Random Chore Generator: One Chore by Room or by Effort

One press gives you one household chore, how many minutes it takes and the step people tend to skip.

Random Chore Generator: One Chore by Room or by Effort

  1. Hand wash the delicates20 minutes. Skipped step: press the water out inside a rolled towel. Wringing is what stretches them.

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Random Chore Generator: One Chore by Room or by Effort: how it works

This random chore generator hands you one household chore, with the minutes it takes and the step people tend to skip. Empty the dishwasher, and tip the water out of the mug bottoms. Make the bed, corners first. All 142 chores were written for this page, for families and roommates who would rather not argue.

Two rows: five rooms, three efforts

Room: Kitchen 31, Bathroom 23, Bedrooms and laundry 26, Living areas 30, Whole home and outside 32. Effort: 5 minutes holds 55 chores of five minutes or less, Half an hour 62 of 10 to 30, and Big job 25 of 45 or more. Soaking and machine time is left out unless the card says so. Use both rows at once: Kitchen plus 5 minutes leaves 13. The full list lower down is sorted by room, one line per chore.

How to split chores with a random draw

Set the size to 5 or 10, press once and deal the cards in order. Each person gets one Swap on a card they cannot stand, and Lock holds the agreed cards while the rest redraw. Tick a chore when it is done; the ticked list is saved on this device. Seven cards carry a checked fact: the US Fire Administration on dryer lint and smoke alarms, Energy Star on the air filter, and the CDC on never mixing bleach with other cleaners.

Tips

  • Set Effort to 5 minutes while the coffee brews. One card, done before the cup is.
  • For a Saturday reset, set Effort to Half an hour, draw 10, print the list with its boxes and let everyone initial their chores.
  • Do the skipped step first. It is the part that gets dropped when you are tired.

Questions and answers

How do I use a random chore generator with roommates?

Open the page together so everyone watches the same draw. Set the size to 5 or 10, press once, and deal the cards starting with whoever went last the week before. Then press Share and post the link in the group chat; it opens the same cards for everyone.

Why does every chore name the step people skip?

Because a chore done without it looks finished and is not: the counter wiped around the toaster, the couch vacuumed but never under its cushions. Naming the step turns a vague job into one you can check.

Is this a chore chart for kids?

No. It is a shuffle for a general household, with no age bands, names or rewards, and some cards involve cleaners, the oven or the dryer, which are adult jobs. With an adult choosing, a child can take cards such as Make the bed or Match the odd socks.

