Give yourself a well-deserved break from the doldrums of chores on April 7 by observing National No Housework Day. This annual holiday gives us a dedicated day to forego our regularly scheduled cleaning tasks in favor of relaxation and personal enjoyment.

The history of National No Housework Day

First established in the 1980s by Thomas and Ruth Roy (we also have them to thank for Make Up Your Own Holiday Day and Cat Herders’ Day), this particular holiday serves as a reminder to prioritize self-care over household duties.

The modern era has seen the invention of so many household appliances that simplify these daily routines — like washing machines and dishwashers — but societal expectations around cleanliness keep us scrubbing.

But not today!

Celebrating National No Housework Day

Since the instructions for celebrating this holiday are pretty straightforward (don’t do housework!), we asked our editors to share which chore they were most looking forward to not doing in honor of this spiffy holiday, along with their most trusted chore shortcut — the little cheats they rely on to get everything done on the other 364 days when we aren’t all actively ignoring the laundry pile. Read on for their answers.

• An online to-do tracker, like Google Keep. My husband and I share one for daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term household to-do’s. This way, we always know when the plants were last watered and the hamster cage was cleaned. –Meredith
• I don’t fold my laundry. I stopped trying during COVID; I grab all my favorite half-zips right out of the drier for rewearing, anyway. This has saved me so much time. –Chris
• A Swiffer is my BFF. Our dog isn’t a big shedder, but I love to grab this handy mop and roll through the house picking up dust and fuzz once a day. It makes a difference! –Tracey
• My kids are so helpful — really. My family has made chores part of our day-to-day routine — a fun part. The kids feed the cats while we make breakfast, so things are age-appropriate and everyone feels involved. –Bill

As you can see, National No Housework Day serves as a reminder of the importance of taking breaks and valuing personal time. By setting aside household chores for even just a single day, we can recharge — and try to reset the balance between responsibilities and self-care.

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But not today!

Celebrating National No Housework Day

Since the instructions for celebrating this holiday are pretty straightforward (don’t do housework!), we asked our editors to share which chore they were most looking forward to not doing in honor of this spiffy holiday, along with their most trusted chore shortcut — the little cheats they rely on to get everything done on the other 364 days when we aren’t all actively ignoring the laundry pile. Read on for their answers.

• An online to-do tracker, like Google Keep. My husband and I share one for daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term household to-do’s. This way, we always know when the plants were last watered and the hamster cage was cleaned. –Meredith
• I don’t fold my laundry. I stopped trying during COVID; I grab all my favorite half-zips right out of the drier for rewearing, anyway. This has saved me so much time. –Chris
• A Swiffer is my BFF. Our dog isn’t a big shedder, but I love to grab this handy mop and roll through the house picking up dust and fuzz once a day. It makes a difference! –Tracey
• My kids are so helpful — really. My family has made chores part of our day-to-day routine — a fun part. The kids feed the cats while we make breakfast, so things are age-appropriate and everyone feels involved. –Bill

As you can see, National No Housework Day serves as a reminder of the importance of taking breaks and valuing personal time. By setting aside household chores for even just a single day, we can recharge — and try to reset the balance between responsibilities and self-care.

But not today!

Celebrating National No Housework Day

Since the instructions for celebrating this holiday are pretty straightforward (don’t do housework!), we asked our editors to share which chore they were most looking forward to not doing in honor of this spiffy holiday, along with their most trusted chore shortcut — the little cheats they rely on to get everything done on the other 364 days when we aren’t all actively ignoring the laundry pile. Read on for their answers.

• An online to-do tracker, like Google Keep. My husband and I share one for daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term household to-do’s. This way, we always know when the plants were last watered and the hamster cage was cleaned. –Meredith
• I don’t fold my laundry. I stopped trying during COVID; I grab all my favorite half-zips right out of the drier for rewearing, anyway. This has saved me so much time. –Chris
• A Swiffer is my BFF. Our dog isn’t a big shedder, but I love to grab this handy mop and roll through the house picking up dust and fuzz once a day. It makes a difference! –Tracey
• My kids are so helpful — really. My family has made chores part of our day-to-day routine — a fun part. The kids feed the cats while we make breakfast, so things are age-appropriate and everyone feels involved. –Bill

As you can see, National No Housework Day serves as a reminder of the importance of taking breaks and valuing personal time. By setting aside household chores for even just a single day, we can recharge — and try to reset the balance between responsibilities and self-care.

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