100+ Household Chores Vocabulary in English

Household chores are one of those things everyone talks about, complains about, postpones, and then does anyway. Fun? Not always. Useful English? Absolutely.

This guide teaches practical household chores vocabulary in English so you can talk about cleaning, tidying, laundry, cooking, repairs, and daily home tasks with confidence. You’ll also get pronunciation help, clear meanings, example sentences, and a few notes about style and usage. Because “clean the house” is nice, but “wipe down the counters and take out the trash” sounds a lot more real.

If you want more English practice after this, try the English vocabulary test or check your level with the CEFR placement test.

Let’s turn housework into vocabulary practice. Strangely enough, the mess has educational value.

Table of Contents

Common Household Chores You’ll Hear All The Time

These are the everyday chores people mention at home, in apartment-sharing situations, in small talk, and in “Who did not do the dishes?” emergencies.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
clean	kleen	to make something free from dirt or mess	I need to clean the kitchen before dinner.	Very common general verb.
tidy up	TY-dee up	to put things in order	Please tidy up your room.	Often means organize, not deep clean.
do the dishes	doo thuh DISH-iz	to wash plates, cups, and utensils	She is doing the dishes after lunch.	Very common in American English.
wash the dishes	wash thuh DISH-iz	to clean dishes with water and soap	Can you wash the dishes tonight?	Also common and natural.
vacuum	VAK-yoom	to clean floors with a vacuum cleaner	I vacuum the living room on Saturdays.	Noun and verb.
sweep	sweep	to clean the floor with a broom	He swept the kitchen floor.	Past tense: swept.
mop	mop	to clean a floor with a wet mop	We need to mop the hallway.	Common with floors.
dust	duhst	to remove dust from surfaces	She dusts the shelves every week.	Also a noun: dust.
take out the trash	tayk out thuh trash	to remove garbage from the house	Don’t forget to take out the trash.	British English often says “the rubbish.”
empty the trash	EM-tee thuh trash	to remove trash from a bin	He emptied the trash in the bathroom.	Very natural in homes and offices.

Kitchen Chores Vocabulary

The kitchen is where English gets practical very quickly. One minute you’re “making dinner,” and the next you’re washing, peeling, chopping, and trying not to burn the garlic.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
wash the dishes	wash thuh DISH-iz	to clean dishes	I wash the dishes after breakfast.	Common with hand washing.
load the dishwasher	lohd thuh DISH-wash-er	to put dirty dishes into a dishwasher	Please load the dishwasher after dinner.	Very common in American homes.
unload the dishwasher	uhn-LOHD thuh DISH-wash-er	to take clean dishes out of a dishwasher	She unloaded the dishwasher this morning.	Useful home vocabulary.
wipe the counters	wipe thuh KOWN-terz	to clean kitchen surfaces with a cloth	He wiped the counters after cooking.	Very natural phrase.
scrub	skruhb	to clean hard with pressure	I scrubbed the sink until it looked new.	Strong cleaning verb.
mop up a spill	mop up uh spill	to clean liquid from the floor	She mopped up the juice spill quickly.	“Spill” is a noun and verb.
peel	peel	to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables	Could you peel the potatoes?	Often used in cooking.
chop	chop	to cut food into pieces	He chopped the onions for the soup.	Very common cooking verb.
slice	slys	to cut food into thin pieces	Please slice the bread.	Useful with bread, fruit, cheese.
set the table	set thuh TAY-buhl	to put plates, cups, and utensils on the table	I set the table before dinner.	Very common home phrase.
clear the table	kleer thuh TAY-buhl	to remove dishes from the table	Can you clear the table, please?	Often used after meals.
put away the food	put uh-WAY thuh food	to store leftover food in the fridge or cabinets	We need to put away the food.	“Put away” means store or return to place.
defrost the freezer	dee-FROST thuh FREE-zer	to remove ice from a freezer	We should defrost the freezer this weekend.	Less common, but useful.
take out leftovers	tayk out LEFT-oh-verz	to remove or serve food saved from a meal	She took out leftovers for lunch.	“Leftovers” means remaining food.

