Organizing Apartment Chores

Busy apartment life sometimes mean that household chores get put on the back burner. Especially if you live with friends or other roommates, you can easily think, “Oh, she’ll get the dishes when she gets home…I’m too busy,” or “He can empty the trash, not me.” In apartment living it is important to stress communication and realistic expectations of when and how to clean. These guidelines will help you set up a list of chores to be done, and compile other information such as who will perform the chore and how often. Listing your chores and splitting up the work amongst your roommates will keep your sink from looking like the picture below.

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List all household duties. Making a comprehensive list of all of the chores that need to be done is a must. This will give everyone a more realistic view of what needs to be done on a regular basis. Taking out the trash, wiping down surfaces, cleaning out the fridge and vacuuming might all be included in this list.

Decide on who does the chore. Choosing who does which chore will give you and your roommates a sense of distinct responsibility. If you are in charge of the dishes and the dishes need to be removed from the washer, you know you need to carry out the chore instead of waiting until someone else comes and does it. It is also an option to rotate chores, and alternate weeks of who does what chores.

Choose a time frame. Performing chores on a regular basis is necessary to avoid a dirty household. Doing the chores daily, weekly or monthly depending on the specific chore should be specified to give you and your roommates a time frame to carry out the duty.

Print out chores. Make a spreadsheet of the chore, who will do it, when it needs to be done, and then a box to check once the chore is done. You can hang the chart up on the refrigerator, or some common area where you and your roommates will be able to track the progress. You and your roommates will be well on your way to chore success.

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Using these guidelines for chore duties will help your apartment stay clean and organized. Chores can be easily maintained and arguments are less likely to erupt due to no one carrying out household duties. Play around and see how the chore chart works, and use whatever system you and your roommates enjoy.

Pictures from: fusen and orinzebest