Organizing Tips: Make Household Chores Easier
Household chores can be the key to both a clutter-free household and a clutter-free mind, but not every task comes complete with the same level of enjoyment. One person may have an impeccably organized closet, but the kitchen cupboards are overflowing. Another could find pleasure in an organized office, but find completing a single chore at home equal to walking across hot coals. Even if you love keeping your space clean and organized, chores can seem like a never-ending obligation. Here’s our tips on how to stay on top of your household chores while keeping it as painless and fun as possible.
CREATE A HOUSEHOLD CHORE LIST
A household chore list with daily, weekly, and monthly to-dos might seem like overkill, but creating some kind of list for household chores can help to manage your time (and energy) without you feeling overwhelmed. Even on the busiest of days, you likely have time to complete a single chore. Doing a little each day keeps the housework from becoming too overwhelming.
ASK FOR HELP AND DELEGATE
As a one-person household, obviously you’re the only one available for chores, but this usually also means less mess. For those with multiple household members, share the joy! 😊 Assign chores and other household tasks to those who help make the messes. Get the kids involved in age-appropriate ways, and tackle the big jobs (or the ones you like least) in a way that makes it easier. Try these ideas:
Hate cleaning the bathroom? Try splitting the job with your spouse and knock it out in half the time.
Don’t like dusting? Crank some music while you do it and dance your way through. It will double as exercise.
Struggle to get young kids to get on board? Use a sticker chart with rewards.
Older kids skipping chores? Make getting chores done a requirement to play video games, watch TV, or have access to electronics.
Try to identify which chores are preferable to different individuals, so that no one has to regularly complete their personal dreaded task. One person might detest folding laundry, but another could consider it peaceful.
MAKE YOUR CHORE LIST VISIBLE
Place your chore list in a high-traffic area of the house, like the kitchen, so that you have a visual reminder that you’re guaranteed to notice. Whiteboards are a great tool because they clean easily and come in large sizes. A weekly or monthly chart is a helpful organization system, which can even include more than the chore list.
We don’t always like to include chores at the top of our lists, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful as we sometimes make it. Dedicating space for small daily chores will save you time in the long run, and you’ll be glad you took care of things when you had the available moment. Not only is your home more likely to stay organized, but you’ll always be ready for those unannounced guests.