# Should I let friends "clean sweep" my apartment? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 29, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731 "2004-09-29T21:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/41 "2004-10-18T21:35:14Z")
About FlyLady: I did not use the emails; too many of them. In fact, I’m not even a fan of the website. What worked for me was the book (you’ll see it plugged on the website), which I got out of the library, and later bought for my MIL. It’s basically what’s on the website, only in print form and (IMO) better organized. But I’m yet another FlyLady convert; her stuff worked best for me. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/42 "2004-10-18T22:04:36Z")
Um, no advice here ('cos my own flat is _terrible_ mess - such that no one may enter etc) so I am posting a reply so that I can “subscribe” to the thread so that the very first stage of getting my act together will be being reminded to come back and read this thread carefully later! I get the feeling the thread will be quite an inspirational document. All gratitude to **tremorvilet** for starting it,a nd good luck with the clearance. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/43 "2004-10-18T22:37:55Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > I’ve looked at Flylady before but I was totally oerwhelmed by all the emails. I’ll have to look at the site again. Maybe there’s a lower volume email reminder system or something… There is no “lower volume email” system, because flylady is completely convinced that the volume of emails is one of the things that makes the system works. However, there is the book, as **dangermom** suggested (although I’ve never read it), or you can just sign up on the website and delete the emails at will, without even looking at them. Or you _can_ get the emails in “digest” form, which means you get them all in one big chunk, once a day. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/44 "2004-10-18T22:39:04Z")
I want to third (or is it fourth now?) Flylady. I blocked the ten-or-so “daily reminder” emails once I got the hang of things, but still get the motivational/ testimonial ones. Her advice has really changed the way I keep house, and everything’s much nicer now. In fact, I’ve gone from living in squalor to having something of a reputation for obsessive tidiness. Yay, me. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/45 "2004-10-18T23:10:26Z")
Yeah, I delete all the reminder e-mails too, but I think I’ve benefitted a great deal from the testimonials and missions. I don’t _do_ all the missions, by any stretch, because in most zones I’m still just decluttering, but it’s good to read them, do the ones that are appropriate for my situation, and notice that I’ve accomplished many of them already on my own. I think the e-mails are nice because everything is broken down and fed to you in manageable chunks (I shuddered when I read that you’re planning a 1-hour cleaning session, **tremorviolet**!), with lots of reinforcement. I mean, I think I’m a fairly intelligent person, but sometimes it takes reading about the same thing a dozen times before it finally sinks in and I see how it applies in my life. Whatever works for you, though! Best of luck! ---
**Author:** ![SamIAm336](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SamIAm336](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamIAm336)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/46 "2004-10-18T23:41:25Z")
This is a great thread! I have a habit of keeping everything, and, just found out that I have to move in about 4 months. I am truly inspired. and will start getting rid of stuff. Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread, just reading the encouragements helped me feel more resolved. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731/47 "2004-10-19T03:15:13Z")
For everybody looking for a place to dump their still-good things without a lot of effort - your local consignment shops often take more than just clothes. The one I’ve been trying valiantly to use to get my crap out of this place has _everything_, just about - furniture, shoes, jewelry, everything. It’s no effort on your part and you get half the profits. What dosen’t sell in three months you can give to Goodwill. I’ve made a hundred bucks off clothes already! And I don’t have to price them or sell them or anything, I just dump them on the helpful salesgirl. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-let-friends-clean-sweep-my-apartment/266731.md?page=2)