Ultimate Household Chore List: Keeping Every Room Fresh & Clean

Household chores aren't necessarily anyone's idea of fun. Still, getting them done is paramount to keeping your home clean, healthy, functional and all-around pleasant. Whether you have kids, live with roommates or reside only with a partner, a chores list can help things run more smoothly.

Your house chores list won't look exactly the same as the next person's, but this guide will go over some of the most common daily, weekly and monthly chores.

Here's the full list of household chores we'll cover:

Washing dishes

Loading/unloading the dishwasher

Cooking or preparing meals

Packing lunches

Sweeping or vacuuming the kitchen and eating area

Feeding pets and getting them fresh water

Walking the dog

Taking out the trash

Clearing the counters and putting things away

Making the bed

Vacuuming all rugs and carpets

Sweeping or vacuuming and mopping all hard floors

Dusting shelves and window sills

Cleaning the bathrooms

Scrubbing all sinks, drains and faucets

Changing out hand and kitchen towels

Changing out bedding

Doing laundry

Planning weekly meals

Grocery shopping

Watering plants

Rolling out the garbage and recycling bins

Mowing the lawn

Cleaning all windows and mirrors

Cleaning out the refrigerator

Tossing out expired pantry food

Cleaning out the oven and microwave

Changing the HVAC filter

Dusting the blinds or shutters

Vacuuming or steaming the curtains

Vacuuming furniture

Cleaning the walls

Dusting the baseboards

Organizing the closets

Bathing the pets

Washing the car

Vacuuming out the car

Weeding the garden

Read on for details, insights and tips for creating your own chore chart.

Benefits of a Household Chores List

Why make a home chores chart? In a perfect world, all tasks would get done in a timely manner without you having to ask or remind your family or housemates. But realistically, pulling it off takes a bit more planning and organization.

Making a list of chores to do around the house can ensure everyone does their fair share of work. Plus, it can take some of the mental burden (or emotional labor, if you will) off the person who typically does the remembering and reminding. Listing everything out and assigning tasks will help put housework on autopilot.

A chore chart can also help you make sure things get done on time. And when things are done on time, tasks won't pile up and become insurmountable. For instance, not folding and putting away clothes one week means you'll have twice as much to do the following week. But if you get it done every weekend, it won't feel so overwhelming. And in the end, a clean, orderly home is simply more enjoyable to be in.

What to Put On Your Chores Checklist

So, what tasks should you include on your household chores checklist? It depends. As mentioned, a chore list for adults with roommates will probably look a little different from a family chore chart or a list of household chores for couples. And of course, you probably have personal to-dos on top of the communal tasks that need to be done.

You can get an idea of what to put on your daily, weekly and monthly chart by checking out the lists below.

There are a handful of things that need to get done daily, but that doesn't mean they’ll take much time or effort. Like brushing your teeth, completing a task every day may eventually feel more like a habit than doing a chore.

Your daily chore list might include:

Washing dishes

Loading/unloading the dishwasher

Cooking or preparing meals

Setting thes table

Packing lunches

Sweeping or vacuuming the kitchen and eating area

Feeding pets and getting them fresh water

Walking the dog

Taking out the trash

Checking the mail

Clearing the counters and putting things away

Making the bed

As noted, some tasks are more personal, like putting your belongings away and making your bed, though there might be some grey area with couples and families with younger kids.

Want to make your personal chores list all the more satisfying? Learn How to Layer Your Bed Like a Stylist.

Weekly tasks are things that may not require daily attention but still need to be completed on a regular basis. While every home and household is different, the following list can help get your wheels turning when creating your own chart.

Your weekly chore list might include:

Vacuuming all rugs and carpets

Sweeping or vacuuming and mopping all hard floors

Dusting shelves and window sills

Cleaning the bathrooms

Scrubbing all sinks, drains, and faucets

Changing out hand and kitchen towels

Changing out bedding

Doing laundry

Planning weekly meals

Grocery shopping

Watering plants

Rolling out the garbage and recycling bins

Mowing the lawn

Depending on your personal needs and preferences, you might do some of these tasks more than once a week, while others may be completed bi-weekly or even monthly.

Each month, you can tackle things that aren't as urgent or that may take a bit longer to complete, such as deep-cleaning and organizing. Still, getting them done is as important as your household's daily and weekly tasks.

Your monthly chores list might include:

Cleaning all windows and mirrors

Cleaning out the refrigerator

Tossing out expired pantry food

Cleaning out the oven and microwave

Changing the HVAC filter

Dusting the blinds or shutters

Vacuuming or steaming the curtains

Vacuuming furniture

Cleaning the walls

Dusting the baseboards

Organizing the closets

Bathing the pets

Washing the car

Vacuuming out the car

Weeding the garden

Some tasks can be done every few months or even annually, such as cleaning out the garage or replenishing cleaning products, toilet paper and other household essentials. You might also have some seasonal outdoor projects, like cleaning the gutters, pressure-washing the driveway and washing the outside of the windows.

Read our article for the quintessential Bedroom Organizing Tips.

Laundry Chores

Laundry is among the more time-consuming and tedious household chores, but it still needs to get done on a regular basis. Depending on the size of your household and who lives with you, you might be able to break it up so that one person doesn't bear the entire burden. Here's what to consider.