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All 142 chores

Kitchen 31

  • Check the pantry for expired food 20 minutes. Skipped step: pull the back row forward. The oldest cans are always behind the newest.
  • Clean the dishwasher filter 15 minutes. Skipped step: finding it. On many machines it twists out from under the bottom rack.
  • Clean the oven door glass 15 minutes. Skipped step: open the door flat and do the inside pane, which is the one that browns.
  • Clear out and wipe the whole pantry 90 minutes. Skipped step: group what you own on the table before it goes back, so you see the doubles.
  • Deep clean the oven 90 minutes with soaking. Skipped step: take the racks out and soak them on their own in the tub or sink.
  • Defrost the freezer 2 hours, mostly waiting. Skipped step: towels on the floor first, and the food into a cooler with ice packs.
  • Descale the kettle 20 minutes. Skipped step: after the vinegar soak, boil one kettle of plain water and pour it away.
  • Empty and sort one kitchen drawer 15 minutes. Skipped step: empty it fully and wipe out the crumbs before anything goes back.
  • Empty and wipe every kitchen cabinet 2 hours. Skipped step: do one cabinet at a time, so the counter never fills up and stalls you.
  • Empty the dishwasher 5 minutes. Skipped step: tip the water out of the mug bottoms before anything goes in a cabinet.
  • Empty the toaster crumb tray 3 minutes. Skipped step: unplug it, then shake the whole toaster upside down over the sink.
  • Mop the kitchen floor 20 minutes. Skipped step: sweep first, or the mop only pushes wet crumbs into the corners.
  • Pull out the fridge and clean behind it 45 minutes. Skipped step: unplug it before you vacuum the coils, and get a second person to pull.
  • Refill the soap and the paper towels 3 minutes. Skipped step: add whatever ran out to the shopping list while you hold the empty.
  • Scrub the kitchen sink 5 minutes. Skipped step: the drain ring and the underside of the stopper, not only the bowl.
  • Soak the range hood filter 30 minutes. Skipped step: the metal filter slides out from underneath. Soak it hot and soapy, dry it fully.
  • Swap the dish towels and the sponge 2 minutes. Skipped step: the sponge. Towels get swapped, the sponge gets forgotten for weeks.
  • Sweep the kitchen floor 5 minutes. Skipped step: run the broom along the toe kick under the cabinets, where crumbs hide.
  • Take out the kitchen trash 5 minutes. Skipped step: wipe the inside of the lid and the rim before the new bag goes in.
  • Throw out the old leftovers 5 minutes. Skipped step: open every tub instead of guessing, then wash the tubs right away.
  • Wash out the fridge shelves 30 minutes. Skipped step: take the drawers right out and wash under them, where the spills pool.
  • Wash the dishes by hand 20 minutes. Skipped step: wash the tray under the drying rack too. It grows a film nobody looks at.
  • Wash the kitchen trash can 15 minutes. Skipped step: let it dry upside down before the new bag goes in, or the smell comes back.
  • Wipe the cabinet fronts 20 minutes. Skipped step: the cabinets next to the stove, which carry a grease film you can feel.
  • Wipe the fridge door and handles 3 minutes. Skipped step: the top edge of the door and the rubber seal beside the handle.
  • Wipe the inside of the microwave 5 minutes. Skipped step: heat a bowl of water for 2 minutes first, so the splatters wipe off soft.
  • Wipe the kitchen counters 5 minutes. Skipped step: move the toaster and the kettle and wipe under them, not around them.
  • Wipe the kitchen table and chairs 5 minutes. Skipped step: the chair backs and seat edges, where hands grab every day.
  • Wipe the small appliances 10 minutes. Skipped step: unplug each one first, then get the seams where the crumbs wedge in.
  • Wipe the stove top 5 minutes. Skipped step: pull the knobs off and wipe behind them, where the grease collects.
  • Wipe the wall behind the stove 10 minutes. Skipped step: warm soapy water first and a dry cloth after, or the grease only smears.

Bathroom 23

  • Clean the exhaust fan cover 15 minutes. Skipped step: switch the fan off at the wall, then vacuum the cover before you wipe it.
  • Clear the hair from the shower drain 3 minutes. Skipped step: lift the drain cover. The clog sits under it, not on top.
  • Deep clean the bathroom top to bottom 75 minutes. Skipped step: start at the ceiling corners, so dust never lands on a surface you just cleaned.
  • Descale the shower head 10 minutes plus an hour of soaking. Skipped step: run hot water for a minute after, to flush the loose scale.
  • Disinfect the toilet and the sink 15 minutes. Skipped step: clean with soap first. And never mix bleach with any other cleaner.
  • Empty every bathroom drawer and shelf 45 minutes. Skipped step: wipe the empty drawers, then put back only what somebody used this year.
  • Empty the bathroom trash 3 minutes. Skipped step: a fresh bag, plus a spare folded flat in the bottom of the can for next time.
  • Mop the bathroom floor 15 minutes. Skipped step: behind the toilet and around its base, by hand if the mop will not fit.
  • Quick-clean the toilet 5 minutes. Skipped step: the outside. Wipe the handle, then the seat hinges, then the base, in that order.
  • Restock the toilet paper 2 minutes. Skipped step: leave the spare rolls where a guest can reach them without asking.
  • Scrub every tile in the shower 60 minutes. Skipped step: open the window or run the fan the whole time, and rinse each wall as you finish it.
  • Scrub the grout lines 30 minutes. Skipped step: an old toothbrush, one square yard at a time, and a rinse before it dries.
  • Scrub the shower or the tub 25 minutes. Skipped step: let the cleaner sit for 10 minutes first, so it does half the scrubbing.
  • Sort the bathroom cabinet 20 minutes. Skipped step: read the date on the sunscreen and on anything else that carries one.
  • Squeegee the shower walls 2 minutes. Skipped step: doing it while the walls are still wet, right after the last shower.
  • Straighten the bathroom counter 5 minutes. Skipped step: toss the empties. Every bathroom has a bottle with a quarter inch left.
  • Swap the hand towels 2 minutes. Skipped step: the bath mat goes in the wash with them. It is the wettest thing in the room.
  • Wash the bath mats and the towels 10 minutes plus a wash cycle. Skipped step: dry them all the way. A damp towel folded away smells by Friday.
  • Wash the shower curtain 10 minutes plus a wash cycle. Skipped step: read the care label, then hang it back up wet to drip dry.
  • Wipe the bathroom mirror 2 minutes. Skipped step: finish with a dry cloth, or the streaks show up when the light hits.
  • Wipe the bathroom sink and faucet 3 minutes. Skipped step: the base of the faucet and the back of the handles, where toothpaste dries.
  • Wipe the bathroom switch and door handle 2 minutes. Skipped step: both sides of the door, and the lock, which every hand in the house touches.
  • Wipe the bathroom walls and door 15 minutes. Skipped step: the wall beside the toilet and the strip behind the sink.

