Chores. Hmmm… Let’s keep it real for a minute, friend.

Nobody liked chores when they were a youngin. And now that you’ve gone ahead + adulted yourself, chores STILL don’t seem that appealing do they?!?!? *wink*

Jokes aside, having a home with Everything You Need + Nothing More™ is the standard of living you’re after.

It’s in that home, that you feel the maintenance of staying organized isn’t overwhelming because you not only have what you need but everything you own has purpose in your life.

But maintaining an organized home takes setting up systems + certainly following them on a routine basis.

After all, it’s not like the eufy or roomba is clearing the paperwork off the countertop or folding + putting away your laundry now is it?!?!

Not to mention boo, beyond keeping your home neat, clutter-free + organized, chores are also an excellent way to share in the responsibility of creating home with your partner + your kids.

So… let’s take a look at what a simple household chores routine looks like + why you (+ the people you hold near + dear) should follow one :)

What Is A Chore?

Whether you’re doing chores yourself or your kids are helping (which is highly encouraged + we’ll discuss later) — chores (especially around the house) aren’t something you should ever dread. 

Chores are simply routines that help maintain the systems your home needs. 

Chores are fine tuning the systems you rely on to be productive, efficient and the best version of yourself.

Sure, they keep your home neat + clean too but the household tasks we call chores aren’t just about the stuff in your home — they’re about you + your loved ones. And that’s incredibly important to keep in mind. Home is about YOU!

Maintain Clarity Around The Purpose Of Chores

Now look, we get it. 

We know that from time-to-time you just don’t feel like it. That’s the procrastination bug creepin’ on in. And we’ve got you covered there too, here’s how to stop procrastinating :)

When you’re dreading the chore of folding the laundry, emptying the dishwasher or clearing the random paperwork off the surfaces in your home it’s simply because the purpose + meaning behind the act is forgotten or perhaps even unknown.

To motivate yourself (or your loved ones) to accomplish the chores you have around the house — maintain clarity around the purpose of each task. 

A study by researchers at the University of California analyzed how cohabitating couples talked about their homes. It found that not only did physical clutter play a role in their emotional health (some struggled with fatigue and depression) but it found that those who lived in cluttered homes had higher levels of cortisol (which is a hormone that’s released when stressed).

Pretty easy to see how important having an organized home is :)

So, how do you maintain purpose around the specific chores you have to do though? Keep it simple.

• When clearing surfaces off — THIS ensures that you’ve worked through small tasks that can now be either filed away or completely discard from your home. #WinnerWinnerBoo

• When emptying the dishwasher — THIS shortens the time it takes to clear up after your next meal because now the dishwasher’s empty. 

• When folding the laundry — THIS simplifies choosing an outfit for later in the week.

The purpose of chores around the house + maintaining the organizing systems you’ve created is quite clear — it’s a constant prioritization for future self-care.

Household Chores List

In an effort to leave no stone unturned, here is a list of household chores for your home…

Daily Chores (or Every Other Day)

• Sweep, Mop or Vacuum Floors

• Wash Dishes + Unload Dishwasher

• Disinfect The Kitchen

• Wash + Fold The Laundry

• Prep + Cook Meals

• Feed Your People + Your Pets

• Clean Bathrooms

• Dust + Wipe Fixtures + Surfaces

• Take Out Trash + Recycling

Weekly Chores (or Every Other Week)

• Change + Wash All Bedding

• Cleaning Out Refrigerator

• Deep Cleaning Hard Surfaced Floors

• Vacuuming Furniture

• Bathing Pets

• Watering Plants

• Everything In The Yard (#WompWomp)

• Sort Mail + File Papers

Monthly Chores (or Every Other Month)

• Carpet Cleaning

• Change Furnace Filter

• Clean Garbage Disposal, Washer + Dryer

• Test Smoke Detectors

• Wash Windows

• Wipe Down Electronics

• Clean Blinds + Drapery

• Declutter Clothes Closet + Take Donations

How To Simplify Household Chores

As we’ve talked about already, maintaining an organized home is not only setting up systems it’s keeping them simple, front of mind + working them on a routine basis.

But here’s how to simplify household chores…

Declutter + Setup Organizing Systems

You know we can’t mention simplifying household chores without first acknowledging that there are many, many steps before “maintaining” an organized home. 

Our belief over at Elegant Simplicity is that organizing is continuous. 

In other words, you’re going to be revisiting whether or not you should keep this or that — until the end of time, friend. Which is why learning how to organize your home is an invaluable skill to have :)

If you haven’t seen this Guide To A Clutter-Free Home already, then you’re absolutely going to LOVE it.

Calendar Time For You To Complete Your Tasks

We wholeheartedly believe that everything successful in life is systematized. From the coffee you order at starbucks to the processes that you follow at work. Your home is no different. 

But in order to have a system you must first prioritize the space for that system to be worked. Your coffee break, you prioritize. Your roles + responsibilities at work, you prioritize.

In simpler more granular terms, what we mean by “prioritizing” is setting aside time (1-hour, 30-minutes, etc) on a weekend, in the evening, before you leave the house for the day. Whatever it is, put it on your calendar.

This will ensure you’ve made space in your list of priorities (we’ve all got them) for what matters most to you — which we know by now is your home.

The reality is… If you don’t, you won’t :)

Take Microsteps Now, So You Won’t Have To Leap Later

Doing a little bit, when your calendar says you should, will help ensure that all the effort + energy you’ve put forth in creating this beautiful home won’t fall to the wayside. 

In those moments, you’re taking a little time now (a microstep) towards maintaining the home you love, to save yourself from having to invest excessive amounts of time (big leaps) had you not done anything for a while.

For example, you’ve bought a few new blouses… which blouses that currently are in your closet are you going to donate? There’s a microstep. Overtime, if you don’t take that microstep — your closet turns upside down AGAIN. 

Address The Mess

When you notice something is suddenly messy… it happens. Address it. Right. Away. 

• Kids toys all over the living room floor? Ask them to help tidy it up. 

• Laundry that needs folded? Dig in. Right. Now.

• A shelf of the pantry needs resituated? Go for it.

The important thing is you’re willing to bite off small tasks right away.

Daily Routine

The organizing systems in your home will take care of the big issues like where bags should go when you come in the door. But the daily routine that you determine will help to simplify the chores that need done to keep things in order. 

These are the menial tasks that your routine consists of…

• Wiping down counters after each meal

• Running the vacuum

• Loading/Unloading the dishwasher

Whatever it is for you — simplifying these chores is as easy as knowing what keeps things going for you + your tribe. You can use the Daily Chores list above to better determine.

Sharing The Work Of Chores

Alas, we’ve reached the point you realize you can’t do it all… Now, it’s about enlisting help. 

Who will assist in accomplish these household chores?

In some instances, that’s hiring help. 

In other areas of your home, that’s sharing in the responsibilities of maintaining order in your organizing systems.

Taking the household chores list (from above), what things are you, your partner, your kids or your hired help responsible for on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or even yearly basis?

Sharing Chores With Kids

With Brooks, we love to have him help in organizing his toys into different bins, his costumes into different drawers or his yard tools in the garage. 

The chores he’s responsible for provide him stability in knowing that if his areas are to remain neat he needs to prioritize keeping them that way.

And what we’ve seen, even as a four year old, is that his eagerness to maintain order in his own areas overflows into a willingness to help maintain the drawer that our tooth brushes go in or in helping unload the dishwasher.

So there you have it my friend, a professional organizers real life strategies for simple + effective household chore routines.

 And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home

Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, book a FREE 30min.Clarity Call and… let’s chat!