We use the expression “go to sea” (without “the”) to say that someone becomes a sailor or embarks on a voyage.

We say “go to the beach” (not “go to beach”). Follow the same strategy with other related expressions, such as “walk along the beach”.

In normal conversations, we commonly use the expressions “do the dishes”, “do the laundry”, or “do the housework”. We can omit the article to put the emphasis on the activity rather than the items to be washed or cleaned.

In everyday English, we use the expression “do the cleaning” (with the article “the”) to speak about the process of making a house or an office clean.

When referring to the task of making clothes flat and smooth, we typically put the definite article “the” before “ironing”.

In everyday English, we often use the expression “do the laundry” to talk about managing the pile of clothes that needs to be washed.

We commonly use the expressions “do the wishes” or “wash the dishes” (with the article “the”) when thinking about a particular occasion of this task.

Include the article “a” with the expressions “take a bath/shower” (American English) and “have a bath/shower” (British English).

When using the expressions “take a shower” (American English) or “have a shower” (British English), we always include the article “a”. It is not possible to omit it or use the article “the” instead.