How to Get Your Husband To Help With Housework

Dyson sent me a DC59 vacuum cleaner to review. It’s the best vacuum clean I’ve ever used, uh, I mean, that my husband has ever used. This post contains affiliate links.

In the early days of our marriage, my husband and I fought more about housework than we did about our finances. Neither of us are great housekeepers, but we had unrealistic expectations of how much cleaning the other should do. I’m glad to say that after almost 12 years of marriage, I’ve got it figured out. I even enlisted my husband to help me out with this list.

Here’s how to get your husband to help with housework:

1. Tell your husband how handsome he is when he washes the dishes. Verbal reinforcement works wonders. Every time you catch him cleaning, tell him how amazing he is. Soon, he’ll start cleaning to impress you. (This really works.)

2. Tell your husband how manly he looks when he vacuums. Vacuums are power tools, right? What guy doesn’t feel manly and sexy when he’s caressing a powerful device like the cordless Dyson Digital Slim DC59 with its 350-watt V6 motorhead and 2-Tier Radial Root Cyclone Technology?

3. Tell your husband how fine he is when he dusts your office. After cleaning the bathroom, dusting is my second hated household chore. Plus, my husband can reach all the high, dusty spots. He’s happy to help me out.

Ok, I’m just kidding. I really do appreciate when my husband does chores that I despise. He really does look sexy when he’s cleaning (most of the time), but that’s not how you really get your husband to help with housework.

Here’s 6 real ways to get your husband to pitch in with household chores:

1. Make housework fun by encouraging a little (friendly) competition. Challenges not only make boring work more fun, but they motivate us to do more. See how many dishes he can wash in 15 minutes. Then see if you can dry them all in 15 minutes. How about who can match the most pairs of socks? (I always win at sock matching.)

2. Divide up chores in a way that makes both of you happy. I used to keep tabs on who did the most housework and if it wasn’t a 50/50 split, I got mad at my husband. Remember that you’re a team and you’re in this relationship for the long haul. Keeping a scorecard won’t help your marriage grow. I enjoy folding towels and fitted sheets while he’d rather sort and wash the clothes. That doesn’t mean that I never put a load in the wash or he never folds the sheets. We work together as team.

3. Make sure to use the right tools for the job. Cleaning becomes easier and more enjoyable when you have tools that work. My husband hates vacuuming, but he fell in love with the Dyson Digital Slim DC59 Motorhead within minutes of turning it on. Ladies and gentlemen, he actually cleaned the living room without being asked because the DC59 made vacuuming effortless.

I fell in love with the cordless vacuum too. Weighing just under 5 pounds, the DC59 Motorhead was super easy to maneuver under and around my couch. I think all the kids’ food crumbs hide under the couch just to make me crazy. I was even more impressed by how much dirt it picked up during our test with goldfish crackers. And a little grossed out. Apparently my previous vacuum cleaner wasn’t doing a great job. (See all the dirt in that canister? UGH)

4. Tell him how much you appreciate his help and vice versa. I know we expect our spouses to do their share of chores (see #2), but it’s nice to know that, yes, my husband noticed that I cleaned the entire kitchen. I make sure I “notice” when puts away all the clean laundry or cleans the bathroom. We never tire of hearing “Wow, the kitchen looks amazing!” or “Thanks for picking up all the Legos off the living room floor.” Because you all know how dangerous Legos are when they’re not contained, right?

5. Don’t hover or re-do his work! I probably should have put this as #1. Seriously, if you want your man to help out around the house, do not, I repeat, do not re-do his work. By going behind him and refolding the towels or rewashing the mugs, you’re sending the message that his work isn’t good enough. If you’re going to re-do them anyway, why should he bother? There’s no “right” way to fold or wash. As long as the chores get done, right?

6. Lower your standards. That goes for both of you. With two kids that constantly drop books and toys all over the place, our home will never be spotless or clutter free. I’d rather spend quality time with my family than spend all evening cleaning. So let the clean laundry lounge in the baskets a little while longer and snuggle on the couch for movie night.

How do you divide up the housework in your family?

Now that you’ve seen how amazing the Dyson Digital Slim DC59 Motorhead is, I know you want one too!