These printable chore cards are the perfect way to keep track of your cleaning jobs! Grab the cleaning checklist cards to create your own chore routine now!
If I had to name one of my least favorite parts of adulting, doing household chores would probably be at the top of my list. And it’s not because I don’t enjoy having a clean house – because I do! It’s just that there are so many other things I enjoy doing besides endlessly mopping floors and trying to remember the multitude of cleaning tasks for different rooms in our home.
I will say, however, that I’ve grown smarter with age. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t be paddling our household chore boat solo. After all, I wasn’t the one who hid all my dirty socks and a ham sandwich under the bed for two weeks straight! And I sure as heck wasn’t going to drive myself crazy cleaning that mess up.
Since I’m a stickler for organization, I decided to combine my love of checklists with chore cards to create house cleaning checklist cards! They’re the perfect way to divide and conquer your household tasks so you and your family can have more time for fun, togetherness, or that ever-elusive quiet time!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full terms of use for more info.
What are chore cards?
In case you aren’t familiar with chore cards, they’re basically small printable cards that contain specific cleaning jobs and chores to do in one room or area of your home. These room by room cleaning cards come in several different formats, but I prefer the checklist style.
The chore cards are usually laminated so you can use them repeatedly, and many people choose to store them on a binder ring. That way, they don’t get scattered to the four winds, and you can hand them out to different family members and collect them once the tasks are completed.
Why I Love Using Chore Cards
If I could write an “Ode to Chore Cards,” I definitely would! Here are just a few reasons why I love them so much:
I can focus on one room at a time
I tend to get overwhelmed in the face of a messy house. When I think of ALL the tasks I need to accomplish, I kind of just shut down. Chore cards help me focus on one room at a time, which seems so much easier! And the actual cards are typically smaller than a full sheet of cleaning jobs (about 4” x 5”), so it’s much less daunting!
I don’t have to clean everything myself
I firmly believe that moms should not have to shoulder the burden of chores alone. These printable chore cards help break up the household responsibilities so everyone can contribute! I can just pass one chore card out to each of my daughters and have them work independently on cleaning that room of the house.
They’re great guides so you don’t forget anything
Our brains can often be unreliable, and moms everywhere know how much worse it gets after having children! Room by room cleaning cards are an excellent way to make sure you accomplish every room’s chores. Just check off each task as you go and enjoy that thrill of accomplishment when everything is finished!
You can create chore cards for kids of all ages
One of my favorite things about chore charts is that you can create them for kids of all ages. While these chore cards are more appropriate for older kids, teens, and adults, I have tons of other chore chart resources for younger kids. Asking your kids to do chores around the house has loads of benefits, like helping them become more independent and teaching them how to be responsible.
Need a chore chart for younger kids or toddlers? These printable chore charts with picture cards (pictured below) are perfect for your kiddos!
Chore checklist cards are super motivating
Have you ever experienced that rush of satisfaction after you’ve marked items as “done” on your checklist? According to several studies, our brains release dopamine when we experience even small amounts of success, which in turn motivates us to keep working towards our goals. So, as you check tasks off your checklist style cards with a dry erase marker, you’re giving yourself a dopamine boost in the process!
Supplies Needed for the Printable Chore Cards
Here are the supplies that you need to make your own laminated chore card checklists. If you’ve already made these kids chore charts with picture cards, then you should have all of these items already:
- Printer – You can either print your chore cards at home or a professional print shop like FedEx Kinkos.
- Laminator (optional) – I absolutely LOVE this home laminator! (affiliate). Not only is the price very reasonable, but it’s also handy to have at home. I use it to laminate my cleaning challenge checklists, weekly meal plans, and other important home management lists.
- Laminator pouches – These are the ones I have (affiliate)
- Dry erase marker
- Scissors or paper trimmer – I prefer to use a paper trimmer for my cleaning checklist cards for a nice straight edge.
- Single hole punch
- Binder ring – The binder ring that I used was about 1″ round. They came in a pack of 8 different sizes, and I found them at Target.
- Printable Chore Cards PDF – You can grab the printable and editable cleaning cards in my shop here!
