Cleaning schedule
The complete list of household chores
A complete list of household chores covers more than cleaning. Next to daily jobs such as dishes and tidying, there are weekly chores like vacuuming and the bathroom, monthly ones like the oven and drains, and seasonal and yearly tasks. Then come the invisible chores: planning meals, keeping track of appointments and remembering birthdays.
How to use this list
Most chore lists stop at cleaning. That is why households that split the work by list often still feel uneven: the planning, remembering and checking never made it onto the paper. Use this list in three ways: tick what applies to your home, give each chore a rhythm, and, if you share a home, put a name next to it. The cleaning schedule maker turns the cleaning part into a weekly and monthly schedule.
Daily chores
- Wash up or load and empty the dishwasher
- Wipe the kitchen worktops and hob
- Ten-minute tidy of the living areas
- Make the beds
- Deal with the post
- Feed pets, walk the dog
- Sort laundry into the basket
- Take out food waste if it smells
Weekly chores by room
| Room | Weekly chores |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Wipe the fronts and handles, clean the sink, mop the floor, check the fridge, empty the bins and recycling |
| Bathroom | Clean toilet, sink and shower or bath, wipe mirrors, change towels, mop the floor |
| Bedrooms | Change bedding (weekly or fortnightly), dust surfaces, vacuum, put clothes away |
| Living room | Dust, vacuum, plump cushions, clear the table, water plants |
| Hallway and stairs | Vacuum, clear shoes and bags, wipe the door handles |
| Laundry | Two to four loads, fold and put away, ironing if you iron |
| Outside | Bins out on collection day, sweep the front step, water pots in summer |
Monthly chores
- Clean the oven and microwave
- Descale the kettle and coffee machine
- Clean the inside of the fridge
- Wash the shower curtain or clean the screen
- Clean the extractor fan filter
- Vacuum under beds and sofas
- Wipe skirting boards and light switches
- Run a hot cleaning cycle on the washing machine
- Clean the bins themselves
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Go through the post and paperwork pile
- Check subscriptions and direct debits
Seasonal and yearly chores
| When | Chores |
|---|---|
| Spring | Windows inside and out, wash curtains, declutter wardrobes, garden furniture out |
| Summer | Clean the barbecue, defrost the freezer, check the garden tools |
| Autumn | Clear the gutters, bleed the radiators, garden furniture in, check the boiler service date |
| Winter | Declutter toys and gadgets before the holidays, check draught excluders, clean the hob deep |
| Yearly | Wash duvets and pillows, flip or rotate the mattress, clean the carpets, sort the paperwork archive |
For the house itself, such as the boiler, gutters and alarms, see the home maintenance checklist.
The invisible chores
These rarely appear on a chore chart, yet they take time and attention every week. They are a large part of what is called the mental load.
- Planning meals and writing the shopping list
- Keeping the family calendar up to date
- Remembering birthdays and buying presents
- Booking appointments: doctor, dentist, hairdresser, car
- Noticing that the washing powder is running out
- Forms and payments for school and clubs
- Keeping in touch with family and friends
- Arranging repairs and letting people in
- Packing for holidays and trips
- Following up on things you are waiting for
From list to schedule
- Cross out what does not applyNo garden, no ironing, no pets: fewer lines.
- Give each chore a rhythmDaily, weekly, monthly or seasonal; if in doubt, choose the less frequent one.
- Spread the weekly onesNot everything on Saturday. One room or one task per evening keeps it light.
- Put a name next to each choreIn a shared home, divide by area so each person owns something completely, including the planning.
How SortYourMind does it
Every chore in its room, on its rhythm
In SortYourMind, the rooms of your home are themes, and every chore lives where it belongs. Give it a rhythm, such as every week, every four days or the first Saturday of the month, and it comes back by itself. The app plans it in your free time around your calendar, so the list turns into a week you can actually do.
- Themes as the rooms of your home
- Routines every week, every X days or on fixed weekdays
- Planned in SyMslots around your appointments
- The invisible chores too: paperwork, people and waiting for reply
Everything included, no card needed. Then you decide. Works in the browser on any device.
Questions
What are the most common household chores?
Dishes, laundry, tidying, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, taking out the bins and the food shop. Add the planning chores, like meals and appointments, for a complete picture.
How often should you do each chore?
Kitchen worktops and dishes daily, bathroom and floors weekly, bedding weekly or fortnightly, the oven and fridge monthly, windows and gutters a few times a year. Adjust to your household.
What are invisible chores?
The planning and remembering behind the visible work: meal planning, appointments, birthdays, forms, noticing what runs out. They are often forgotten when a household divides the work.