Cleaning And Laundry Vocabulary

Laundry vocabulary is especially useful because clothes do not wash themselves. Sadly, civilization has not reached that point yet.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
do the laundry	doo thuh LAWN-dree	to wash, dry, and fold clothes	I do the laundry every Sunday.	Very common phrase.
wash clothes	wash klohz	to clean clothes with water and soap	We need to wash clothes tonight.	Simple and clear.
sort the laundry	sor t thuh LAWN-dree	to separate clothes by color or fabric	Sort the laundry before washing it.	Useful household verb.
fold clothes	fohld klohz	to make washed clothes neat by folding them	She folded the clothes after drying them.	Often used with “put away.”
hang up clothes	hang up klohz	to put clothes on hangers or a line	Please hang up your coat.	Also used for phone calls in informal speech, but not here.
iron clothes	EYE-ern klohz	to remove wrinkles with an iron	He irons his shirts before work.	Common in formal or neat-dressing contexts.
steam clothes	steem klohz	to remove wrinkles with steam	She steamed her dress before the party.	Modern alternative to ironing.
wipe down surfaces	wipe down SUR-fis-iz	to clean tables, shelves, and counters with a cloth	I wiped down the bathroom sink.	Very common cleaning phrase.
sanitize	SAN-i-tyze	to make something cleaner and safer from germs	Please sanitize the table after eating.	Used more in health and cleaning contexts.
disinfect	dis-in-FEKT	to kill germs on a surface	They disinfected the doorknobs.	More formal than “clean.”
polish	PAH-lish	to make a surface shine by rubbing it	She polished the table until it shined.	Often used with furniture, shoes, or metal.
vacuum the carpet	VAK-yoom thuh KAR-pit	to clean carpet with a vacuum	I vacuum the carpet twice a week.	“Carpet” and “rug” are not the same.
shake out a rug	shayk out uh rug	to remove dust from a rug by shaking it	He shook out the rug outside.	Useful in smaller homes or older houses.
air out	air out	to let fresh air into a room or object	I aired out the bedroom after cleaning.	Common with rooms, shoes, and clothes.

Bedroom And Living Room Chores

These chores are often about organization, not just cleaning. English learners sometimes know the word clean, but real life often needs organize, pick up, and put away. Rude of language to be so specific, but there it is.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
make the bed	mayk thuh bed	to tidy the bed by arranging the sheets and blanket	I make the bed every morning.	Very common home chore.
put away clothes	put uh-WAY klohz	to return clothes to drawers or closets	Please put away your clothes.	“Put away” is a useful phrasal verb.
pick up clothes	pik up klohz	to lift clothes from the floor or bed	He picked up his socks from the floor.	Common in spoken English.
organize a room	OR-guh-nyze uh room	to arrange a room in a logical order	She organized her room by color and category.	Often means putting things in order.
straighten up	STRAYT-n up	to make a space neat quickly	I need to straighten up the living room.	Casual and very useful.
declutter	dee-KLUH-ter	to remove unnecessary things from a space	We decluttered the bedroom last weekend.	Common in home and lifestyle English.
sort through	sor t throo	to examine things and organize them into groups	She sorted through old books and magazines.	Useful with stuff, papers, clothes.
dust furniture	duhst FURN-i-cher	to clean tables, shelves, and chairs from dust	He dusted the furniture on Friday.	Often includes shelves and tables.
fluff pillows	fluhf PIL-ohz	to shake pillows so they look full and soft	She fluffed the pillows on the sofa.	“Fluff” is common and informal.
arrange cushions	uh-RAYNJ KUH-shunz	to place sofa or chair cushions neatly	He arranged the cushions before guests arrived.	More common in BrE; AmE often says pillows or cushions depending on the item.
change the sheets	chaynj thuh sheets	to replace bed sheets with clean ones	I change the sheets every two weeks.	Very common household phrase.
open the windows	OH-puhn thuh WIN-dohz	to let air into a room	We opened the windows to freshen the room.	Often used when cleaning.
close the curtains	klohz thuh KUR-tinz	to shut window curtains	Please close the curtains at night.	Useful daily home vocabulary.
water plants	WAW-ter plants	to give plants water	I water the plants every morning.	Simple and useful.

Bathroom And Cleaning Supplies Vocabulary

Bathrooms have their own vocabulary because, of course, one room could not just be normal.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
scrub the toilet	skruhb thuh TOY-lit	to clean the toilet by rubbing it hard	She scrubbed the toilet with cleaner.	Very common household phrase.
clean the sink	kleen thuh sink	to wash and remove dirt from the sink	I cleaned the sink this morning.	Simple and practical.
scrub the tub	skruhb thuh tuhb	to clean the bathtub hard	He scrubbed the tub on Saturday.	“Tub” is a common short form for bathtub.
clean the shower	kleen thuh SHOW-er	to wash the shower area	We need to clean the shower this week.	Useful for household chores.
replace the toilet paper	ri-PLAYS thuh TOY-lit PAY-per	to put a new roll of toilet paper on the holder	Can you replace the toilet paper?	Very everyday, very necessary.
refill soap	ree-FIL sohp	to add more soap	She refilled the soap dispenser.	Useful with dispensers.
restock supplies	ree-STOK suh-PLYZ	to add more cleaning or household items	We need to restock cleaning supplies.	Common in homes and businesses.
restroom supplies	REST-room suh-PLYZ	items used in a bathroom	He bought restroom supplies at the store.	“Restroom” is more polite in American English.
bleach	bleech	a strong cleaning liquid; also to clean with it	Use bleach carefully in the bathroom.	Strong chemical; use safely.
cleaning spray	KLEEN-ing spray	spray used for cleaning surfaces	She used cleaning spray on the counter.	Very common shopping vocabulary.
disposable gloves	dis-POH-zuh-buhl gluhvz	gloves used once for cleaning or protection	I wear disposable gloves when cleaning.	Useful for safety vocabulary.
sponge	spunj	soft material used for cleaning	He washed the sink with a sponge.	Common cleaning tool.
scrubbing brush	SKRUHB-ing brush	a brush used to scrub surfaces	Use a scrubbing brush for tough stains.	Very practical word combination.
dustpan	DUST-pan	a tool used to collect dirt after sweeping	She used a dustpan and broom.	Often paired with broom.

