How Often Should You Do Everything?
Every household task has an interval, and almost nobody remembers any of them. Below is a reference table of the ones that matter most, from filters and sheets to houseplants and oil changes.
Treat each interval as a prompt to check rather than a rule to obey. Conditions change how fast things wear, dry out or get dirty, and the notes column tells you what shifts them.
Home maintenance
| Task | Interval | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace filter (1 inch) | 1 to 3 months | Pets, allergies, heavy use |
| Furnace filter (4 inch pleated) | 6 to 12 months | Same, but far more capacity |
| Clean dryer vent | 6 to 12 months | Load volume, duct length |
| Flush water heater | Yearly | Hard water needs more |
| Smoke alarm batteries | Yearly | Test monthly regardless |
| Clean gutters | Twice yearly | Overhanging trees |
| Descale kettle | 1 to 3 months | Monthly in hard water areas |
| Deep clean coffee maker | 1 to 3 months | Daily use shortens it |
Cleaning and household
| Task | Interval | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Wash bed sheets | Weekly | Hot sleepers, pets in bed |
| Wash bath towels | Every 3 to 4 uses | Drying time between uses |
| Full litter box change | Weekly | Scoop daily, more cats means more often |
| Vacuum | Weekly | Pets and traffic can make it daily |
| Clean washing machine | Monthly | Cold washes need it more |
| Replace Brita filter | About 2 months | Roughly 40 gallons of use |
Personal care
| Item | Interval | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Toothbrush or brush head | 3 months | Sooner if bristles splay, or after illness |
| Contact lenses | Per lens type | Daily, fortnightly or monthly as prescribed |
| Razor blade | 5 to 10 shaves | Coarser hair dulls blades faster |
| Replace pillow | 1 to 2 years | Memory foam lasts longer than down |
| Replace mattress | 7 to 10 years | Quality and body weight |
Plants and pets
| Task | Interval | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Water a snake plant | 2 to 6 weeks | Season, light, pot material |
| Water a fiddle leaf fig | 1 to 2 weeks | Light and pot size |
| Water succulents | 1 to 3 weeks | Far less in winter |
| Bathe a dog | 4 to 12 weeks | Coat type and how muddy they get |
| Fish tank water change | Weekly | Change 10 to 25 percent, more if stocked heavily |
Car
| Task | Interval | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Change engine oil | 5,000 to 7,500 miles | Full synthetic can reach 10,000. Follow your manual |
| Rotate tyres | 5,000 to 8,000 miles | Often bundled with an oil change |
| Replace wiper blades | 6 to 12 months | Sun and ice shorten blade life |
The interval is the easy part
Knowing that a furnace filter lasts three months does not help if you cannot remember which month you last changed it. Most of these tasks share the same problem: the gap is long enough that you lose track, and short enough that getting it wrong costs you.
NotedThat logs the moment with one tap and shows you how long it has been. No account, works offline, free to start.
In depth guides
More guides are being added to this collection.