Bedrooms and laundry 26

  • Carry the bedroom cups and plates to the kitchen 3 minutes. Skipped step: check by the bed and behind the screen, then rinse them instead of filling the sink.
  • Carry the laundry baskets to the washer 3 minutes. Skipped step: check the bathroom floor and the back of each door for strays on the way.
  • Change the bed sheets 15 minutes. Skipped step: the pillow protectors and the mattress pad, which get washed far less often.
  • Clean the dryer lint filter 1 minute. Skipped step: doing it every load. The US Fire Administration says before and after each cycle.
  • Clear out under the bed 45 minutes. Skipped step: pull everything out into the light before you vacuum, and decide on each thing once.
  • Clear the dryer vent duct 45 minutes. Skipped step: checking the outside flap opens. On a gas dryer, leave the gas line to a technician.
  • Clear the nightstand 5 minutes. Skipped step: carry the cups to the kitchen now, not on your next trip.
  • Dust the bedroom 15 minutes. Skipped step: the headboard, the lamp shades and the top of the door frame.
  • Fold and put away one load 20 minutes. Skipped step: the putting away. A folded pile on the dresser is only half the chore.
  • Hand wash the delicates 20 minutes. Skipped step: press the water out inside a rolled towel. Wringing is what stretches them.
  • Iron or steam five things 25 minutes. Skipped step: hang each piece the moment it is done. A pile of ironed shirts is a pile of creases.
  • Make the bed 3 minutes. Skipped step: pull the fitted sheet tight at the corners first. The top layer sits flat after that.
  • Match the odd socks 5 minutes. Skipped step: look inside the fitted sheets and pant legs from the last load, where partners hide.
  • Move the wash to the dryer or the rack 5 minutes. Skipped step: shake each piece out before it goes in, so it dries with fewer creases.
  • Put away the clothes on the chair 5 minutes. Skipped step: give worn-once clothes a hook of their own, so they stop living on the chair.
  • Run a cleaning cycle on the washer 5 minutes plus the cycle. Skipped step: pull out the detergent drawer and rinse it in the sink.
  • Sort one dresser drawer 15 minutes. Skipped step: take everything out first. Sorting in place only stirs it.
  • Sort the whole closet 2 hours. Skipped step: put the donation bag in the car the same day, or it quietly moves back in.
  • Start a load of laundry 5 minutes. Skipped step: check every pocket. One tissue or one pen decides how the whole load turns out.
  • Swap the seasonal clothes 90 minutes. Skipped step: wash everything before it goes into storage, even what looks clean.
  • Tidy one closet shelf 20 minutes. Skipped step: refold the whole stack, not only the top two, and face the folds outward.
  • Turn the mattress end to end 10 minutes. Skipped step: vacuum the top of the mattress while the sheets are off, and get a second person.
  • Vacuum the bedroom floor 15 minutes. Skipped step: under the bed, as far as the wand will reach.
  • Wash all the bedding, comforter included 3 hours, mostly machine time. Skipped step: dry the comforter right through, shaking it out between cycles.
  • Wash the pillows 10 minutes plus a wash cycle. Skipped step: read the care tag, and wash two at a time so the drum stays level.
  • Wipe the washer door seal 3 minutes. Skipped step: fold the rubber seal back and wipe inside the fold, then leave the door open.

