It’s my expertise that when it comes to home cleansing, you fall into considered one of two classes. You both tidy up otherwise you clear. Chances are you’ll label your self a cleaner—and that’s as a result of, I’m sorry to break it to you, tidiers typically lack a sure self-awareness. If you’re a tidier you may suppose you’re a cleaner. But True Cleaners know the reality: “tidy” is only a facade. Tidy doesn’t discover the mud gathering on the baseboards. Tidy isn’t bothered by cobwebs gathering in the nook. And Tidy actually doesn’t see the pee that’s crusting behind (how?!) the bathroom.
Featured picture by Michelle Nash.
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Now, I understand if you prefer to stay woefully unaware of the nastier parts of your home. But the truth is, someone is going to have to handle it. And the more it adds up, the more it makes sense to put the tools in place to help you conquer the ever-growing literal laundry list of household chores. I have found house-cleaning apps to be the singular thing that makes the most significant difference in my family and my daily life and general wellbeing. Let’s review.
What are the best house-cleaning apps?
The best cleaning app will work for you and not the other way around. They give you permission to set a cadence that aligns with your lifestyle. If a cleaning app ever feels more stressful than not, it’s a sign to make adjustments or re-evaluate.
Speaking from personal experience, my first foray with a home cleaning app was what you’d expect: gung-ho, re-write-the-whole-system-energy. I assigned chores to me and my husband and created checklists for every possible thing in my home that could be wiped, scrubbed, or polished. Unsurprisingly, this energy waned, and yeah—my husband did not share my enthusiasm for a new system.
However, here’s what did happen: I found a happy medium. I removed tasks that weren’t important. I decided this could be my system alone and my husband could manage his responsibilities (family laundry, general nightly tidying, yard, and car maintenance) however he saw fit. Now, instead of beating myself up when tasks go undone, I use my app as a tool to help reset the home when I’m “behind.” (And I remind myself that it’s totally okay if a clean home wasn’t my priority last week/month.) I love the built-in tasks that allow me to simply go down the list rather than look around overwhelmed, wondering where to start.
But my favorite way to use the app is to set the alarm for 15 minutes daily and tackle a few chores that have already been decided for me. The mental lift of not making any decisions, knowing I only have to work for 15 minutes, and the fact that I’ll do it again tomorrow means I never feel like I’m behind. I never feel like things will add up.
My home is not perfect and it does not need to be, but it serves me and my needs—I am not a servant to my home.
My home and my mind are clutter-free. Yes, this is the magic of a cleaning app. Let’s get into it.
Editor’s Choice: Tody
Tody is an ideal app if you’re looking to establish a cleaning routine. As will likely be true with any cleaning app, the setup is the hardest part. The good news? It’s a one-and-done task. Begin by adding an area type (e.g., an indoor kitchen, a master bedroom, the home entrance, the attic, etc.). You can assign each room or area a color and from there, add tasks. Tody provides a selection to choose from (dust, sweep, floor, organize, storage, and more—plus custom options). From there, you set the schedule. Make it a fixed schedule to organize the attic every four months, or dust the bookshelves in the living room once a week. The task can be seasonal or ongoing, and you can assign it to yourself or a housemate.
My Review: Even though, truly, I still do not know how to pronounce, “Tody,” I can’t help but share it with anyone who asks. It’s the best $7 I ever spent. I’ve been using it for over two years now and it’s made managing home routines so much easier. I love the clicking-noise satisfaction of checking off a task. On my most productive weeks, I use the app most days and clean for about 15 minutes before getting on with my day. (PS: I’m not alone in my love. Tody is the fourth most popular app in Apple’s productivity category.)
Get the App: Google Play Store, Apple App Store | $6.99 one-time buy
Best For Getting the Family Involved: Sweepy
If your children have cellular units and also you need to get them on board, that is the app for you. That’s as a result of, in addition to monitoring and organizing housekeeping duties, Sweepy turns cleansing right into a recreation. You can add family members to the account to compete for a spot on the leaderboard—all of the whereas sharing the workload at residence. Grown-ups may even award factors and reward to useful kiddos when you’ve accepted their duties. Sweepy additionally enables you to filter duties by the diploma of issue. So, on these days once you simply aren’t feeling it, you’ll be able to select cleansing duties that require much less effort.
