Household Chores

Form 6

Household Chores Vocabulary 

allergic	when a person must stay away from a certain food or cleaning product because it can cause them to get very sick	Our daughter is allergic to that laundry detergent.
clean	remove dirt and stains	When the kitchen is clean I will start on the laundry.
clogged, plugged	when something is blocking the hole of a tube or pipe	The kitchen drain is clogged with potato skins.
damp	a little bit wet	I hung up your suit, but it is still a little damp.
dirty	opposite of clean	The floors are dirty because the kids walked through with their boots on.
dusty	when furniture and surfaces are covered with a small layer of matter	The office furniture upstairs is very dusty.
filthy	very dirty	The bathroom is filthy because we went away for the weekend and left the kids at home.
messy	out of order, opposite of neat and tidy	The children's rooms are messy, but it's their job to clean them.
neat, tidy (often expressed as "neat and tidy")	in good order, opposite of messy	Thank you for leaving the house so neat and tidy.
slippery	surface that is wet or polished and is easy to fall on	I just mopped, so the floors are a bit slippery.
soapy	covered with lots of soap bubbles	Can you rinse the dishes again? They are still soapy.
wet	filled or covered with water, opposite of dry	I put the dryer on twice but the clothes are still wet.
environmentally friendly	good for the world, doesn't contain strong chemicals	We only use cleaning products that are environmentally friendly.

clean; clean up	remove dirt, dust, and other messes	After you clean up the kitchen you can take your break.
dry	take the water out of something	Please dry the dishes fully before you put them away in the cupboards.
dust	remove the dust from surfaces such as furniture	I'm sorry I forgot to dust the entertainment stand last week.
finish; complete	have no more work to do	I'm finished everything on the list, so I guess I'll be going home now.
freshen up	make a room smell and look more inviting	The master bedroom is relatively clean, but you could freshen it up a little.
hang; hang up	organize and store items (often clothes) by putting them on hooks and hangers	After you have folded the laundry, please hang the guest towels in the washroom.
mop; mop up	clean the floors with soap and water	The dishwasher flooded, so I mopped up the water.
organize	sort or put away in a neat and tidy manner	I organized the indoor and outdoor shoes.
polish	wipe with a special cleaner that makes something (such as floors) shine; remove smudges or prints	Make sure to polish the silverware before you put it away.
rinse	pour water over something for a long time to remove soap	You'll have to rinse the dishes a little better. My coffee tasted soapy today.
sanitize; sterilize	remove any bacteria or other harmful substances that could cause illness, often by using boiling water or a special cleaner	You have to sterilize the baby bottles in boiling water.
scrub	use a lot of physical energy and a heavy cleaning tool to remove dirt or stains	You'll have to scrub the upstairs tub because it's pretty dirty.
tidy; tidy up	make a room or area look neat by organizing and putting things away	You don't need to vacuum the family room, but you could tidy up the books and toys.
vacuum	use a special hose that sucks up dust and dirt from the floors and furniture	Please pick up large items like coins before you vacuum the basement.
wash	make clean with water and soap	Please wash the windows with water and vinegar.
water	pour water onto plants or grass	You forgot to water the indoor and outdoor plants.
wipe; wipe up	clean up a mess or spill	Don't use bleach to wipe the counters.

Household Appliances

dishwasher	electric appliance that washes dishes; can be "built-in" (under a sink) or "portable" (moved and attached to the sink when in use)
dryer	electric appliance used to dry laundry
fridge	electric appliance used for keeping food cold
freezer	electric appliance used for keeping food frozen (very cold)
garbage disposal	located inside a drain; chops up bits of food into small pieces to fit down the pipes
microwave	electric appliance for cooking food quickly
oven	electric appliance for baking and heating food
stove, range	elements on top of an oven for heating, frying, and boiling food
washing machine	electric appliance for cleaning laundry

Cleaning Supplies

baking soda	white powder used for cleaning and removing odours
bleach	liquid added in small amounts to water; has strong chemicals that remove stains on white clothing; also used to clean bathrooms
broom	brush with a long handle on it for sweeping floors
carpet cleaner	foam or liquid soap used on rugs and carpets
deodorizer	product that removes bad smells from a room; often scented
dishwashing detergent	liquid or powder soap that goes into a dishwasher
dust pan	flat container used for collecting dirt and dust swept up with a broom
duster	a cleaning tool with a handle and feathers (or a soft cloth) used for wiping dust off surfaces
garbage or trash bag	large, heavy bag for collecting the household garbage
garbage or trash bin	container with a lid that holds large garbage bags
gloves	coverings for the hands, with separate holes for the fingers
hose	a long tube that fills with water; often kept outside and used for outdoor cleaning
laundry detergent	powder or liquid soap used for cleaning clothes and linen
mop	long stick with a sponge at the bottom that is soaked in water and soap; used for cleaning floors
recycling bin	a container that holds paper, tins, glass, and other garbage that can be reused
scouring pads	tough cleaning pads used for scrubbing pots, pans, and ovens
scrub brush	a brush with a handle on it; often used for cleaning toilets
sponge	a soft cleaning product that absorbs water and is used for washing surfaces
stain remover	laundry product used specifically on spots that regular laundry detergent cannot clean (stains include red wine or blood)
vacuum cleaner	a machine that sucks up dust and dirt on the floor as you push it around
vinegar	a clear sour tasting liquid mixed with water and used for cleaning; environmentally friendly alternative to store bought cleaners