Simple

For the last month our house has been a wreck, and Mel and I knew that we could do better.

So we came up with simple rules to get us on the right track:

Kitchen

1. Who cooks dinner cleans up their preparation dishes and wipes down the counter.
2. Who does not cook dinner cleans up the kitchen.
3. Who cooks lunch or breakfast cleans up the kitchen.
4. If the dishwasher is full of clean dishes the next person to cook unloads the dishwasher.
5. We will not leave any dishes in the sink when we go to bed(This is the most important).

Living Room

1. The living areas(and playroom) will be cleaned before nap-time and bed-time(no exceptions).

Trash

1. Put all trash in trashcans (required better placement of trashcans).
2. Take out all full trash bags immediately and replace the bag.
3. Begin recycling paper and plastic.
   

Laundry

1. No clothes will be in the washer, dryer, or baskets(except the kids clothes) when we go to bed.
2. When the washer finishes put the clothes in the dryer immediately.
3. When the dryer finishes take the clothes out and put them away immediately.
4. When a clothes category hamper is full start the load of laundry (only if you will be around to put them in the dryer and put them away).
   

General Rules

1. Team work (critical).
2. Don't be so freakin lazy (a messy house will just put you in a bad mood).

There seems to be a lot, but they are easy to apply and they work.

-Dane