedure the first time you shine your sink. You do NOT need to follow this method every day. Just keep up the shine with a little window cleaner. I want you to smile from ear to ear when you gaze upon your shiny sink. I have heard every excuse in the world. Even old sinks can look new again with a little elbow grease. Here is how you do it: BE SURE AND RINSE WELL BETWEEN EACH STEP OF THE WAY!

1. Take all the dishes out of the sink.
2. Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you dont have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and dont get the bleach-water on your clothes).
3. Rinse your sink well.
4. Use some cleanser (Comet, Barkeepers Friend, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Be sure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.
5. Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.
6. Clean around the faucets, too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.
7. Now, get out your window cleaner, and give your sink a good shine. If it is still not shiny enough for you, then you could apply some car wax. This can help remove water spots and protect the sink. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well. It doesnt have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.
8. Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dish towel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one, every night with my before bedtime routine). Before you know it, you will be doing this every time you leave your kitchen. No more water spots. You will have a clean and shiny sink.
9. Dont have a fit if someone doesnt take as much pride in your sink as you do. It is very easy to fix. You have already done the hard part. You will never have to go through this process again. This simple daily habit will keep your sink shining, but nasty hurtful words cannot be wiped away. Be sure and tell your family what you are trying to do; they are not mind readers. They will think you have gone crazy.
10. If you dont have a dishwasher, dont worry. A dishwasher is just a dirty dish disposal unit. I have a solution: clean out a place under your sink and put a dishpan in there. Teach your family to put their dirty dishes in the dish pan, rather than the sink. Get into the habit of putting your dishes away as soon as they have been washed and are dry. No more leaving the dish drying rack on the counter or in the sink. Put it away under the sink when you have finished. If your old one is nasty, go buy a new set.