Outdoor And Yard Work Vocabulary

Not every household chore happens inside. Sometimes the chores are outside, where the grass grows, the leaves fall, and the rake gets a starring role.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
mow the lawn	moh thuh lawn	to cut grass with a lawn mower	He mows the lawn every Saturday.	Very common in American English.
rake leaves	rayk leevz	to gather fallen leaves with a rake	We rake leaves in the fall.	Seasonal vocabulary.
water the garden	WAW-ter thuh GAR-dn	to give water to plants outside	She waters the garden in the morning.	Common in houses with gardens.
weed the garden	weed thuh GAR-dn	to remove unwanted plants	I weeded the garden yesterday.	“Weed” here is a verb, not the noun from drugs.
trim hedges	trim HEJ-iz	to cut bushes or edges of plants neatly	They trimmed the hedges before the party.	Useful for yard care.
sweep the porch	sweep thuh porch	to clean an outdoor entrance area	He swept the porch in the evening.	“Porch” is common in AmE.
shovel snow	SHUV-uhl snoh	to move snow with a shovel	We had to shovel snow this morning.	Very common in cold climates.
salt the driveway	sawlt thuh DRYV-way	to spread salt on ice to make it safer	They salted the driveway after the storm.	Winter household vocabulary.
wash the car	wash thuh kar	to clean a car with water and soap	We washed the car on Sunday.	Often a family chore.
clean the garage	kleen thuh guh-RAHZH	to tidy and wash the garage area	They cleaned the garage last weekend.	Great word for home organization.

Repairs, Maintenance, And Home Care Vocabulary

These chores are a little less glamorous than “decorating the house,” but they matter. A lot. Leaky sink, broken chair, dusty filter? English has words for that too.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
fix	fiks	to repair something	My dad fixed the broken lamp.	Very common and informal.
repair	ri-PAIR	to make something work again	They repaired the washing machine.	Slightly more formal than “fix.”
replace	ri-PLAYS	to put a new thing in place of an old one	We need to replace the air filter.	Very useful for home care.
check the smoke detector	chek thuh smohk di-TEK-ter	to make sure the smoke alarm works	Check the smoke detector every month.	Safety vocabulary.
change a lightbulb	chaynj uh LYTE-bulb	to remove an old bulb and put in a new one	He changed the lightbulb in the hall.	Very practical phrase.
unclog the drain	uhn-KLOG thuh drayn	to remove a blockage from a drain	She unclogged the drain with a tool.	Useful in bathrooms and kitchens.
fix a leak	fiks uh leek	to repair dripping water or gas escaping	The plumber came to fix a leak.	Important home phrase.
tighten a screw	TY-tuhn uh skroo	to make a screw more secure	I tightened the screw on the chair.	Handy for small repairs.
change batteries	chaynj BAT-uh-reez	to replace old batteries with new ones	Don’t forget to change the batteries.	Often used with remotes and alarms.
test the alarm	test thuh uh-LARM	to check if an alarm works	We test the alarm every week.	Common in safety routines.
oil the hinges	oyl thuh HIN-jiz	to put oil on moving parts of a door	He oiled the hinges so the door would stop squeaking.	Useful maintenance phrase.
seal a gap	seel uh gap	to close a small open space	They sealed the gap around the window.	Used in home repair and insulation.

Chores And Household Jobs People Often Share

These phrases help when talking about responsibility, family routines, roommates, or dividing work in a home.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
share chores	share chorez	to divide household tasks with others	We share chores in our apartment.	Very common with roommates or family.
take turns	tayk turnz	to do something one after another	We take turns washing the dishes.	Useful for fairness.
split the work	split thuh werk	to divide the tasks	Let’s split the work today.	Casual and natural.
do your share	doo your shair	to do your part of the work	Please do your share around the house.	Useful but may sound serious.
help around the house	help uh-ROUND thuh hows	to assist with household tasks	The kids help around the house on weekends.	Common in family English.
pitch in	pitch in	to help with work	Everyone pitched in to clean up.	Casual and friendly.
do housework	doo HOWS-work	to do general cleaning and home chores	She did housework all morning.	General umbrella term.
keep the house tidy	keep thuh hows TY-dee	to maintain a neat home	They try to keep the house tidy during the week.	Very common and natural.
stay on top of chores	stay on top uhv chorez	to keep up with chores regularly	I try to stay on top of chores so nothing piles up.	Great idiomatic phrase.
make a chore list	mayk uh chore list	to write down household tasks	We made a chore list for the family.	Helpful for planning.

