Keeping a home tidy is a universal topic, and knowing how to talk about it in Spanish is essential for everyday life. Whether you're coordinating with roommates, telling your family what needs to be done, or simply describing your weekend, this vocabulary is incredibly practical. You'll use these words to make plans, ask for help, and manage a shared living space. This list focuses on high-frequency, practical terms used throughout Latin America. You'll notice many useful verbs follow the regular '-ar' pattern, like 'limpiar' (to clean), 'lavar' (to wash), and 'planchar' (to iron), making them easier to conjugate. We've also included the nouns for the tools you'll need, from the broom to the washing machine. One key regional difference to note is the word for 'to mop'. In Latin America, the verb 'trapear' is overwhelmingly common, while in Spain, you will almost always hear 'fregar el suelo'. This list defaults to the Latin American forms, ensuring you're learning the terms you're most likely to encounter in the Americas.
to clean
Todos los sábados, me toca limpiar el baño. — Every Saturday, it's my turn to clean the bathroom.
to tidy up, to organize
Voy a ordenar mi cuarto porque viene visita. — I'm going to tidy up my room because we have company coming over.
to wash
Necesito lavar los platos después de la cena. — I need to wash the dishes after dinner.
to dry
Yo lavo los platos y tú los secas, ¿de acuerdo? — I'll wash the dishes and you dry them, okay?
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the chores, housework
Hicimos una lista de los quehaceres de la semana. — We made a list of the chores for the week.
to sweep
¿Puedes barrer la cocina? Hay muchas migas en el piso. — Can you sweep the kitchen? There are a lot of crumbs on the floor.
the broom
La escoba está detrás de la puerta. — The broom is behind the door.
the dustpan
Necesito la escoba y el recogedor para limpiar este desastre. — I need the broom and the dustpan to clean this mess.
to mop (Latin America)
Después de barrer, voy a trapear el piso con un poco de desinfectante. — After sweeping, I'm going to mop the floor with a bit of disinfectant.
the mop (Latin America)
El trapeador nuevo absorbe muy bien el agua. — The new mop absorbs water very well.
the bucket
Llena el balde con agua y jabón, por favor. — Fill the bucket with water and soap, please.
to vacuum
Odio pasar la aspiradora, hace mucho ruido. — I hate vacuuming, it makes so much noise.
the vacuum cleaner
Se rompió la aspiradora, ahora tenemos que barrer todo. — The vacuum cleaner broke, now we have to sweep everything.
to wash the dishes
Anoche dejé los platos sucios, ahora tengo que lavarlos. — Last night I left the dirty dishes, now I have to wash them.
the sponge
Esta esponja ya está muy vieja, hay que comprar una nueva. — This sponge is already very old, we need to buy a new one.
the (dish) soap
Ya casi no queda jabón para platos. — There's almost no dish soap left.
to take out the trash
No te olvides de sacar la basura antes de irte. — Don't forget to take out the trash before you leave.
the trash can
El bote de basura está lleno. — The trash can is full.
to do the laundry
Los domingos son mi día para lavar la ropa. — Sundays are my day to do the laundry.
the washing machine
Puse toda la ropa blanca en la lavadora. — I put all the white clothes in the washing machine.
the dryer
En mi país no es común usar secadora, secamos la ropa al sol. — In my country it's not common to use a dryer, we dry clothes in the sun.
the detergent
¿Compraste detergente en el supermercado? — Did you buy detergent at the supermarket?
to iron
Tengo que planchar mi camisa para la entrevista de mañana. — I have to iron my shirt for the interview tomorrow.
to make the bed
Lo primero que hago cada mañana es hacer la cama. — The first thing I do every morning is make the bed.
to dust
Hay que quitar el polvo de los muebles una vez por semana. — You have to dust the furniture once a week.
the dust
Esta casa está llena de polvo porque nadie ha limpiado. — This house is full of dust because nobody has cleaned.
the rag, the cloth
Usa un trapo húmedo para limpiar la mesa. — Use a damp cloth to clean the table.