Learn German: Wir machen den Abwasch gemeinsam, solange wir zu Hause sind. - We do the washing up together, as long as we are at home.

solange is a subordinating conjunction, which means it sends the conjugated verb to the end of its own clause. That is why the verb sind is pushed to the very end of the sentence.

Could I use während instead of solange here?

You could, but it changes the nuance. während simply states that two things happen at the same time ('while we are at home'). solange strongly emphasizes the duration of a condition ('for the entire time that we are at home').

Can I swap the two halves of this sentence and start with solange?

Yes! You can put the subordinate clause first to emphasize it: Solange wir zu Hause sind, machen wir den Abwasch gemeinsam. Notice that the main clause must then immediately start with its verb (machen) so the verb stays in the second 'position' of the overall sentence.

Why use den Abwasch instead of the word for 'dishes' (das Geschirr)?

In German, der Abwasch refers directly to the chore of washing up. While you could say das Geschirr spülen (to wash the dishes), using den Abwasch machen is a very standard, everyday phrase for 'doing the washing up'.

Why is there an 'e' at the end of Hause?