ManaWGOpen the appCleaning rota app: tasks, fair rotation and time away
You add the tasks once, and ManaWG works out the dates, who is responsible and who is away. Free and in the browser, with no note on the fridge that goes out of date. If you want a rota to print, use the cleaning rota template. The steps to your own plan are in Make a cleaning rota.
By Abubakar Abditube (ManaWG) · Published · Updated
Tasks on a fixed rhythm
Every task repeats every few days or months, for example the bathroom every seven days or the windows every three months. Monthly intervals stay true to the calendar, and dates are worked out in Berlin time. A task can be assigned to a member, and every completion goes into the history. That way you can see later who did what and when.
Rotation by fairness
A rigid order of “A this week, B next week” falls apart as soon as someone skips a turn. When a task is done, ManaWG picks the person with the lowest workload. Assigned and overdue tasks are counted, and overdue ones count for more. The app shows the same prediction in advance as “Next up”, so you know who is next before it happens.
Entering time away
Holiday, internship, a visit home: members enter their dates with a reason. Anyone who is away is skipped at the next assignment, and the app says how many people were left out for that reason. Tasks that are already assigned are not redistributed. The app marks them as away, and someone else can take them with “I’ll take it”. As soon as the period ends, the person counts as present again.
Reminders on your phone
Every day ManaWG sends a push notification for assigned tasks that are due today or up to seven days overdue. It arrives at most every 18 hours for each task. Each member can switch off cleaning rota notifications. The app asks for permission before sending push. Tasks without an assigned person trigger no reminder.
Template or app
A printable cleaning rota template is a good start if your flat is small and the week is predictable. It does not carry on by itself and knows nothing about time away, so you enter every change yourself. If you do not want to keep the order up to date all the time, an app that carries responsibility and dates forward is the better fit. How to set tasks, rhythm and responsibilities is explained in Make a cleaning rota.
Printable template and ManaWG compared
| Feature | Printable template | ManaWG |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | by hand | by workload |
| Time away | enter it yourself | skipped at assignment |
| Reminders | none | reminder to whoever is responsible |
Setting up and scope
Members join through an invite link or an email invitation, and up to 20 active people fit in one flat. ManaWG is free, has no ads and is available in English and German. You install it as a PWA through the browser, and there is no app store listing. Besides the cleaning rota there are expenses, shopping, supplies, calendar, chat and noticeboard. All areas are introduced on Flat-share app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cleaning rota app and a template?
A printable template only holds what you write in by hand and does not carry on by itself. In the app you add the tasks directly, and the rhythm, responsibility and history of completions are built in. The printable version is on the cleaning rota template page.
How does the fair rotation work?
When a task is completed, ManaWG picks the person with the lowest workload. Assigned and overdue tasks are counted (overdue ones count for more), and anyone who is away is skipped. In the interface you see this prediction in advance as “Next up”.
What happens when someone is on holiday?
The person enters the dates as time away. At the next assignment after a task is completed, they are skipped. Tasks that were already assigned stay with them and are marked as away. The app shows how many people were left out because of time away.
Does the cleaning rota app cost anything?
No. ManaWG is free and shows no ads. The app is available in English and German, and a flat can have at most 20 active members.
Is the app in the App Store?
No, ManaWG is not a native app. You install it as a PWA through the browser. iOS and Firefox offer no install prompt, so there you follow the manual steps. You can switch push notifications on or off for each area.
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