You Wash, I'll Dry: 7 Tips for Sharing Cleaning Chores with Roommates

Sharing is caring, but it might not feel that way when it comes time to divvying up the cleaning duties in your Springs luxury apartment home. Household chores may not be a popular topic, but it's a necessary discussion when you share living space with roommates.

Cleaning is less of a chore when it's shared by many hands and you're all on the same page. Avoid drama with these valuable tips for splitting household tasks.

Make a List of Chores

Clearly, the first step is to agree on what chores need to be done on a regular basis. Sit down with your roommates and put every task you can think of on the table so you don't have to address issues later on.

Will everyone be responsible for cleaning up after themselves on tasks such as washing dishes or doing laundry? If so, those chores don't need to be included on the community list, but make sure expectations are spelled out.

Create a Schedule

Once the list is set, decide on the frequency, be it daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. It's easier for everyone to follow if you set up a master schedule, whether you use a wall chart or an app like Chorma or Chore Buster.

Set Deadlines

Chances are that no one will appreciate someone cleaning the bathroom at 1 a.m. Come to a consensus on deadlines, including time of day as well actual day for weekly, bi-weekly and monthly chores.

Assign Tasks

This might seem like the most difficult step, but there are some methods you can use to keep it fair, and maybe have a bit of fun!

• Open up the floor to volunteers. Some people don't mind (or even enjoy) tasks such as vacuuming or washing dishes.
• Have everyone draw numbers that correspond to a particular chore on the list. At the end of the month, everyone rotates to the next task in line.
• Let fate handle the choices by spinning a wheel or drawing from a hat.

Who Pays the Bills?

Bill paying doesn't technically fall under the category of cleaning, but it's a group responsibility that should be settled up front to avoid future problems. Fortunately, there are a number of apps designed expressly for splitting rent and other expenses among roommates to minimize hassles and disagreements.

Adjust Your Expectations

Few roommates fall under the extremes of Felix and Oscar in The Odd Couple, but everyone does have their own standards of cleanliness. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, be open to making compromises in the interest of peace.

Stay Flexible

No matter what methods you use, the original chore schedule doesn't have to be set in stone. Maybe a task needs to be done more or less often, or a roommate can't honor assigned chores due to unforeseen circumstances. Communicate frequently and modify the schedule as necessary.

How do you divide cleaning chores in your apartment? Tell us in the comments!