An app can’t clean your home for you, but when you’re dreading the task or feeling overwhelmed by the mess, apps can help keep your cleaning on track. Before you open the one that will summon a professional cleaner (not that there’s anything wrong with that), try these options, which can keep you organized and motivated.(All apps are available for both iOS and Android, unless otherwise noted.)
The best app to keep you motivated to clean: Tody
Tody is helpful for anyone who needs visual representations of their progress or who enjoys gamifying mundane tasks. The simple interface shows you what your most pressing needs are, with graphs that indicate which rooms you should focus on for the day. There are also game options, where you compete against in-app characters to earn points by cleaning. Most of the app’s features are free, but you do have to pay for premium features—a one-time fee of $US9.99.
The best for scheduling: Sweepy
Don’t know what to do? Don’t know where to start? Sweepy—widely beloved by cleaning geeks around the internet—generates a schedule for you every day. You tell the app how much you want to clean every day and it does the work of planning that out for you, then tracks your progress. Your kids or other household members can even join, but you can set it so they only earn in-app points when you approve their work. It’s free to create rooms and tasks, keep a cleaning history, and engage in challenges set by the app team, but $US8.99 per month gets you the smart cleaning schedule and multiple household members.
The best free cleaning and organization app: Clean My House
You might not want to spend money on an app that functions like a regular old to-do list, but try Clean My House for Android before you revert to your handy notes app. It sends daily notifications about what you need to do, so it’s a good option for people who need little reminders to get going.
Android only
The best for higher stakes cleaning jobs: Forfeit
This app also makes an appearance on my list of best ones for staying accountable to goals, but it works here perfectly: With Forfeit, you put down between $US1 and $US50 before you start your task (in this case, cleaning a room, or your whole place), set a time limit, and upload proof of getting it done before your deadline—or else you lose your money. Get it done and you get the money back. If you struggle with the motivation to clean, this might be your way out.
The best app to stay focused on your cleaning: Home Routines
Home Routines is similar to the others here in that you create your checklist and indicate how often you want to tackle each task, but it’s novel in that there is a built-in timer and it works offline, so you can turn on airplane mode, buckle down, and complete your tasks within the timer limit. If you’re prone to distractions, this is the one for you. It costs $US4.99 to download.
iOS only
The best app for cleaning multiple rooms: Spotless
Spotless helps you set task lists for every room in your home and has a simple interface that enables you to indicate how clean different areas are at a given time, which gives the app the information it needs to prioritize tasks for you. When everyone in your home has Spotless, their app will be updated in real time when someone else cleans, so no one ever ends up going over a chore that’s already been taken care of. It’s free, but setting up unlimited tasks will cost you $US4.99.
iOS only
The best app for decluttering: Toss
Toss is free and easy to use, but packs a punch: It will help you declutter, not just clean, your home. You’ll get a task every day, like clearing the utensil drawer or your medicine cabinet. You can skip any task you want, but if you choose to accept the day’s assignment, you can mark down how many things you threw away, and the app will track them all. After a while, you’ll see just how many mismatched socks or old cables you’ve gotten rid of, which is great motivation to keep going.
iOS only
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