How to Assemble the Printable Cleaning Checklist Cards
- Print chore cards on card stock, or if you’re going to be laminating the checklist cards, then you can print them on regular printer paper. For printable cards that I laminate, I prefer using a 28 lb. printer paper. Standard copy paper is 20 lb. weight, but I find that the slightly thicker paper gives a better result.
- Cut cards out using scissors or paper trimmer. I chose to leave a very small white border around the edges of my chore cards, but you can cut right on the colored border if you prefer.
- If you’re going to be laminating the cards, then next you should place 4 of the cut out cards into each laminating pouch. Be sure to leave enough space (about 1/4″) around the edges of each card so that the laminator can create a good seal. If you leave less of a border around the cards, then the seal will break when you cut the cards apart. Then, run each pouch through your laminating machine. Here’s an example of what they should look like:
- Cut out the laminated cards, taking care to leave about 1/4″ of blank space around each card so that the lamination doesn’t come undone. Then, hole punch in the top right corner of each printable chore card. Do your best to get the hole in the same spot for each card, so they line up nicely on the binder clip.
- Attach chore cards to a binder ring. Simply open the binder ring and add the house chore checklist cards to the ring in the order that you want them to go.
Chore Cards for Room-by-Room Cleaning
Here are the cleaning jobs that are included on each chore card. Of course, the cards are editable also, so you can type in to the PDF and change the chores to whatever you like:
Kitchen Chore Card
- Declutter counters/table tops
- Wipe down counters/backsplash
- Shake out/vacuum rugs
- Sweep and mop floors
- Wash dishes/load dishwasher
- Empty trash can if needed
- Clean fronts of cabinets/drawers
- Spot clean inside/outside of fridge
- Clean microwave
- Clean stovetop and outside of oven
- Clean and disinfect sink
- Dust baseboards/tops of cabinets
- Wipe down outside of trash can
- Wash dish towels and rags
Bathroom Chore Card
- Wipe down vanity, sink, and faucet
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
- Sweep and mop floors
- Empty and clean trash can
- Clean toilet (outside and bowl)
- Clean mirror
- Wash towels and washcloths
- Check toilet paper/soap supply
- Clean shower/tub
- Clean shower curtain/liner
- Spot clean splatters on cabinets
- Dust baseboards/window sills
- Dust light fixtures
- General tidying up
Bedroom Chore Card
- Wash sheets/pillowcases
- Make bed/straighten pillows
- Remove trash from the room
- Declutter nightstand/dresser tops
- Fold and put away clothes
- Sweep or vacuum floors
- Dust all bedroom furniture
- Dust frames/decorative accents
- Clean glass surfaces (mirror, etc)
- Spot clean carpet/rug stains
- Spot clean pillow/comforter stains
- Dust baseboards/window sills
- Dust fan blades/light fixtures
- General tidying up
Chore Card for Closets
- Take everything out of closet
- Sort items you don’t want/need
- Make pile(s) for donations
- Relocate items that don’t belong
- Dust off shelves/closet rods
- Get rid of broken clothes hangers
- Clean/dust baseboards and trim
- Dust light fixtures
- Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
- Replace clothes/coats/accessories
- Organize/line up shoes
- General tidying up
Living Room Chore Card
- Fluff couch pillows/cushions
- Fold blankets
- Remove trash from the room
- Dust living room furniture
- Dust decorative items/frames
- Vacuum living room floors/rugs
- Vacuum couch cushions
- Spot clean rug/couches/pillows
- Clear off/declutter coffee table
- Clear off/declutter end tables
- Relocate items that don’t belong
- Dust baseboards/trim
- Dust fan blades/light fixtures
- General tidying up
Playroom Cleaning Checklist Card
- Empty one shelf/toy bin at a time
- Sort through items you don’t want
- Get rid of broken toys
- Organize remaining items
- Wipe down empty shelves/drawers
- Replace items in proper areas
- Dust all furniture/shelving
- Dust light fixtures/decor
- Clean/dust baseboards and trim
- Disinfect door knobs/light switches
- Sweep/mop/vacuum all floors
- Sort unwanted toys for donation
- General tidying up
Dining Room Cleaning Card
- Remove trash from dining area
- Wipe down table and chairs
