She says that the best thing is to vacuum every day, but if that's not possible, then at least vacuum the whole house once a week, and on in-between days, vacuum one or two rooms, so that each room will get done two or three times a week. Do people actually do this?

Guilty. But I have dogs.

Hil, Flylady's strategies are brilliant for my ADD mind. Here is a link to the site index [link] so you can get to the good stuff with less of the visual weirdness.

I clean almost everything in my house with baking soda, vinegar, and Dr Bronner's Sal's Suds.

I second the rec. of baking soda as a scouring powder and vinegar for a multitude of cleaning purposes - don't worry, the smell dissipates quickly and often takes even less pleasant smells with it.

She also keeps talking about airing beds. I have no idea what that means.

It means pulling the covers down off of for a while before you make the bed for the day. I believe it is a moot point for people who tend not to make the bed at all. Also, once in a while it is a great thing to strip it completely and let it sit in a nice strong patch of sun. That, of course, is not particularly practical for most people to accomplish, so I highly doubt more than 1% of the population of the U.S. does it.

I'm with others here, Hil. That's not a realistic cleaning schedule for anyone who isn't being supported by someone else or who has housecleaners.

amych, I really hope your brother gets better news soon.

I try to dust mop once a week, yes with my flylady dustmop. Wet mop in the kitchen and bath. I hate vacuums. I do try and clean my bathroom sink and toilet daily, so I never have to scrub them.

Thirding vinegar and baking soda rec.

I was hoping the Roomba would help me with cleaning the house. (I don't mind vacuuming but the disability has made it harder for me to do a good job cleaning before my hands tire out.) However, having to pick up all the clutter to "pre-flight" the Roomba kinda negated the labor-saving aspect of it. And then I had to clean the brushes afterwards... Still, where a Roomba is very handy is in freeing you up to do other things. Once I put it out in my car to vacuum my mini-van while I was inside doing other stuff.

I vacuum once/week. I live alone but do have a cat. I dust probably once/month.

I clean almost everything in my house with baking soda, vinegar

This is me.

What I like best is that the vinegar leaves no residue, unlike nearly all commercial cleaning products.

Plus, I make my own softscrub, which works wonderfully and smells fabulous because I choose the fragrance.

1/3 cup baking soda, enough dawn dishwashing liquid to moisten, 10 drops of essential oil. (I like cinnamon, vertiver, cedar or pine)

Certain neighbors ask for it regularly.

If it drys out, just add a few drops of water.

amych, I really hope your brother gets better news soon.

That's meant for amyTh, but no worries -- we occasionally get confused by our own handles, never mind everyone else doing it. Plus, she's 10 miles away, so I'll be sure that any stray vibes get redirected to the right place.

Much continued~ma for amyth's brother.

Living Room/Bedroom: Hardwood or carpet? If you have hardwood, get the Swiffer Vaccum for $30. A microfiber mitt you stick your hand in to dust. Pledge or lemon oil to polish.

They easiest way I have to clean the LR is to (a) Move all the books to an actual bookshelf (b) put all the things where they should be in the LR, and stuff that needs to go elsewhere, put it in a box or a bag to be taken where it needs to go. DO NOT PUT IT AWAY NOW. Put it on a chair (c) Dust a piece of furniture, then polish it. (d) Sweep or vaccuum. (e) Put the stuff in the bag in the proper places, so you don't have to clean it up later.

Light a candle.

Kitchen:

Get a bottle of Orange All-Purpose cleaner, the kind you dilute, and 2 spray bottles. One for the kitchen, one for the bathroom. A mop. A bucket. You can use the Orange cleaner to mop the floors, but if they are lino, I like Mop and Glo.

Magic Erasers, Hil. Use them on the fridge, the stove, tough things. Get some of the cheapo ones, and use gloves if they bother you.

For the kitchen, it's dishes, spray the stove and let it sit while you clear the counters, wipe the counters, change the trash, scrub the stove, sweep the floor, mop, clean the sink, slap a lemon half in the disposal.

Bathroom: A sponge for the bathroom, one with a scrubby side, and a roll of paper towels, and that second bottle of orange dilute cleaner. (Also, I use Comet in the tub, but YMMV.) I use Windex for the mirrors, but white vinegar solution works also; I just don't like my bathroom to smell like vinegar. Some of those pads-on-a-stick for the toilet work well. Or you can use a brush and toilet cleaner, but I like to NOT TOUCH THE TOILET STUFF. Ew.

If you keep the bathroom cleaning stuff in the bathroom, you can wipe down the sink once a week, or two and do the mirrors. I do the toilets whenever we have guests over, or when they get too grotty.

I clear out towels, clothes and old rug, clean sink and counter, sweep floor and mop. Sprinkle tub with Comet and let sit, while I clean and wipe down toilet, clean mirror. Scrub tub and put down clean rug and fresh towels.

Then I have a drink and a smoke, but that's optional.