Household chores are the everyday tasks we do at home—like cleaning, cooking, or doing the laundry—to keep things clean and organized. These chores are part of daily routines in many homes and are useful to talk about in English when discussing responsibilities or habits. In this article, you’ll learn what household chores are, explore a list of common chores with pictures, meanings, and simple examples, and take a quick quiz to check your understanding.
What Are Household Chores?
In English, household chores refer to the routine tasks people do at home to keep their space clean, organized, and comfortable. These tasks can include things like washing dishes, vacuuming, cooking, folding laundry, and tidying up. Some chores need to be done every day, while others are done weekly or when needed. Everyone in the family might share these responsibilities depending on age and ability.
Examples:
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I usually take care of the kitchen chores, like cooking and doing the dishes.
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My children are responsible for small chores such as making their beds.
Common Household Chores – With Meaning & Examples
Here’s a list of common household chores, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences.
Make the bed: to arrange the blanket, pillow, and sheets neatly on the bed
– I make the bed every morning before school.
Do the laundry: to wash dirty clothes using a washing machine or by hand
– She does the laundry every Saturday afternoon.
Fold the laundry: to neatly fold clean, dry clothes
– After drying the clothes, he folds the laundry and puts it away.
Wash the dishes: to clean plates, cups, and utensils after eating
– I wash the dishes after every meal.
Take out the trash: to remove garbage from the house and put it outside
– Don’t forget to take out the trash tonight.
Vacuum the floor: to clean carpets or floors using a vacuum cleaner
– He vacuums the floor twice a week.
Sweep the floor: to clean the floor using a broom
– My mom sweeps the floor every morning.
Mop the floor: to clean the floor using water and a mop
– After dinner, she mops the kitchen floor.
Dust the furniture: to remove dust from surfaces like shelves and tables
– We dust the furniture every weekend.
Clean the bathroom: to wash the toilet, sink, mirror, and shower
– I clean the bathroom once a week.
Cook meals: to prepare food by boiling, frying, baking, etc.
– My dad usually cooks dinner for the whole family.
Set the table: to arrange plates, cups, and cutlery before a meal
– He always sets the table before dinner.
Clear the table: to remove dirty dishes and leftover food after a meal
– We clear the table together after eating.
Water the plants: to give water to flowers or houseplants
– She waters the plants every two days.
Feed the pets: to give food to dogs, cats, or other animals
– I feed the pets every morning and evening.
Tidy up: to make a space clean by putting things in the right place
– Let’s tidy up the living room before guests come.
Mow the lawn: to cut the grass in the garden
– He mows the lawn every Sunday.
Do the ironing: to make clothes smooth using a hot iron
– She does the ironing while watching TV.
Hang the clothes: to put wet clothes on a line or rack to dry
– We hang the clothes outside when it’s sunny.
Clean the windows: to wash windows using glass cleaner and a cloth
– They clean the windows every month.
Make lunch / dinner: to prepare a meal, usually for the family
– I always make lunch for my kids before school.
Load the dishwasher: to put dirty dishes into the dishwasher
– After eating, I load the dishwasher while my sister clears the table.
Unload the dishwasher: to take out clean dishes and put them back in the cupboards
– He unloads the dishwasher in the morning before work.
Rake the leaves: to collect fallen leaves from the yard or garden using a rake
– In autumn, we rake the leaves every weekend.
Sort the recycling: to separate glass, plastic, paper, etc. before throwing them away
– He sorts the recycling every Thursday.
Change the sheets: to replace dirty bed sheets with clean ones
– We change the sheets every week.
Refill soap or paper towels: to replace empty bathroom or kitchen supplies
– Can you refill the soap in the bathroom?
Shake out the rug: to take a small rug outside and shake it to remove dirt or dust
– I shake out the rug on the balcony once a week.
Unclog the drain: to remove blockages from sinks or bathroom drains
– He had to unclog the kitchen sink last night.
Replace light bulbs: to change a broken or old light bulb
– I replaced the light bulb in the bathroom this morning.
Quiz – Household Chores Vocabulary
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence:
1. I use a vacuum cleaner to ___ the carpet.
a) wash
b) sweep
c) vacuum
2. After washing the clothes, I ___ them and put them away.
a) mop
b) fold
c) sweep
3. Don’t forget to ___ the plants before you leave.
a) feed
b) dust
c) water
4. He ___ the dog every morning and evening.
a) feeds
b) irons
c) cleans
5. She always ___ the bathroom on Saturdays.
a) cooks
b) cleans
c) sweeps
6. I usually ___ the table before dinner.
a) clear
b) sweep
c) set
7. We ___ the trash every night after dinner.
a) throw
b) take out
c) hang
8. She ___ the floor with a broom every morning.
a) mops
b) vacuums
c) sweeps
9. He always ___ his bed before school.
a) folds
b) makes
c) irons
10. I ___ the clothes outside when the weather is sunny.
a) hang
b) fold
c) wash
Quiz Answers:
1) vacuum
2) fold
3) water
4) feeds
5) cleans
6) set
7) take out
8) sweeps
9) makes
10) hang
