Guides
Household chores list: what to do every day, week and month
A complete list of household chores, ordered by frequency, with realistic time estimates. It does two jobs: nothing gets forgotten, and you learn what your home really costs in time before you split it.
In short
- A two-person home typically needs 15 to 25 hours of chores a week, cooking included.
- Daily chores are few but take more than half the total time.
- Frequencies below are practical guidance: adapt them to your home.
- To split them, count minutes, not items.
Times are estimates for two adults without children, with a dishwasher and a washing machine: a starting point, not a standard. For comparison, the American Time Use Survey 2024 found that on an average day 80% of people in the US do some household activity, and that the average across everyone is about two hours a day.
The frequencies aren't hygiene rules; they're the rhythm at which most homes stay liveable without heroics. With pets, small children or allergies, some items need doing more often.
Every day
| Chore | Typical time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking (lunch and/or dinner) | 45-60 min | The heaviest item of the week |
| Clearing up, dishwasher, hand-washing | 20-30 min | Loading and unloading both count |
| Tidying surfaces (table, sofa, entrance) | 10-15 min | Ten minutes at night saves an hour on Saturday |
| Wiping the stove and sink | 5 min | |
| Making the bed | 2-3 min | |
| Pets: food, water, walks, litter | 15-40 min | If you have them |
Two or three times a week
| Chore | Typical time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry: load, hang, bring in, fold, put away | 30-40 min per load | Washing is the easy bit; the time is in hanging and folding |
| Trash and recycling | 5-10 min | Plus remembering the collection days |
| Small grocery run | 20-30 min |
Every week
| Chore | Typical time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Big grocery shop and putting it away | 60-90 min | Plus the list, which is mental work |
| Full bathroom clean | 30-45 min | |
| Vacuuming the whole home | 30-40 min | |
| Mopping floors | 30-40 min | |
| Dusting and surfaces | 20-30 min | |
| Changing towels | 5 min | |
| Ironing (if you iron) | 30-60 min | The easiest item to cut |
| Planning the week's meals | 15-20 min | Invisible work: put it on the list |
| Watering plants | 10 min |
Every two weeks
- Changing bed sheets (15 min)
- Cleaning out the fridge and binning anything expired (20 min)
- Cleaning the microwave and a light oven clean (15 min)
- Bills, payments and paperwork (20-30 min)
Every month
- Windows and large mirrors (45 min)
- Washing machine and dishwasher: cleaning cycle and filters (15 min)
- Cooker hood and filters (20 min)
- Skirting boards, doors, light switches (30 min)
- Checking deadlines: insurance, subscriptions, car service, check-ups (20 min)
Every season or twice a year
- Swapping seasonal clothes
- Curtains, rugs, turning mattresses
- Cleaning the balcony or patio
- Boiler and air-conditioning service (booking it is the part people forget)
- Sorting the storage room and paperwork
The chores no list writes down
Every item above has a part nobody sees: noticing it needs doing, remembering when, deciding how. That's the mental load, and if it isn't on the list it always lands on the same person. Add at least these:
- checking what's missing and writing the shopping list;
- remembering birthdays, gifts and anniversaries;
- booking doctors, the vet, repair people;
- keeping the household calendar;
- noticing something broke and getting it fixed.
How much it adds up to
Adding up the average estimates on this list, a home with two adults and no children easily reaches 15-25 hours of work a week, more than half of it cooking, dishes and daily tidying. Children and pets push the total up fast. To work out your own total with your own times, use the chore calculator: it starts from these estimates and lets you change each one.
How to split the list as a couple
Cross out what doesn't apply
If you don't iron, the item goes. Fewer items, less to split.
Count minutes, not items
Ten five-minute chores weigh less than cooking dinner every day.
Split in proportion to free time
The full method is in how to split chores with your partner.
Print it and put it up
The printable chore chart comes pre-filled with this list: add your names, remove what you don't need and save it as PDF.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “American Time Use Survey, 2024 Results”, 26 June 2025.