You’ve probably used printable to-do lists around your home and you may be using one right now. But most people underestimate the true power of this simple tool.
While it’s easy enough to jot down the basics of home management on a list and check them off as they’re completed, how many tasks that need to be done around your home never get accomplished just because they don’t seem to fit perfectly on a weekly list?
I suppose there are more than one or two. And those are the tasks that are incredibly easy to put off, month after month.
Tasks such as
* clean behind the refrigerator.
* sweep the garage floor.
* clean baseboards.
* clean the mini blinds.
*dustes the fan blades above.
* vacuum under beds.
* rearrange the junk drawer.
* clean the tops of door and window frames.
* vacuum the curtains.
* vacuum the sofas.
* clean cobwebs.
* dusts the shelves.
* clean the oven.
* Clean sliding door tracks.
* Sort old photos.
* clean the freezer.
* pantry inventory.
* Do touch up paint on walls and doors.
* de-fuzz bathroom ventilation fans.
* lubricate squeaky doors.
* Discard old files.
* shred old documents.
* get rid of old paint and other hazardous materials.
* unclog the dryer filter.
* clean the gutters.
* clean the chimney.
* wash the refrigerator.
* Deep clean carpets.
*repaint the bathroom ceiling.
* organize a closet.
* wash windows.
* fix screens.
* disinfect the dishwasher.
* clean stove exhaust fan.
I’m sure you can think of items to add to this list yourself. These are the household chores that we often never do, or at least much less frequently than we want. By using a printable to-do list for these infrequent tasks, you can stay on top of them much more easily.
Start by making your own irregular to-do list. (Keep this list handy, as you’ll want to add to it as seasonal tasks come up that you haven’t thought of.) Walk around your house with this list and look for these types of tasks. As you go from room to room, you’ll find more tasks to add to your list. Work on this list for two or three days to give yourself a chance to think of as many of these types of tasks as possible. Don’t forget your garage, yard, house exterior, and cars too!
Next, separate these household chores into categories such as
* monthly.
* seasonal or annual.
Write these tasks on your printable to-do list. It’s actually a good idea to use multiple to-do lists, one for each category. Once you have all of your irregular tasks written down and organized on your to-do lists, put them in a binder or inside plastic sleeves, as these are your master lists and you want to keep them in good shape.
At the beginning of each month, take a look at your master lists and write down what needs to be done from each one. Put that information on your calendar or another prominent place. Even schedule those tasks, if that works better for you.
Bottom line? You’ll get more of these out-of-the-ordinary tasks done on a regular basis by using simple tools like printable task charts creatively.