- Spot clean stains on chairs/rug
- Wash tablecloth/napkins
- Dust dining room furniture
- Dust picture frames/decor
- Check chair legs for felt pads
- Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
- Clean/dust baseboards and trim
- Dust window sills
- Wipe down blinds/wash curtains
- Polish silver/wash crystal and china
- Polish wood furniture
- General tidying up
Laundry Room Card
- Declutter shelves/flat surfaces
- Wipe insides of drawers/shelves
- Clean fronts of cabinets/drawers
- Get rid of socks without a match
- Run cleaning cycle on washer
- Check/clean lint trap on dryer
- Wipe outside of washer/dryer
- Dust light fixtures/decorative items
- Dust baseboards/trim
- Shake out/vacuum rug
- Sweep/mop/vacuum floors
- Check stock of laundry supplies
- Put clean clothes away
- General tidying up
Home Office Chore Card
- Empty shelves/drawers
- Organize contents of each area
- Get rid of things you don’t want
- Relocate items that don’t belong
- Wipe down inside of drawers/shelf
- Organize papers into filing system
- Neatly replace organized items
- Dust all office furniture/decor
- Clean/dust baseboards and trim
- Organize paper clutter/mail
- Sweep/mop/vacuum floor
- Empty trash can
- Check stock of office supplies
- General tidying up
Entry Way Cleaning Checklist Card
- Remove trash from entryway
- Dust furniture/decorative accents
- Declutter and organize coats/bags
- Shake out/vacuum rug
- Sweep/mop/vacuum floors
- Clean door/window glass
- Dust baseboards/trim
- Dust light fixtures/curtain rods
- Clean and disinfect door handles
- Disinfect light switches
- Wipe down front/back of door
- Line up/organize shoes
- General tidying up
Other Chore Checklist Cards Included in the Printable
In addition to the typical room cleaning checklists above, the printable pack also includes additional chore cards for areas of the home and cleaning tasks that you may forget. Here are some additional printable cards that are included in the PDF:
- Pets – A chore card specifically for cleaning up after pets, including jobs like washing the pet food bowls, cleaning up the floor around the food bowls, and putting away pet toys.
- Kids – This chore card includes things like cleaning out backpacks, washing and disinfecting water bottles, and cleaning underneath kids’ beds.
- Garage – This cleaning checklist card includes jobs like wrapping up tools and extension cords, removing cobwebs from the corners, and decluttering shelves and tables.
- Seasonal Chore Cards – The PDF also includes 4 seasonal chore checklist cards for cleaning and maintenance jobs that you want to perform seasonally. There is a card for winter, spring, summer, and fall like the card below:
Get the Printable Chore Checklist Cards HERE
Want to grab these cute printable chore cards to use in your own cleaning routine? You can take a look at these cleaning cards in my shop here!
The great thing about these printable cleaning checklist cards is that you can edit the chores on each card to make them work for you! Don’t have end tables in your living room? Take out that chore and replace it with something else… easy peasy!
Just follow these directions to edit the chore cards and type in to the PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Go to the Adobe website here and download and install Acrobat Reader (it’s free!) – If you already have Adobe Acrobat installed you can skip this step.
- Open the Chore Cards PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader… You should be able to right click on the file icon on your computer (wherever you saved it) and select Open With>Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Then you can start personalizing your printable cleaning cards with your own chores! The size of the text will automatically change depending on how much space you need for your cleaning jobs!
- Once you’re done, just press “Save” to save a copy of the file to your computer (just in case you need to edit the cards and print new ones later). Print the cute cleaning cards for each room and you’re ready to assemble them!
More Chore Printables for the Whole Family!
- Free Printable Chore Charts for Kids – Tons of Options!
- The Ultimate Household Chores List (And Free Printable Template!)
- Make Your Own Weekly Cleaning Schedule with this Printable Template
And don’t forget to PIN this post for later:
Leave A Reply!