Say Goodbye to Hated Chores – 3 Smart Strategies

It’s time to stop doing chores (OK, so maybe just the most hated ones). Unless you are Martha Stewart or Rosie the Robot Maid from the Jetsons, you do not enjoy spending your free time away from work scrubbing, polishing, and landscaping your home. You may enjoy some of these things but not all of them.

Have you ever just looked at a tower of dirty dishes or a seemingly endless stack of laundry and thought to yourself:

What if I told you that there was a way to stop doing chores you hate (at least some of them?) Think about all the time you would save. Time that could be better spent shopping for new shoes, sipping a mojito by the pool or organizing a picnic with your children at the local train park.

As working moms and dads, it is important that we take our managerial mindset and apply it to household chores. If you ever took Management 101 in school, you should be very familiar with these business strategies.

1. Outsource your chores

a. Care.com

Did you know that Care.com does more than just provide babysitters and nannies? It’s also a way to stop doing chores. You can use this site to find housekeepers, personal assistants, . Not only can you find someone to do your laundry, deep clean your bathrooms, or run your errands but there are also caregivers for your pets (i.e. dog poop removal, pet sitters and dog walkers).

b. Cleaning Service

Find a licensed and bonded cleaning service in your local area. A cleaning service can help you maintain a sparkling clean home in just a few hours a week (or every other week). If you want to go with a single housekeeper, make sure to do your research and get several glowing recommendations before proceeding with someone that is not licensed or insured.

c. Thumbtack

Thumbtack.com is an excellent place to find people happy to do your odd jobs and chores. They range from pool cleaners, landscapers, dog poop removal services, carpet cleaners, and even to getting someone to finally put together that IKEA bookcase that’s still sitting in a box three months later.

Simply log on and tell Thumbtack what service you are seeking (i.e. what chores you are tired of doing yourself). The site will then ask you a few questions to bring you the right pros for the job. Thumbtack is a fabulous resource for me for outsourcing chores, event management (e.g. DJs, balloon artists, face painters), and home carpentry services.

[I have not been compensated for endorsing these services but just really like them and hope they help you find the relief from servitude you seek.]

2. Delegate your chores

Pirates had a strict hierarchy on board their vessel, from ship’s captain, quarter master, master gunner, first mate…and all the way down to swab (i.e. the person who mopped the decks of the ship  as in “Avast ye, scurvy swab!”). In this same vein, it is your right as head (or co-head) of household to delegate chores.

Pirates were adept at barter and trade. The items they stole from upstanding merchant vessels had to be sold at port in order to turn a profit. Use these same skills to barter and trade chores with your spouse.

Husband hates doing his laundry? Wife hates scrubbing toilets? Make it an even trade! Don’t be afraid to barter for anything. Make it fun or even a competition.

The children in your home might be tougher negotiators. If you’ve ever tried trading a toddler something for the lollipop he already has in his hand, you know what I mean.

Instead, try offering a fun outing if they, for example, help mop the floors. As long as you don’t mind the house getting a bit more soaked that usual, mopping floors with kids can be a fun and refreshing exercise.

If negotiating doesn’t work with the little minions, there’s always candy and the Dollar Spot at Target.

3. Re-evaluate Your Priorities

If outsourcing your chores to professionals or delegating your least-favorite duties is not in the cards, it might be time to re-evaluate the priority or necessity given to this abhorrent task. You can still stop doing chores that are not necessary.

You despise hand-washing dishes but you seem to own tons of sensitive food and drink holders. Donate those items or stop using dishes that require hand washing every week. If cleaning cookie sheets is frustrating, make sure to line the sheets with foil or parchment paper before each use so dish washing large pans is kept at a minimum. If dusting all your knickknacks is exhausting, it is time to evaluate the importance you place on decor and figurines in your home. Place treasured tchotchkes that you can not bare to part with in a box for six months. Bring out the box still sealed shut and try to remember what was inside. Can’t remember or didn’t think about them the entire time? Donate!

If the children are not picking up their play room/area and you find yourself on your hands and knees each night putting away tiny puzzle pieces, Legos, and barbie hair brushes, it might be time to turn that play room into an office or home gym. The children’s toys might be better utilized in their respective bedrooms where they can deal with the mess and you can simply close the door.

If picking up after multiple pets is a nuisance and you can’t get anyone else in your family to do it, it might be time to sit everyone down and re-evaluate whether you are a pet family or not.

Stop Doing Chores – Steal Back Your Life & Never Scrub Toilets or Fold Laundry Again

Thanks for letting me share with you my three strategies for saying goodbye to my most hated chores. Tackle your home chores with piratude – delegate, outsource, and shift priorities. Take a strategic approach to your most hated chores. After all, you are the captain. Never be held prisoner on a beautiful Saturday again.

What chores will you say goodbye to this week? Comment below.