If you share your Williamsburg rental house with others, know how hard it can be to keep things clean. Whether living with roommates or family members, you’ll want everyone to pitch in and help to keep your house clean. In addition, you’ll need to confirm that everyone in the house knows who is responsible for which chores and when those chores need to be finished. This is where a chore chart can come in handy. By following a few simple steps, you can create a chore chart that will keep your rental home in good condition at all times – something both you and your Williamsburg property manager will realize.
Define “Clean”
The first move to creating an effective chore chart is to ensure that everyone doing chores has the same definition of “clean.” Several people may have very distinct implications about what it means to clean different areas of the house. If you and a roommate or family member have different ideas about what “clean” is, that can lead to unnecessary friction in the home. To get out of tension, make sure you chat about expectations ahead of time.
Make a List
Next, it’s time to list each chore that will need to be done. It’s best to do this as a group and try to make it as comprehensive a list as possible. Be sure you are first to agree that each person in the house is responsible for their belongings, bedroom, and private bathroom (if this relates). Then start creating a list of chores for everything else. Include both indoor and outdoor tasks and try to be as specific as possible. For example, instead of simply putting “clean the kitchen,” consider listing out the different components that should be cleaned in the kitchen. This will help reduce confusion and resentment if particular things get overlooked.
Create Your Chart
With your list of chores in hand, it’s time to start creating your chore chart. You can obtain a whiteboard or corkboard to serve as your chart or use a sizable piece of paper or poster board. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you like, as long as you can see and allocate tasks to each household member.
Assign Specific Chores
As soon as your chart is complete, you can then assign tasks. One of the best ways to begin is to encourage each person to volunteer to do chores they enjoy. Perhaps one roommate hates washing dishes but doesn’t mind vacuuming carpets. Another alternative is to divide tasks by room and have each person responsible for cleaning one room weekly. This may work for lighter cleaning, but deep cleaning might be easier to tackle if everyone helps. You can divide the work in any way that makes sense for you and those living with you but ensure it’s fair and that each person’s chores are assigned.
Set Deadlines
An effective chore chart guarantees that tasks are completed on time. In conjunction with assigning responsibilities, it is crucial to set deadlines for when each assignment is to be completed. This can help hold each person accountable for their assigned tasks and guarantee that all the chores are done regularly.
Follow Up
Finally, it’s vital to remember that no chore chart is perfect right out of the gate. Rather, collaborating on household chores is a process that will continue to evolve. For this reason, meeting regularly to discuss what’s working and address any difficulties that may have occurred is important. Being proactive with your follow-up can help hold off arguing or bad feelings that may otherwise result.
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Originally Published on July 31, 2020
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