Helpful Review: “I hardly ever leave reviews, but this app is amazing. It’s stopped arguing from my kiddo about how much he does, because all kids think they have to do everything. […] We instituted a prize at the end of the week based on the tasks completed. I love that I can check his work when he’s done too.” —Apple App Store reviewer
Get the App: Google Play Store, Apple App Store | Standard: Free, Premium: $8.99/month
Best Minimalist Option: Spotless
If you’re craving a clear, clutter-free residence then you may want an app that’s simply as easy. I used to be struck by simply how minimal this app is upon first opening. From the straightforward shade palette to the refreshing lack of choices, that is primarily an elevated to-do listing. Once you arrange your property and its present state, merely overview your activity lists and click on the examine mark upon completion. You can arrange reminders or depart them off. Easy.
Helpful Review: (*8*) —Apple App Store reviewer
Get the App: Apple App Store | Free, option to purchase unlimited tasks for $4.99
Best Chore App to Teach Kids About Money: Homey
The premise here is simple: assign family chores, set goals, complete the chores, and earn money. Homey teaches kids about work ethic and how money is earned through an app that goes beyond a simple cleaning schedule. You can set up unpaid responsibilities and then add jobs that kids can get paid for. And the harder or longer the work, the more they can earn. You can chat within the app, set due dates, savings goals, add or remove funds from wallets, and more. The app works across single or multiple devices and it’s bright, colorful, and easy to navigate to boot.
Helpful Review: “I really like this app. I’ve struggled to maintain chore charts and reward charts and remember how much pocket money I owe. Homey has been a great solution to that which my child can take responsibility for too. It does make me realize the huge volume of chores there are to do.” — Sabrina S.N.
Get the App: Apple App Store | Google Play Store | Subscribe Monthly for $4.99 or Yearly for $49.99
Best Digital Chore Chart: Chorsee
If the chore chart is gathering mud on the fridge, Chorsee is the right app to revive it. Each member of the family creates a profile to hold monitor of what they’ve completed and the way a lot they’ve earned. From there, duties can both be assigned or arrange in order that anybody can get them completed (and due to this fact earn the prize). Users say it’s straightforward to arrange and so they recognize the simplicity of the design.
Helpful Review: “I have been using this app for a few months to keep track of my children’s chores and so far I love it! We are doing the old fashioned chores for money approach instead of a points or reward system. I have four children and lots of chores to assign and this app has everything I need. I can assign chores daily, weekly, to everyone, just one person, or on a first come first serve basis. It is very user friendly and I can add or subtract money easily to their accounts.” — Apple App Store reviewer
Get the App: Apple App Store | Google Play Store | Yearly Subscription for $19.99 or Lifetime for $99.99
Best Free App for Daily Decluttering: TOSS
Helpful Review: “This app is motivating. I’m always curious to see what is next for me to do. My sister has this app as well, and we’re surprised that it doesn’t give us the same ‘Toss’ job to do. I had a situation where I just couldn’t face the task for two weeks so I finally chose to skip it but did not remove it. I’m sure it will pop up again and I’ll be in the right frame of mind to do it.” — Apple App Store reviewer
Get the App: Google Play Store | Apple App Store | FREE
Best Personalized App to Get Organized: Clutterfree
Clutterfree is analogous to cleansing apps in that it personalizes the app to your property. Once you add your house, you’ll obtain a step-by-step highway map that can take you direct to that minimalist life-style. You can unlock achievements to hold you going, conquer day by day challenges, and sort out troublesome areas (good day, paper piles) with bonus plans. And in case you’re unsure you’ll be able to actually commit to organizing your whole residence through an app, there’s a 14-day trial interval so that you can provide it a shot.
Helpful Review: “I’m so excited to get started on each room and area in my home. This app gives a customized step-by-step process of decluttering each area (including a checklist of tasks to check off as you go). Finally, I’ll be able to keep track of my progress in a tangible way. If you’ve been putting off decluttering and minimizing your home, this app will give you the motivation and jumpstart you need.” — Apple App Store reviewer
Get the App: Apple App Store | Google Play Store | Yearly Subscription for $19.99 or Lifetime for $99.99
