Chores are a part of life, no matter which way you look at it. Everyone who lives in the home needs to have a hand in keeping it running. The more hands you have, the lighter the work becomes. Be mindful of how your mess affects those whom you live with. Different people are ok with different messes. Don’t annoy your partner by being a slob, and on the flip side, don’t be a nag by constantly pestering your partner to clean. Find a happy medium and divide up the chores that need to happen.

1. Never Say Never: Everyone has a chore (or chores) that they hate to do. You can come to an agreement that you will do that chore less often, but don’t be stubborn and think that you’ll never have to do the chore you don’t like. There will be a time when the trash needs to go out and your partner can’t do it. Swallow your pride, hold your nose, and wrap up the trash to throw out. You can give yourself a little pat on the back for being brave and doing the thing that you like the least. Keep your bragging to a minimum so that you don’t sound like you are making the other person feel inferior.
2. Have A Checklist: Having a chore list or checklist is helpful to know when things were accomplished. There are things that need to happen daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Put all of the chores on a sheet and post it in a visible location. Divide up the chores by using different colors, so each person knows what they are in charge of. Mark it off as you go, and write the date if need be. It’s especially helpful for things like watering the plants. You don’t want to overwater your garden or overfeed your pets.
3. Designate Days: It can be exhausting doing chores every day. Different people like to divide their work up differently. Some like to knock it all out at once, and others would prefer to do a little at a time. To make sure that all of the chores do get accomplished, designate certain days for certain chores. For example, cleaning the bathrooms happens on Sundays, the floors are mopped on Mondays, and so on. It can help give you more time on your weekends instead of using up half of your Saturday cleaning.
4. Talk About It: Don’t assume that the other person should or will handle the chores. That’s not a fair compromise. It doesn’t matter if one person brings in more money that the other. Both of you are part of the household, and both need to pitch in to make the house a home. If one person does have a lighter work schedule, then talk about it. Come to an agreement that they will handle a few more chores than the other to help out.

Don’t be above any job. If you made the mess, then do your best to be the one to clean it. It’s all about the Golden Rule, even in a roommate or romantic partnership. Consider your actions, and work together to have a happy home.