Dirty clothes typically pile up the fastest, so it's vital they're not only washed but also folded and put away. If one person is in charge of washing and folding, you might have another person make sure everything's put back in the proper drawers or closets.

Read our blog to learn How to Wash, Dry and Care for Bathrobes, then check out our How to Wash Organic Cotton Clothing and Organic Clothing Guide for insight into finding and caring for the best high-quality garments for you and your family.

You should change out your bedding about once every seven to ten days, whether you do it by grabbing a fresh set from the linen closet or washing your sheets and duvet cover (See our guide on How to Wash Sheets the Right Way). Putting this on your weekend chores list makes the most sense for many households. However, some people like to switch out their pillowcase multiple times a week to minimize the amount of oil buildup and bacteria that touches their face.

For a deeper dive into this topic, see our article How Often Should I Wash Cotton Sheets? And check out our guide on How to Wash and Properly Care for Bedding and for step-by-step instructions.

Bath towels, hand towels, washcloths and other bath linens should be washed about every three or four uses — or at least once a week, if that's what your schedule allows. Since towels are heavy and bulky, tossing in a few wool dryer balls can help prevent twisting, speed up the tumbling time and even make them fluffier (and if you’re wondering, yes, wool dryer balls really work and are better than dryer sheets!)

Some people like using a fresh makeup towel every night for skincare purposes, in which case it might be worth getting a set of seven. That way, you can wash them once a week and keep a folded stack in your bathroom.

Here’s some helpful resources for keeping your towels fresh and clean:

How to Wash and Properly Care for Towels

Keeping Towels Fresh: How to Get a Smell Out of Your Towels

How to Fold & Style Towels Like a Hotel

You probably have various other household linens that need weekly laundering. These may include tablecloths, cloth napkins, fabric placemats, dish towels, cloth rags and bath mats.

Items like rugs, shower curtains, throws and decorative pillow covers can be cleaned monthly or bi-monthly. Just make sure they're machine-washable before tossing them in your washing machine.

Check out our guides to learn How to Wash, Dry and Care for Bath Mats and Rugs.

Bedroom Chores

Household chores often include tasks that are more or less everyone's responsibility. So then, what should your bedroom chores list look like? On a daily basis, you can make your bed, tidy up your vanity, put dirty clothes in the laundry and bring any water glasses back to the kitchen.

Once a week, you can put your clean clothes away in drawers and on hangers, vacuum the floor, wash your bedding and dust all the hard surfaces. Bedroom tasks you can do less often include cleaning your comforter and bed pillows, organizing your drawers, doing closet inventory and donating unused items.

Wondering if it's time to replace your bed pillows? Read our article How Often to Replace Pillows for Health and Comfort.

Check out our other blogs to learn How to Care for Down Bedding and to discover Why Making Your Bed Matters.

Bathroom Chores

While cleaning the bathroom probably isn't the funnest thing on your chores list, it's definitely not something you want to skip. Whether it's a half bath, a powder room, a guest bathroom or an en-suite primary bath, cleaning this space regularly will ensure it smells fresh while keeping mold and mildew at bay.

In addition to washing the towels weekly, your list might include vacuuming and mopping the floors, cleaning the counters, scrubbing the tile, sanitizing the faucets, wiping down the tub, squeegeeing the shower walls and cleaning the mirror. You may want to launder your shower curtain and clean the liner once a month as well.

See our guide for a complete rundown of Bathroom Essentials and Functional Necessities every home needs.

Living Room Chores

Since the living room is a shared space and generally a high-traffic area, your living room chores list should cover both daily and weekly tasks. Your daily chart might include folding blankets, straightening throw pillows, putting toys away and placing the remotes back in their designated spot.

Once a week, you can tackle vacuuming the floors, fluffing up the furniture cushions, dusting all hard surfaces, wiping down the coffee table and end tables and watering plants.

For specific decor tips, see our guide on How to Style Throw Pillows Like a Designer, and check out these 23 Basket Storage Ideas.

Kitchen Chores

What about the kitchen? As with the living room, this high-traffic space is shared by everyone in your home. Since it's used multiple times per day for cooking and eating food, regular cleaning is crucial for preventing stinky smells, mold and pest infestations.

Sweeping and mopping the floors, wiping down the counters and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces are important to-dos. Beyond that, your chores list should focus on doing dishes, taking out the trash, recycling and cleaning out the fridge, pantry and cabinets. Here's what to consider.

Setting the kitchen table is probably a daily chore as you’re preparing for dinner. Here’s a thorough guide on the Best Stylish and Functional Kitchen Table Top Decor Ideas.

If you live with roommates and typically prepare your own meals, it might make the most sense for each person to be in charge of their own dishes. But if your home has a dishwasher, you may want to take turns with emptying duties.

For couples and families with kids who eat shared meals, divvying up the kitchen chores list can make things more fair and manageable. For example, if one person cooks dinner, someone else might clean up the dinnerware afterward, and another person might be in charge of emptying or loading the dishwasher.

As mentioned, household chores are particularly critical in the kitchen to prevent odors. Doing the dishes and wiping down the counters is part of the equation, but taking out the trash daily (or at least every couple of days) will help keep the space smelling fresh.

If your kitchen has a garbage disposal in the sink, be sure to run it after doing dishes. And if your family composts, make sure the bin is regularly emptied.