The Wheel of Chores is The Task Hack That Will Help Ease Your Cleaning Stress
That pile of mail on the counter, the junk drawer you keep promising yourself you’ll sort through, the glove compartment that needs purging, the plants that need tending, the drawers stuffed with clothes you plan to donate, the mattress you’ve been meaning to flip. What do all of these tasks have in common? They’re daunting, mundane chores that you just can’t seem to find the time or motivation to take care of. And yet, you know you’ll feel proud and relieved once they’re finished. Fear not, because the internet is fawning over a simple, creative way to give yourself that extra push without becoming overwhelmed. It’s called the Wheel of Chores, and it’s the colorful way to make nagging household tasks more manageable.
What is the Wheel of Chores?
Organization TikTok creator Melitsmoi now has an entire series on her page dedicated to Wheel of Chores videos. She delegates the decisions of where to start and which projects to tackle in a day to a spinning wheel. She compartmentalized the different things she had to do, and let the wheel decide which she would do and in what order. The spinner landed on cleaning up the garden wall, so she went outside and tackled the leaves that needed trimming around the perimeter of her outdoor space, cleaned out her raised garden bed and even planted a new tomato plant!
Another day, the wheel started her off by gathering all of the loose change she had been collecting and turning in the coins, and so on. Basically, she fills the wheel with things she doesn’t have a desire to do, but knows she needs to do, and lets it decide her fate so she can accomplish everything in piecemeal. The videos receive millions of views and likes, with many users commenting that they came up with their own wheels which gave them a huge bump in productivity!
“The chore wheel is a brilliant tool for tackling small, often neglected tasks,” says Melanie Summers, organizing specialist at I Speak Organized. “By breaking down overwhelming chores into manageable steps, it reduces procrastination and makes the process feel achievable. This method is especially beneficial for individuals with ADHD or those who struggle with task initiation, as it introduces an element of fun and surprise, which can enhance motivation and focus.”
Related: Are You Working Too Hard? Check Out Our Cleaning Checklist To See What To Let Slide
How to make your own Wheel of Chores
Creating your own spinning wheel is simple enough. There are quite a few (free) options to make your own online such as the customizable Wheel of Names. Then, think about which chores should go on your wheel — and don’t stress about this part, because once you finish a task, you can replace it on the wheel with something new!
What to include on your Wheel of Chores
Sort through any junk drawers
Summers suggests including decluttering the junk drawer if you have one. If you have more than one drawer filled with things you probably don’t need to keep, target one at a time, she adds.
Go through the mail
Organizing a pile of mail you’ve been just tossing aside is another less than enjoyable job. Summers recommends setting a timer for 15 minutes and sorting through a manageable pile, separating bills, personal mail and junk.
Arrange products under the sink
Another option is organizing underneath the kitchen or bathroom sink and tidying up cleaning supplies or toiletries so everything is easily accessible. This is also a good time to take note of anything you’re running low on so you can be proactive and add it to your shopping list!
Declutter your entryway
Summers also suggests tackling your entryway, focusing on shoes, coats, accessories and creating a welcoming and clutter-free space to step into.
Clean smaller surfaces
Kathy Cohoon, Operations Manager at Two Maids, suggests focusing on often-forgot places like light switches and door handles which are often overlooked. You'll want to wipe them down to prevent germs from building up too much on these frequently touched surfaces. Cohoon also suggests dusting ceiling fans (here, the genius pillow case hack that makes cleaning a ceiling fan a cinch) and light fixtures (a lighting pro reveals the top do’s and don’ts) that you might need a step stool to reach in order to prevent buildup.
Also, she says, remove dust and debris from underneath furniture including couches and beds, clean baseboards around the house (find out how to do this without hurting your back), wash the inside of the microwave as well as exteriors and interiors of windows.
Related: Why Is My House So Dusty? Cleaning Pros Share The Answers + Tricks To Eliminate It
More expert-recommended chore strategies
You can duplicate the essence of the Wheel of Chores in any way that works for you. The ultimate goal is to break things down into smaller concepts that are not as overwhelming as the idea of cleaning and organizing your whole life in one turn.
Summers suggests grouping similar tasks together and tackling them in one go, such as laundry and dishwashing. This method, she explains, can reduce the mental load of switching tasks frequently. Similarly, she suggests decluttering in stages by breaking down large projects into stages and focusing on one area at a time. “This method is particularly effective for those who struggle with task initiation,” Summers notes.
Experts agree that the visual aspect is one of the most helpful for getting things done. Whether it’s a wheel, planner or calendar, whiteboard, note cards, an app, a chart or checklist of some kind, visualizing your progress can help you track your goals and motivate you to continue.
Keep reading for more organization tips!
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