Google Tasks sucks for chores, but this app makes them a cinch for me

Am I weird? I immensely enjoy completing chores. They offer me a sense of accomplishment as I beam at the sight of a clean house, tidy fridge, or leaf-free balcony. The biggest issue, however, is remembering all of them. Chores can quickly get away from you if you don’t keep track. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

I’ve tried numerous to-do list apps to combat this negligence, from smaller solutions to more prominent players like Tick Tick, Microsoft To-Do, and Google Tasks. None have offered me the ease of use and specificity I needed. More recently, I stumbled upon Clean As Duck, a relatively new Android app that has become my Google Tasks alternative for chores; it completely transformed how I tackle recurring household to-dos.

Google Tasks is a natural option for those embedded in the Android and Google ecosystem. It offers quick list creation, which allowed me to include a more extensive “chores” list. However, I often found that it got lost in the shuffle of my other, more fluid tasks. Whether that’s recipe and shopping lists, preparations for travel and packing items, or weekend plans, my chores list was always the last thing I considered.

As I mentioned in the intro, Clean As Duck zeroes in on cleaning-specific features, making it an excellent Google Tasks alternative for this purpose. From the get-go, you’re greeted by a suggested list of common chore templates broken down by room of the house and appliance.

Of course, you can create your own tasks, too. Enter a task name, select a room, and declare when your task begins in addition to its frequency and how often it should recur. The app then lists your pending chores chronologically on the home screen or filter per room.

Adding additional rooms doubles as a useful organizational tool. We have over 150 plants in our house, so I’ve created a virtual “jungle room” to ensure I remember to check individual specimens. This way, I never end up over or underwatering, forget to fertilize, or check for pests.

Seeing a neverending list of chores can be overwhelming, even if most of these may be days or weeks away. So, Clean As Duck also offers users various ways to defer these tasks. The “Vacation mode” will delay all tasks until you’re back from your adventure, while the app also displays a “Take a break” banner at the top of the screen when a predetermined number of overdue tasks are present. I’ve used this option several times already, but you can also snooze tasks individually. I appreciate this forgiving, Oura-like approach to task management.

While to-do list apps are great for a fluid, ever-changing list of items, they aren’t conducive to static lists. Ironically, when I use these apps, I spend too much time setting up lists, customizing tasks, or tinkering with task specifics rather than completing them. Clean As Duck’s templates helped me get going almost immediately.

I also prefer keeping my professional and personal lives separate, especially regarding household chores. I don’t like placing article deadlines and stove-cleaning due dates on the same calendar or Google Tasks account. I’ve tried using separate accounts to accomplish this, but switching between them is another snag. Keeping my chores siloed in a separate app helps me focus on them when required.

While it has notable pros, Clean As Duck does have a few negatives compared to the big alternatives. I wish it were possible to add appliances, which would give users another useful organizational tool for tackling specific items around the house. Additionally, ditching Google Tasks means I miss out on multi-device sync and support. I’d often use my PC to add chores to a specific calendar and pick them up on my phone. This isn’t an option with the app. The app also lacks more advanced features, like natural language recognition, which would allow me to add tasks verbally or a networking option to divvy tasks to multiple users in a household.

Do I really need these features for a chores management app? No. What I need is a platform that keeps me focused on chores alone and dissuades distractions; Clean As Duck is the best solution I’ve found for this so far.

Although Clean As Duck is free and ad-free, the shortcomings I’ve mentioned could make it unappealing to some users. Thankfully, the chore-management genre is surprisingly stacked on Android. If you’re not convinced by Clean As Duck, require networking features with others, or looking for something beyond Google Tasks, there are options available.

• Flatastic: If you require collaborative efforts to tackle chores in a household, Flatastic is an excellent option. It’s specifically focused on keeping flatmates involved, with expense and shopping sharing, a built-in chat feature, and communal cleaning plans.
• Todoist: My colleague Mitja Rutnik swears by this to-do app. It allows the creation of multiple task lists, projects, and teams. It also includes a rewarding habit tracker feature and language recognition for vocal task addition.
• Google Calendar: Google Calendar is an obvious choice for task and event management and collaboration, and it is also a good option for chores. While it’s not practical for me, those who lean on the platform may find it easier to create a separate chores calendar for their purposes.