What is it about household tasks that feel like such a drag? Maybe it’s because they’re tedious, like how cleaning out the fridge takes forever or sweeping the floor seems endless. Or maybe it’s because each time you complete a task, you know you’re going to have to do it all again the next day or week. Either way, chores can be a hassle. But, there are some tips that can help make chores less of a struggle. Check out the suggestions below to make your household work less overwhelming.

Start by breaking your regular household tasks into groups — one group for daily chores, one for weekly chores and one for monthly chores. This will help because it will limit the tasks you have to complete on a daily basis and will give you a manageable set of items to accomplish each day, week and month.

THE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO EVERY DAY

It’s super easy for small, daily tasks to become overwhelming chores. Do these four things every day in order to avoid turning your house into a big at the end of the week.

Sweep the floor, especially in areas where you eat. If you spend just a couple of minutes every evening after dinner sweeping up spilled crumbs, life will be much easier later on.

Wash the dishes. It feels like a given, but it is so easy for one or two dishes to pile up. By the end of the week, you have a sink full of dishes to address. It’s so much more manageable to wash those one or two dishes each day.

Put things back where they belong. The quickest way for your home to go from pristine to pigsty is to not put your things away when you’re done with them. Designate a place for each of your things and be sure to put them back when you’re done using them.

Put your clothes in the hamper. Another quick way for your home to become a disaster area is if you come home, strip down and toss your clothes onto the floor. Do yourself a favor and take the extra minute to gather your clothes and throw them into the hamper.

THE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO EVERY WEEK

Wash out the sink, tub and toilet. Cleaning the bathroom is kind of the worst. But, it only gets worse the longer you leave it. Make sure to wash the sink, toilet and tub in the bathroom (and the sink in the kitchen!), so that you have nice, clean spaces to use.

Vacuum. This one will be easy because once you start sweeping daily, running the vacuum will be a breeze.

Dust. The surfaces in your home are some of the most visible areas for visitors, which means they’re one of easiest to notice if they aren’t clean. Grab a Swiffer cloth and do a quick dust each week.

Wipe down/disinfect surfaces. After you’ve dusted the surfaces in your home, you’re going to want to disinfect them, too. You have to make sure to kill all the germs that come into the house with you.

Clean out the fridge. Everyone’s least favorite chore, but probably the most worthwhile. Scan your fridge for food that is old, expired, or you just haven’t eaten that week and throw it away. Yes, it might feel wasteful, but the truth is, it’s just going to rot in your fridge until you throw it out a month from now. Bite the bullet and put those things in the trash.

THE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO EVERY MONTH

Clean out the freezer. Trash things in your freezer you haven’t used. If it’s been a month (or more), you likely aren’t going to use them right away, if ever. And even though food items can last in the freezer for a while, they still get freezer burned or become otherwise undesirable. Getting rid of the things you aren’t using will help make room for all the delicious food you love.

Check the expiration date on your condiments. Check the fridge and the pantry to make sure your condiments haven’t expired. Most people keep condiments for centuries — at least that was the case in my house growing up. We didn’t know whether the salad dressing in the fridge was purchased yesterday or a year ago. Make sure your condiments are fresh by ensuring they haven’t expired since you last used them.

Do mini deep cleans. Find the things you haven’t cleaned in a while and go to town. For me, this would be cleaning underneath my bed, wiping down the window sills or cleaning the outside of the refrigerator. No matter who you are, there is probably some chore you’ve been putting off; identify that chore and attack it.

These are a few tips to help you jump-start your household chores. Remember that by taking good care of your living space, you are taking good care of yourself, so it’s important to make household tasks as manageable for yourself as possible. Hopefully, these tips will help you do that.

How do you make household chores easier? Share your tips with us!

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