Chores. Cleaning. Scrubbing. Vacuuming. Washing.

If you’re like me, these words make you shudder and become filled with dread.

Mess. Mold. Dirt. Germs. Clutter.

If you’re like me, these words make you feel even worse.

When you’re moving out of your house and living with other people outside of your family members for the first time, messiness can become an issue. Not only is it not attractive to look at, it’s also a breeding ground for germs and illness. I’ve heard too many stories from my friends on campus about how their roommates

completely disregard all personal hygiene and thoughts of cleaning up after themselves. I’ve heard of rooms that have so much food all over the floor that they forgot what color the carpet was, I’ve seen rooms where the sink and mirror were so full of mold and scum that you felt that washing your hands would give you more germs than it would get rid of.

When my roommates and I met over the Summer through Facebook, we immediately knew that our room would not be that place. We wanted order, organization, and most importantly; cleanliness.

So, I got to work and created a chore chart.

How to Make the Chore Chart

I love Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. So much that it’s almost embarrassing. Almost.

I immediately offered to create the chore chart for our group and it has paid off so much!

I organized it so that every 15 days (about every 2 weeks) we rotated chores, until the end of the year. Each person was in charge of 2 chores during that time period. The rules were that the chore had to be completed at least twice during that time, and with one preferred but not required deep cleaning of the area on the final day before the rotation.

This system has worked really well for us! Especially considering that we have a lot of people over all the time, they all compliment how good our room looks.

If you’re planning on going to college or living with roommates soon, or even if you currently do and you need a system to keep things clean, I highly recommend making a simple chart like this. We printed it out and hung it on the wall next to our bathroom mirror. Once a chore is completed we put a asterisk (*) next to our name. That way we can keep track of that fact that everyone is doing their chores!

Download Your Own Roommate Chore Chart

Want your own chore chart, without the hassle of creating it yourself? I have a template just for you! Click the button below to get your chore chart with now.

Do you have a system that works for you? Or any tips for living with roommates? Let me know!

RELATED: Listen to this episode of my podcast, The Quarter Life Crisis Club, on moving out on your own!