Keeping on top of housework is difficult, especially when you're a Londoner with little to no time. In an ideal world, Housekeep cleaners would visit your home each day - but for those who can't afford the luxury of a full time housekeeper, how do you stay sane survive?
Thousands of home organising, cleaning and management apps appear useful, but finding the right one for the job can be tricky. So, in preparation for the mess that will be created over the Early May Bank Holiday, we're sharing our pick of the best Home Cleaning Apps for both Android and iPhone users.
Whether you're a stay at home mother trying to get your children to do their chores, or you're part of a house-share arguing about who's turn it is to clean out the fridge, we're positive you'll find the answer here...
iOS Apps
HomeRoutines
Why we love it:
HomeRoutines helps you create a routine structure for your home cleaning needs. Scheduling morning, evening or daily tasks and entering them into the app is great, but it's the reminders function that grants this app the top spot in iOS home cleaning apps. Separating your home into "zones" (e.g. main bedroom & ensuite or kitchen/living area) means that you never have to worry about finding piles of dust in the spare bedroom wardrobe.
Price: £3.99
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/homeroutines/id353117370?mt=8
Tody
Why we love it:
Tody is a smart way to prioritise your home cleaning schedule. When you input a chore, you also enter how often you should be completing this task and it's current state of cleanliness. This means Tody not only knows when your cleaning tasks need to be done, but it also tells you which need doing the most. In case, like the majority, you want to put a couple of things off until next week...
Price: FREE
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tody/id595339588?mt=8
Sortly
Why we love it:
It's often easier to win the lottery than it is to find the engraved photo frame you received for your 21st birthday... or what about where you put the christmas ornaments, or the kids' summer clothing? That's why we love Sortly - you can store images of everything you own, so you can easily search for things as and when you need them
Price: FREE
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-things-where-are-they/id529353551?ls=1&mt=8
The Fridge
Why we love it:
No more arguing over what that smell in the fridge is - this app is your personal fridge assistant! Enter your food items and expiry dates as you unpack your groceries, and the app will remind you when they're about to expire. With the added features of a shopping list and recipe search, its a one stop shop for keeping your kitchen clean and fresh!
Price: £1.49
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-fridge/id459846036
You rule chores
Why we love it:
The greatest app for busy parents with kids, You Rule Chores turns housework into a game. Children choose their character, then play a simulated game earning coins each time they complete a task. The best thing about this app? Children can use the coins earnt in the app to purchase items on a “wishlist" such as a movie ticket or a new video game.
Price: FREE
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/GB/app/id467180285?mt=8
Green Shine
Why we love it:
If you have sensistive skin, want to live a "greener" lifestyle, or you're looking to save money - this app will do wonders for you and your home. With environmentally friendly solutions for over 128 home cleaning tasks, Green Shine will help you replace your commercial cleaners with gentle, healthier and safer products. If you have salt, baking soda or vinegar - you're already half way there!
Price: £2.29
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/app/green-shine/id374196516?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Clean Freak Cleaning Schedule
Why we love it:
The Clean Freak Cleaning Schedule is just that, a schedule for clean freaks! Designed by working parents, this app will help you turn the seemingly impossible job of cleaning a large family home top to bottom, into small mangeable, bite size pieces. Using a rotating checklist system, you can see what needs to be done and when, so you can keep the clutter to a minimum!
Price: £0.79
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/app/green-shine/id374196516?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Chore Bank
Why we love it:
This app lets parents assign monetary value to each home cleaning task. Now you can make sure your home is spick and span - whilst also teaching your children about the value of money. With added features like interest rates, consequences for chores not done and printable chore calendars, Chore bank combines finances with household chores to create the first official "Bank of Mum & Dad."
Price: £1.49
Download: https://itunes.apple.com/app/chore-bank/id321282536?ign-mpt=uo%3D6&mt=8
Android
Fairshare
Why we love it:
As one of the most expensive cities in the world, it is no surprise that many Londoners live in a flat share. This app deals with all the drama of shared living, by opening the lines communication between flat mates. With an inbuilt cleaning taks system, shopping list, and a feature to help you split your expenses, there will be no more angrily scribbled notes left on the kitchen counter!
Price: FREE
Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fairshare.app
Chore Checklist – Lite & Chore Checklist (full)
Why we love it:
Increase your productivity and become an organisational guru with this incredibly smart checklist! The multiple views, and simple process to edit, rearrange and snooze certain tasks makes Chore Checklist a great investment. The premium version is best, as it allows you to sync across all devices, but if you're simply looking to try it out, downloading the LITE version will not disappoint.
Price: FREE (lite) £0.96 (full version)
Download:
FULL https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dotnetideas.chorechecklistfull
LITE - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dotnetideas.chorechecklistlite
Available on Android & iOS
Brightnest
Why we love it:
Brightnest is at the top of this list for a reason! It's intuitive home quiz will find you the most helpful tips for your specific situation, so whether you're a family with pets or a single in a studio flat, you'll always be on top of the housework. With everything you could ever possibly need to keep your home sparkling clean, this app will simplify your life like no other.
Price: FREE
Download:
Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.angieslist.brightnest&hl=en_GB
Ios - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id609754293?mt=8#
Good Housekeeping@Home
Why we love it:
Apart from the fact that it's free to download, this app from Good Housekeeping Magazine has everything you could possibly need to keep your home tidy! Our favourite feature is the Stain Buster, an A-Z how-to guide to removing the toughest stains in the simplest way possible!
Price: FREE
Download:
Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zumobi.goodhousekeeping&hl=en
Ios - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/good-housekeeping-home/id397509781?mt=8
Motivated Moms
Why we love it:
Made by mums, for mums, this chore calendar is the best app for working mums, with no time for major cleaning days or Spring Cleaning week. With this app, there's no need to remember when you last dusted the bookshelf or cleaned out the kitchen cupboards - just do the tasks as and when they arise, the app will do the rest for you.
Price: £1.49 (initial fee) £5.99 (1 year subscription)
Download:
Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tejassoft.motivatedmoms.android.google.planner
Ios https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motivated-moms/id741827891?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Cozi
Why we love it:
The reason why we love Cozi, and why it's used by over 4 million families, is it's ability to work as your own personal assistant. With a color-coded calendar, shopping lists and even a family journal, this is an app where you really do get what you pay for. Syncing to other online calendars like Google and Outlook, Cozi makes it easier than ever to manage everything in the one place.
Price: £22.99 per year for premium
Download:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cozi.androidfree
Ios: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cozi-family-organizer/id407108860?mt=8
Wunderlist
Why we love it
This app is the go-to for all things organisation - it is the ultimate app for the head of the household when you want to run your home like a business. Sync Wunderlist to your computer to print, email and share to-do lists with your family, with the added benefits of reminders, notifications and comments.
Price: FREE
Download:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en&id=com.wunderkinder.wunderlistandroid
Ios: https://itunes.apple.com/app/wunderlist-to-do-list-tasks/id406644151