The best way to divide chores with a roommate Living with a roommate can be a fun and interesting experience. Whether it is someone you share a flat with during your stay in university, or perhaps you are sharing the expenses of a property with your friend, there is one thing you have to keep in mind: it is best to talk about house cleaning chores. That is one trivial topic, which many people underestimate the importance of. Often it could lead to unnecessary strain between you two. You need a way to go about this, so as to ensure that you do not have any difficulties living together. Following are some strategies that can significantly help you in that regard:
Discuss the matter - one of the most common mistakes people make in regards to house cleaning chores and living with a roommate is that they never discuss the matter. They just assume that cleaning chores will adjust in a fair manner by themselves. However, that is a solid mistake, as without having a proper talk about it, you cannot hope to arrange things properly. Sit down together and make a list of chores: in the kitchen, in the living room, the toilet and bathroom. Discuss individual chores like carpet cleaning, cleaning the fridge and taking out the trash. That is how you can set mutually agreeable standards and avoid misunderstandings of what needs to be done at home. Divide chores - once you have established what needs to be done and the standard you will follow for cleaning, it is time to divide the chores. There are various ways to go about this. Obviously, you will need to clean items and areas of your home every single week. One way is to delegate all chores to a certain person for the week and then have the other do them the following week. If that seems too overwhelming, you can agree to do certain chores only and let the other person take the rest. You can do this on a weekly basis, or just establish an agreement altogether and follow it at all times. The goal is to communicate so that you know what to expect from each other. Buying cleaning supplies - since you share place and you both invest time and effort in home cleaning, it only makes sense to divide the expenses of cleaning supplies. There are various items you can include on such list: trash bags, cleansers, dishwashing detergent and microfibre cloths. Make sure you discuss the matter so that you know how much it is going to cost. Talk about your preferences - this is very important. It is only reasonable for people to follow different rules and standards, so be ready to communicate these differences. It is okay to clean differently, as long as the agreed criterion is met. Also, be prepared to discuss cleaning times. Do not be too strict about that, however, as many factors can affect when you clean. If your roommate has not done their chores in a few days, it could be because of their schedule. Be kind and just remind them the job needs to be done.