No one enjoys doing chores. Sadly, household to-do lists are just a fact of life. Things need cleaning, tidying, and fixing all of the time. Instead of trying to avoid doing chores, you’re better off trying to improve how you approach them.
You might not be able to make every chore a joy, but you can keep things light. Once you make these five common chores more efficient and enjoyable, they’ll no longer be the bane of your existence.
1. Laundry
Laundry is one of those chores that never ends. Unless you’re Marie Antoinette, you simply don’t have enough articles of clothing to wear every day without washing them occasionally. This means you’ll need to do laundry, perhaps even more than once a week.
One way to elevate this chore is to turn each load of laundry into a sensory experience. Luxury laundry pods will get your clothes clean and leave them smelling divine. You can practically turn a stint of laundry folding into an aromatherapy session.
Another way to de-drudge your laundry routine is to manage your schedule. Would you prefer to do a small load here and there or have one weekly laundry extravaganza? A small load can be done quickly — you can probably have everything folded and back in dressers in 15 minutes. A large multi-load laundry fest will be more time-consuming. However, folding several loads of laundry while watching some Netflix might make for a fun weekend activity.
2. Kitchen Duty
You probably spend a lot of time in your kitchen. There are groceries to be stowed, meals to be prepared, and dishes to be done — and then it starts all over again. You might even be logging hours at a kitchen table turned work-from-home office.
With so much going on in the kitchen, there’s a lot of work that needs doing. Many people will complain about the constant need to wash dishes or even call cooking itself a chore. Appliances and floors also require regular cleaning, whether you like it or not.
You can make at least one of your primary kitchen duties feel less oppressive by engaging in some meal planning. With a solid meal plan, you spend one day preparing a lot of food that can be eaten throughout the week. Rather than leaving work to come home to hours of chopping, sauteing, and roasting, you’ve got dinner ready to reheat. Having dinner waiting for you will make your kitchen a more appealing place roughly six nights a week.
3. Bathroom Cleaning
Not only is cleaning the bathroom boring, but it can also be one of the least desired chores in the entire household. While the reasons go without saying, it will inevitably be your turn to tackle this task every once in a while. So how do you make such a repulsive chore bearable?
When it comes to bathrooms, the best thing you can do is create good cleaning habits. Small but more frequent cleanings mean your bathroom will never get out of control. Letting the grime build up is when you start to experience problems.
Some passive cleaning will help you out here. For example, toilet bowl tablets will do some cleaning with every flush. Shower sprays can keep the soap scum at bay with little effort. Still, a quick scrub each week will prevent mildew and hard water buildup, saving time and effort in the long run.
4. Grocery Shopping
Some shopping is fun. Getting a new outfit or buying the latest video game can be an exciting way to spend your money. Buying groceries and other everyday necessities is important, but it can hardly be considered a very entertaining trip.
The good news for modern-day shoppers is that grocery shopping is easier than ever. More and more stores are revamping their infrastructures to enable pick-up and delivery options for their customers. All you have to do to clear your shopping list is enter it online and have it gathered together for you.
If you still want to go to the physical store location, try turning shopping into a game. Go with members of your family, divide your shopping list in two, and have a race. (No running in the aisles, though!) The first team to finish gathering their items doesn’t have to do dishes that night.
5. Yard Work
Everyone loves a nice outdoor space, but putting in the work to maintain a yard might have you wishing for a city apartment. Luckily, yard work can be one of the easiest chores to elevate out of your entire to-do list. Being outside provides plenty of opportunities to turn work into an enjoyable activity.
The next time you’re weeding, tune into an audiobook or podcast. You’ll be several chapters or episodes in before you realize that you’ve finished the entire planting bed. Time flies when your mind is occupied, and you’re not thinking about the sun and sweat.
Yard work is also much easier and more enjoyable with a helping hand. If you can plan out yard work tasks with your family, you can prove the phrase “Many hands make light work.” Or you can enlist a kid from the neighborhood to do the mowing for you for the right price.
You might wish you could have maids, cooks, and gardeners to do all of your chores for you. Until that day comes, use these tips to elevate boring chores into something more manageable and enjoyable.
