Ex. when you should clean certain rooms, when the trash needs to be taken out, when the laundry machine needs to be cleaned, …
Would be handy to keep clear track of these things, be able to share them with other people, …
Edit: any estimates about how long certain tasks take you would be welcome too + whether or not you work full-time.
23 comments
We just do chores when they need to be done…
We used to do them when they needed doing but every one had different standards of what was liveable and it turned into playing chicken. Now we have paper on the wall with what’s expected of everyone and when.the chores are due each week.
I just… notice when it’s time to do them, and do them. Or I just do it anyway to be on the safe side. “Oh it might have been a while since I cleaned the washing machine, better do it just in case.”
If it’s something on a long schedule, I put a reminder on my calendar. Otherwise, I just do things as they need to be done or on a weekly/monthly basis depending on what it is.
I just look around and see what needs to be done. I don’t have a schedule. Except for every other week when the cleaner comes I make sure alllllll of the dishes are done and there’s no clutter. My SO makes fun of me for “cleaning before the cleaner comes” but it’s not CLEANING cleaning. It’s just making her job easier so she can do the deep cleaning stuff without all our shit in the way.
Mainly I just use my eyes.
If you need a program, Clean Mama’s is quite good.
When the room looks filthy and I can’t stand looking at it.
When the trash can is full.
When it feels like it’s been a while since I’ve vacuumed.
I don’t keep track of these things, I just do it when it’s obvious (like the trash can is full) or when I have the time (which is very infrequent).
I have 50/50 custody with my ex finally so I do all the deep cleaning when my kids aren’t home. The day to day stuff like dishes and pet care and general surface cleaning my fiancé does.
I try just keep the house tidy (mainly cleaning up after bf) and then sometime I do wine and deep clean where I get drunk and deep clean the kitchen. It’s very fun. Then for bigger tasks I save for weekends and make a list, like washing the walls and skirting boards.
I have a list of things for me to do daily and weekly, and so does my bf, he doesn’t follow the list or do the tasks but theoretically, there is a plan. It works for me.
I have a schedule I generally keep.
Laundry on Mondays, change bedding every other week.
Run vacuum in each room every other day- we have a shark robot vacuum so I just move him up and down the stairs.
Wipe kitchen each night after cooking. Just a quick one.
Groceries Wednesday or Thursday.
Friday clean kitchen, bathrooms, and one extra chore. Do the windows, mop, house dust. Something more on the deep cleaning spectrum.
Every morning I tidy up- fold blankets on the couch, right the pillows, make bed, put away miscellaneous items.
I am a house spouse, so I understand I have more time for this than others, but this lets me keep the house in company ready shape all the time without being bogged down in tasks and losing a day. I like doing a bigger clean in Friday so the house is comfortable for the weekend and we have have spontaneous people over if we want.
When I see something needs to be done or cleaned I just get it done.
I do various things on certain days- e.g. house cleaning is Monday because we’ve been working outdoors all weekend dragging crap in.
Except I do the bathrooms on Friday so I don’t have to think about them while I’m outside all weekend.
I do laundry almost daily- when it needs done.
Trash goes out on garbage day.
Basically if something looks untidy or dirty I fix it.
My life is largely divided into indoor days and outdoor days- if it’s an indoor day (raining or way cold) then I do everything indoors I can.
Things needed monthly/yearly are recurring on my calendar.
Primarily I rely on just noticing when things are dirty/messy like most people. But I also recently started using an app called Sweepy – it lets you input chores for each room and check them off. It also keeps track of what things might be overdue for cleaning. It’s handy for the tasks I don’t do super often (like mopping, polishing appliances etc).
I do the laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, and cleaning off countertops every week on Saturday, or as they need to be done. Everything else I do on the first day of every season (it’s easier to remember that way), like cleaning out the fridge, washing windows, clean out the oven and other big appliances, washing baseboards, changing out the filters, etc.
I put all the household chores (and other things) in a simple to do list app. I find it helps to reduce the mental load, and who really remembers when they last cleaned their washing machine, right?
The one I use is “To Do List” by SplenDO and you can sync to your Google account (but I don’t have that set up).
I just do things when they look like they need to be done
When does the garbage need to be taken out? When it’s full.
When does the washing machine need to be cleaned? When it smells.
When does the bathroom need to be cleaned? When it looks dirty.
If I’m having company or something than I’ll do a more intense clean, but otherwise it just happens as it’s needed. There’s only 2 of us, plus a cat, so things don’t get dirty all that quickly (aside from cat hair lol).
The only thing scheduled is doing the litter box every day. Everything else can be done when it needs doing. If I have to make a schedule for people to know when to clean, they better pay me for managing them, because that’s a job.
We have a laminated Excel spreadsheet that tracks daily, weekly, monthly chores. We live on a hobby farm so we have a separate list for outdoor stuff as we have gardens and livestock that need specific considerations.
I’m a SAHM so the bulk of it falls to me. Every day I look at the lists, then mark of with a wax pencil what I finish. When my husband gets home he can see what’s remaining so he does that.
An example of today’s chores:
Unload dishwasher
Vacuum Downstairs & Upstairs
Mop downstairs
Run Dishwasher Bedtime
Put Kitchen To Sleep
Tidy
Outdoor work is simply feeding the animals and getting them water since it’s Autumn.
This doesn’t include cooking and we do everything from scratch.
If that doesn’t seem like much — it’s not. But because we have a chart, everything has its day and nothing ever gets piled up or super far behind.
It’s all on a routine. It’s like asking how you remember to brush your teeth every day. Once you’ve got into a set habit, it’s pretty easy to keep on track of. For example, I run a water softener cleaner program on my washing machine once a month, I always do this on the first weekend of each month. Trash is taken out the night before the bins are collected or when things are full, whatever’s sooner. Food waste I take out every day though, I do this as the last step in the washing dishes routine. I meal plan on Mondays so I can get groceries on Tuesdays (when the farm shop opens).
Other stuff is less time based and more on cues. I know when the laundry hamper is about 2/3 full, that’s a laundry load so I’ll put that on overnight. Around this time of year, I’ll start slipping on leaves in the garden so that tells me I need to rake.
I only throw out the trash. My roommates take care of the rest.
I have a daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, and “once a month” lists
Recurring tasks on my todos app (Todoist)
We do them whenever they need to be done (trash, hoovering, kitchen and toilet cleaning) or if it’s something bigger, whenever we’re both free so usually Saturdays. We both work full time.