Living areas 30

  • Clean the inside windows in one room 25 minutes. Skipped step: the sills and tracks first, so the dirt does not run onto clean glass.
  • Clear the desk and file the papers 30 minutes. Skipped step: three piles only: act on it, file it, recycle it. No fourth pile for later.
  • Clear the dining table 5 minutes. Skipped step: the things that live there but should not. Each one goes back to its own room.
  • Do a basket sweep of the clutter 5 minutes. Skipped step: emptying the basket. Deliver each thing to its room before you stop.
  • Dust the ceiling fan 15 minutes. Skipped step: slide an old pillowcase over each blade and pull, so the dust stays inside it.
  • Dust the picture frames 15 minutes. Skipped step: the top edge of each frame, and the top of the door frames while the cloth is out.
  • Dust the shelves 25 minutes. Skipped step: take things off the shelf. Dusting around objects leaves their outlines behind.
  • Empty the junk drawer and the hall closet 90 minutes. Skipped step: a box for things with no home yet. Decide on that box before the day ends.
  • Fold the throw blankets 2 minutes. Skipped step: shake each one out first, ideally out of a window or over the porch rail.
  • Hang up the coats and the bags 3 minutes. Skipped step: empty the bags first. Lunch boxes and water bottles go to the kitchen now.
  • Line up the shoes by the door 3 minutes. Skipped step: knock the dirt off outside, and shake out the doormat while you are there.
  • Mop the hall floor 20 minutes. Skipped step: start at the far end and mop toward the door you will leave by.
  • Move the furniture and vacuum under it 60 minutes. Skipped step: a second person for the couch. Slide it, do not lift it alone.
  • Sort the bookshelf 90 minutes. Skipped step: take every book off, dust the bare shelf, and start a box for the ones that can go.
  • Sort the coat closet 25 minutes. Skipped step: check the pockets and match the gloves before anything goes back on a hanger.
  • Sort the mail pile 5 minutes. Skipped step: open it over the recycling bin, so the junk never touches the table again.
  • Spot clean the rug or carpet 2 hours with drying. Skipped step: test the cleaner on a hidden corner, and blot the stain, never rub.
  • Straighten the couch cushions 3 minutes. Skipped step: lift the seat cushions and collect what fell under them.
  • Tidy the cables behind the TV 20 minutes. Skipped step: label each plug with tape before you untangle anything.
  • Vacuum the couch 15 minutes. Skipped step: the crevice tool down the back and sides, where the cushions meet the frame.
  • Vacuum the living room 20 minutes. Skipped step: move the coffee table, vacuum where it stood, then go along the baseboards.
  • Vacuum the stairs 15 minutes. Skipped step: the corners of each step and the edge against the wall, with the crevice tool.
  • Wash the curtains or dust the blinds 60 minutes. Skipped step: read the curtain label first. For blinds, close them flat and wipe both sides.
  • Wash the cushion covers and throws 10 minutes plus a wash cycle. Skipped step: zip the covers shut before they go in, and read the label on each.
  • Water the houseplants 5 minutes. Skipped step: push a finger an inch into the soil first. Some of them will not need it.
  • Wipe the baseboards in one room 20 minutes. Skipped step: vacuum them with the brush tool first, so the damp cloth is not pushing mud.
  • Wipe the coffee table 3 minutes. Skipped step: take everything off it first, and wipe the shelf underneath if it has one.
  • Wipe the doors and door frames 20 minutes. Skipped step: the patch around each handle and the top edge of the door.
  • Wipe the TV screen and the remotes 5 minutes. Skipped step: the remotes. On the screen use a dry microfiber cloth, never a spray straight on.
  • Wipe your desk and keyboard 5 minutes. Skipped step: turn the keyboard over and tap the crumbs out before you wipe it.

