Dear FlyLady,

July’s habit has come at a perfect time in my life. I wasn’t a regular swish-and-swiper until about two weeks ago, when my fiancé and me moved in with my in-laws for a little while.

It’s only a temporary thing, and we’re grateful we don’t have to rent, but about 5 minutes after I unpacked the last box, I took one good look around and I shuddered a little. The house is so, so dirty. Dust, hair and clutter everywhere, but that’s not my main concern. What really made me cringe was the kitchen and bathroom, both of which have soap scum and mold in the crooks and crannies, years of clutter everywhere I look and stains I really don’t want to know the origin of.

I had been to that house before, but when you’re a guest, you don’t notice those things as much. Now I was living here, and I felt like I wanted to cry a little, that’s how overwhelmed I felt. Plus, it’s someone else’s dirt, that grosses me out even more.

Then came the month of July with FlyLady’s habit of swishing and swiping. My number one concern was that I didn’t really dare to brush my teeth or go to the bathroom. Both the toilet and the sink were so dirty I couldn’t really look at them. So I began to swish and swipe.

The first day, it took me half an hour, a lot of soap, a couple of rags and the odd gag, but I have kept at it and since a couple of days, the toilet looks new again. Who knew it could be nice and sparkling white? I still have to take a toothbrush and clean the faucet, but the actual sink is shiny and disinfected. I washed myself at that sink this morning and felt genuinely clean. This simple accomplishment of cleaning and maintaining two such important aspects of personal hygiene has given me hope that I will, at some point, feel comfortable living there.

As for the rest of the house, well… Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps. Just swish and swipe, daily missions and 15 minutes at a time, I have to keep telling myself that, right? And as daunting as the task may seem, I just love blessing the house after all those years of neglect. I feel like a FLYfairy! Either way, thank you for your wonderful system, which has helped me turn this stressful situation into an exciting project.

And thank you for swish and swipe, which reminds me all that no matter what’s going on in my life, a clean toilet and a sink to freshen up at go a very long way.

Have a lovely day!

Greetings,
Flyfairy Jo from Belgium

FlyLady here: Our  July habit  is to Swish and Swipe your bathroom everyday.

Have you ever been embarrassed when someone asked to use your bathroom?  Have you ever put off allowing a repair person into your bathroom? Have your dear children watched you clean the bathroom and you have then caught them swishing out the toilet?
We want to hear your stories or tips on the benefits of Swishing and Swiping everyday.

FlyLady Rebecca here: Do you have a Testimonial about Swishing and Swiping your bathroom? Let us know, and send an email with MY BATHROOM LOOKS GREAT in the subject line.