Useful Household Chores Verbs And Phrasal Verbs

Some chores vocabulary is built from phrasal verbs. These are very common in real English, which is great news, because native speakers love them almost as much as they love leaving laundry on the chair.

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
pick up	pik up	to lift, collect, or tidy away	Please pick up your toys.	Very common phrasal verb.
put away	put uh-WAY	to store in the correct place	She put away the groceries.	Useful for clothes, food, toys.
wipe off	wipe off	to remove dirt or liquid from a surface	He wiped off the table.	Often used with cloths or paper towels.
throw away	throh uh-WAY	to put something in the trash	Throw away the old box.	Common with garbage and old items.
throw out	throh out	to discard something	We threw out the broken chair.	Similar to “throw away.”
clean out	kleen out	to empty and clean the inside of something	I cleaned out the fridge.	Very useful phrase.
sort out	sor t out	to organize or solve	She sorted out the closet.	Can also mean solve a problem.
mop up	mop up	to clean liquid from the floor	He mopped up the spilled water.	Very common with accidents.
clear away	kleer uh-WAY	to remove items from a surface	Clear away the plates, please.	Often used after meals.
brush off	brush off	to remove dust or dirt by brushing	She brushed off her jacket.	Useful for clothes and furniture.

American English Vs British English For Household Chores

Household vocabulary changes a little depending on where you are. The differences are not huge, but they can be useful.

American English	British English	Meaning	Example
trash	rubbish	household waste	Take out the trash / take out the rubbish
vacuum	hoover	to clean with a vacuum cleaner	I need to vacuum the floor / I need to hoover the floor
apartment	flat	a home in a building	We clean our apartment / We clean our flat
restroom	toilet / loo	bathroom area	Excuse me, where is the restroom?
dishwasher	dishwasher	machine for washing dishes	Load the dishwasher after dinner.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

Wrong: “I do dishes.” Better: “I do the dishes.”
Wrong: “I make clean my room.” Better: “I clean my room” or “I tidy up my room.”
Wrong: “I wash the floor with a broom.” Better: “I sweep the floor with a broom.”
Wrong: “I used vacuum the carpet.” Better: “I vacuum the carpet” or “I vacuumed the carpet.”
Wrong: “I put away it.” Better: “I put it away.”
Wrong: “I cleaned up the laundry.” Better: “I did the laundry.”
Wrong: “I made my bed up.” Better: “I made my bed.”
Wrong: “I threw away the trash.” Better: “I took out the trash.”

Quick Practice

Try these. No need to be heroic. Just be accurate.

Fill in the blank: I need to ______ the dishes before bed.
Fill in the blank: Please ______ up your room.
Choose the best verb: sweep / peel / iron — I need to ______ the kitchen floor.
Choose the best verb: mop / chop / fold — She will ______ the clothes after they dry.
Choose the best phrase: take out the trash / set the table / change a lightbulb — The garbage is full, so I need to ______.
Choose the best phrase: load the dishwasher / water the plants / rake leaves — After dinner, he will ______.
Rewrite with a phrasal verb: “Put the toys in the box.”
Rewrite with a natural phrase: “I wash clothes every Saturday.”

Possible answers: do, tidy, sweep, fold, take out the trash, load the dishwasher, put the toys away, I do the laundry every Saturday.

Extra Note: Chores Are Often Used With “Do”

In English, many household tasks use do: do the dishes, do the laundry, do housework, do chores. This is a very common pattern. English likes being a little weird, just to keep everyone alert.

Short Reference Summary

Cleaning: clean, tidy up, wipe down, scrub, disinfect
Kitchen: do the dishes, set the table, clear the table, chop, peel
Laundry: do the laundry, sort, fold, hang up, iron
Organization: pick up, put away, straighten up, declutter, sort out
Outdoor: mow the lawn, rake leaves, shovel snow, water the garden
Repairs: fix, repair, replace, unclog, tighten

For a broader English review, visit the Learn English page and keep building your vocabulary from real life, not from random dictionary dust.

Yak Takeaway: household chores may be annoying, but the vocabulary is extremely useful. If you can talk about cleaning, cooking, laundry, and repairs in English, you can handle a lot of everyday conversations without sweating more than the mop.