I made the chore chart when my husband and I were about 90 days away from our wedding.
Thecleaning strategywed been deploying before that was that all mess was communalwe canbothclean it up!
But that wasnt happening.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
The microwave was dirty, dust was everywhere, and the duvet hadnt been washed in Im-not-telling-you-how-long.
Something had to change.
We discussed divvying up chores and having individual responsibilities.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
And then the cherry on top: my husband suggested we make it into a chore chart.
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I made another column of how often each task would ideally take to get done.
(Sink cleaning, weekly.
Window cleaning, quarterly.)
The goal was that neither of us would end up with more work than the other.
I added dates at the top, printed it, and stuck it to the fridge.
The Results
The first week was a bit of an adjustment.
There are no longer any rogue items that become squatters where they arent supposed to be.
A multipack of contact solution doesnt have to live on the kitchen counter!
I find it very satisfying toclean the stove, and he likes dusting.
Theres less of a chance for resentment when were both invested in our households cleanliness.
And my husband isnt a hostage in a chore chart prison.
Stay Flexible
Along the way, weve stayed flexible withthis strategy.
Being sick definitely results in a pass.
The chore chart has also changed.
After the first sheet was finished, I made adjustments to the second sheet.
I didnt need to vacuum the couch cushionsevery week.
The only other change Im considering making is using stickers instead of marking things off with a check.
Who doesnt love a sticker?