Whole home and outside 32

  • Change the smoke alarm batteries 15 minutes. Skipped step: date each battery with a marker. The US Fire Administration says once a year.
  • Check the furnace or AC filter 5 minutes. Skipped step: looking at all. Energy Star says to inspect, clean or change it once a month.
  • Clean the vacuum itself 15 minutes. Skipped step: unplug it, cut the hair off the brush roll with scissors, and tap out the filter.
  • Clear out the garage or the storage room 3 hours. Skipped step: book the donation pickup or the dump run before you start, so the pile has a way out.
  • Collect the cups from every room 5 minutes. Skipped step: bedrooms and the desk. Take a tray, so it is one trip and not four.
  • Declutter one whole room 2 hours. Skipped step: four boxes before you start: keep, donate, trash, belongs elsewhere.
  • Do the donation run 60 minutes. Skipped step: check what the charity accepts before you load the car, and ask for the receipt.
  • Dust every room with one cloth 30 minutes. Skipped step: work top to bottom in each room, and do it before the vacuum comes out, not after.
  • Empty every small trash can 5 minutes. Skipped step: carry one big bag from room to room and tip each can into it.
  • Hose out the outdoor trash bins 20 minutes. Skipped step: tip them on their side to drain and leave the lids open until they are dry.
  • Mow a small lawn 30 minutes. Skipped step: walk the grass first for sticks, toys and stones.
  • Pull the weeds from one bed 30 minutes. Skipped step: the root. Water the bed the evening before and the weeds slide out whole.
  • Rake the leaves 30 minutes. Skipped step: rake onto a tarp and drag the tarp, which saves most of the bagging.
  • Read the date on each smoke alarm 10 minutes. Skipped step: read the date on the back. The US Fire Administration says replace at ten years.
  • Replace a dead light bulb 5 minutes. Skipped step: switch it off and let it cool, then write the bulb type on the shopping list.
  • Reset the whole home before guests 2 hours. Skipped step: start with the bathroom and the entry, which guests see, not the room you enjoy.
  • Roll the trash cans to the curb 5 minutes. Skipped step: bringing them back in the same day. Agree now on who does the return trip.
  • Scoop and tidy the litter box corner 10 minutes. Skipped step: sweep the scattered litter from under and behind the box.
  • Sweep the front step 5 minutes. Skipped step: shake out the doormat, then look up and knock down the cobwebs near the light.
  • Sweep the porch, patio or balcony 20 minutes. Skipped step: move the pots and chairs and sweep under them, then along the wall.
  • Take out the recycling 5 minutes. Skipped step: flatten the boxes, so the bin holds the whole week.
  • Test the smoke alarms 5 minutes. Skipped step: press the test button on every alarm. The US Fire Administration says monthly.
  • Vacuum the inside of the car 25 minutes. Skipped step: slide the front seats all the way back, then all the way forward, and do both gaps.
  • Vacuum the whole home fast 30 minutes. Skipped step: empty the canister or check the bag before you start, not when the suction dies.
  • Wash the car 60 minutes. Skipped step: the wheels first, with their own bucket, and work in shade so the soap stays wet.
  • Wash the ground-floor windows outside 2 hours. Skipped step: feet on the ground. Use an extension pole, and leave any upper floor to a professional.
  • Wash the outdoor furniture 45 minutes. Skipped step: turn each chair over. The underside holds the cobwebs and the grit.
  • Wash the pet bowls and the feeding mat 10 minutes. Skipped step: the mat underneath, and the floor under the mat.
  • Water the outdoor pots 5 minutes. Skipped step: water the soil, not the leaves, until it runs out of the bottom of the pot.
  • Wipe every handle and light switch 15 minutes. Skipped step: the fridge, the microwave and the stair rail count as handles too.
  • Wipe the front door and its handle 4 minutes. Skipped step: the doorbell button and the outside handle, which nobody thinks of as indoors.
  • Wipe the window sills through the house 20 minutes. Skipped step: open each window and wipe the track, which holds more dirt than the sill.

How this list was compiled: All 142 chores and their detail lines were written for this page; nothing is copied from another list. Each detail line gives the working time and the step people tend to skip. The minutes count hands-on work, so soaking, drying and machine time are left out; the two exceptions, the oven deep clean and the full bedding wash, say so in their lines. Effort chips: 5 minutes means 5 minutes of work or less, Half an hour means 10 to 30 minutes, Big job means 45 minutes or more. Facts inside the cards, checked 2026-09-19: never mix household bleach with any other cleaner, and clean with soap before you disinfect (https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/about/cleaning-and-disinfecting-with-bleach.html); inspect, clean or change the air filter once a month (https://www.energystar.gov/saveathome/heating-cooling/maintenance-checklist); the US Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms every month, to replace 9-volt and backup batteries at least once every year and to replace the whole alarm every 10 years, counted from the date of manufacture (https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/); its clothes dryer flyer says to clean the lint filter before and after each cycle, to make sure the outdoor vent covering opens and to have a dryer installed and serviced by a professional (https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/clothes_dryer_fire_safety_flyer.pdf). Left out on purpose: gutters, roofs and anything on a ladder, mixing cleaning chemicals, and advice about medicines. Licence: own work