If there’s one thing (okay, maybe two) that almost all couples can agree on is that relationships are hard and chores are a pest. Housework can put a ton of stress in a relationship, especially if one party feels like they are doing more than their fair share of cleaning up. I’m mostly talking about the wives in this situation. While most wives hold down full time jobs and taking care of the kids, they are usually the ones still stuck with completing the to-do list. This unbalance can cause a ton of friction in the home and unreleased tension towards your partner. Even though Titi and I’s cleaning routine isn’t perfect or even, the one thing that we can agree on is the products that we use.

I recently discovered the Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers and the Ultra Palmolive® Antibacterial* dish liquid the last time I ordered online using the Walmart Online Grocery app. The combination of Palmolive® and Scotch-Brite® gives my family the perfect solution to clean up any type of mess allowing for an easy, breezy clean. 

What I love about these Scotch-Brite Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers besides the unique design, is that 1) it’s non-scratch so its safe on non-stick cookware, 2) it resists odors so no smelly sponges, and 3) it dries fast and rinses clean without trapping any food. It’s perfect for an everyday cleaning power. 

Now the Ultra Palmolive® Antibacterial dish liquid kills up to 99.9%* of bacteria on dishes and kitchen surfaces. 

Titi and I love using both of these products for simple messes and delicate cookware, such as our stemless wine glasses and everyday meals. Both the Scotch-Brite Advanced Scrub Dot Non-Scratch Scrubbers and Ultra Palmolive® Antibacterial* dish liquid​ can be found in Walmart stores or online using the Walmart Grocery app. Click the image below to add them to your shopping cart today! 

*Staph aureus, Salmonella enterica and E. coli 0.157:H7

Earn cashback now on Ultra Palmolive® Antibacterial Dish Soap!

How to Share Chores with Your Partner Stress-Free

Everyone enters into a relationship with a preconceived notion of how your household should run and what your chore schedule should look like. Most of the time those notions are based on our childhood experiences and how we were raised to be, so our experiences are completely different from our partner. Instead of being frustrated with each other, take a step back and have a conversation with your partner to sort everything out so that both of you can be on the same page.

Discuss your frustrations with your spouse

Just a piece of advice: only talk with your spouse about your frustrations when you are calm and relaxed to avoid potentially starting an argument. While your points and feelings are valid, your tone and attitude will distract your partner from listening and understanding what you’re trying to say. Before getting upset with your partner, think about how the imbalance of chores makes you feel and what changes would you like to see happen in your spouse. When you’re ready, communicate that to your partner and allow them to respond with how they feel as well. It’s important to have an open dialogue with your partner to hash out all of the things that you wish the other would do more.

Make a chore list and schedule

I’m not going to lie that I’m a big offender of expecting Titi to just know when a chore needs to be done and getting upset when he doesn’t. So instead of going down that rabbit hole, we decided to make a chore list of everything that needed to be done and splitting it up based on our likes/dislikes. For example, I always do the laundry while Titi takes the trash out.

If you want to do the same, I highly recommend sitting down with your partner and writing everything that needs to be done to keep your home running smoothly. Make sure to include the “when” to have a timeline of when each item should be done. After you list everything down, you can then discuss who’s going to do which task and barter which task you both hate the least.

Understand it doesn’t have to be a 50/50 split

Sometimes the issue of housework isn’t the actual chore itself, but how the chore is split up that cause the friction in the relationship. I promise that trying to do 50/50 on everything is more of a headache than it’s worth. It’s completely okay to help out your partner if your partner didn’t get to finish a chore or forgot too. The whole point of a relationship is to pick up the slack from the other when needed.

Be appreciative and show gratitude

At the end of the day, everyone loves to hear that they were appreciated, including your partner. Even if you feel like it’s unnecessary to thank someone for a task that was either agreed upon or for doing their fair share, thank your person. I promise it’ll make such a big difference! For one, it makes the experience of doing chores more enjoyable and leaves a lasting impression on your spouse.

Hire someone

If you and your partner detest chores equally and have the necessary funds to do so, then hire someone else to clean for you! It may require a little bit of time to make a list of tasks that you need done, but you can hire someone to basically clean your entire home if you want to. Make sure before hiring help that the feeling is mutual and that isn’t viewed as help for one partner, but for both of you equally. Remember marriage and relationships are a partnership and every part of your relationship should be viewed as such.

In all transparency, housework is my least favorite thing to do but alas it has to be done to have a clean home to enjoy. By splitting the chores with Titi and have a cleaning schedule, it really has helped our relationship flourish and relieve the tension in our household. If you’re in the same boat with trying to make sure your chores don’t break up your relationship, then definitely try out the tips above! But if all else fails, you can always hire out.

The post How to Keep Chores from Destroying Your Relationship appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.