Though women are increasingly working outside the home, we’re still doing the major portion of the house work. In fact, I read I one report that because they’re not home full-time, many women feel that they’re not doing enough. There’s no shortage of appliances and cleaning products that are billed as handy helpers...but the "helpers" that would make a really big difference are the other people who are living in your house. Just asking or telling them to help often isn’t enough. Here are some maneuvers that might help.

1. Are you frustrated that other members of the household never remember to jot down a note to let you know they’ve used the last of a grocery or pantry item? Try this system: ask them to deposit the empty bottle or can, or the paper towel core, in a special “More, please�?container left in a central spot, like the kitchen.

2. One special way to get everyone in the house to help sort the wash is to leave two open hampers (one for lights, one for darks) in the laundry room, and suspend a basketball hoop over each one. A slam dunk for everyone, whenever the soiled garment lands where it’s supposed to.

3. Wouldn’t it be a help if laundry items that need special care (a button that needs replacing, a rip that needs mending, a spot that needs removing) were brought to your attention? Give everyone a supply of spring-loaded clothes pins to clip onto to garment near stain or in spot where mending is needed.

4. The easier the bed is to make, the more likely everyone is to do it. Use a duvet cover over the quilt or blanket, and a fitted sheet on the bottom so that "bed making" means simply pulling the duvet up. Launder the cover weekly, as you would a top sheet. Bonus: with the duvet cover on top, the bulky quilt or blanket won’t need frequent washing. If you can’t find a duvet cover to your taste or at your price range, sew a couple of sheets together on three sides and attach velcro (or have your tailor do up buttons and buttonholes) to seal up the fourth. Or just use diaper pins to hold the top sheet to the blankets on the kids�?beds.

5. Leave a basket at the top and the bottom of the stairs to deposit items that need to be brought up or down -- everything from the laundry to the library books. Make it a house rule to check the basket before going up or downstairs empty-handed.

6. People are often more willing to work when they know the job is close-ended. If you routinely call “work details�?that last no more than thirty minutes, you’ll probably have an easier time getting everyone to cooperate.

7. And remember the principle of reward as a motivator. Every time one of the kids does a chore, keep a record of it in a notebook, with a Post-it slipped into a basket, etc. Award “Frequent Helper�?points -- like frequent flier miles -- that pay off in treats.