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Keeping your home clean can be a challenge. When you have limited mobility—whether due to a recent injury or a chronic condition—it can seem nearly impossible. Fortunately, making a few modifications to your cleaning routine or the tools and products you use can make a huge difference in your ability to keep your home clean. Continue reading to learn some accessible house cleaning tips and tricks to prevent mobility limitations from standing in your way of having a clean home to enjoy.
1. Switch to lightweight cleaning tools.
If you’re still using your ancient vacuum that weighs a ton or any other heavy cleaning tools and products, now is the time to make a switch. “It may not seem like it, but carting a heavy vacuum around the whole house will actually wear you out. Find lightweight tools that you can easily drag or carry on your lap,” recommends Chris Willatt, the founder of Alpine Maids, a company that provides home cleaning services in the Denver, Colorado, area. You’ll find that there are many lightweight stick vacuums on the market—such as the Bissell Cleanview XR Pet Cordless Vacuum. Many of these are cordless, so you also won’t need to worry about navigating between outlets to unplug or re-plugin the machine.
2. Grab a grabber tool to help you.
If bending down to pick up things or reach inside the washer or dryer is a challenge, then a grabber tool, such as the RMS Featherweight The Original Reacher, may be the ideal solution. These tools can help you extend your reach. Simply squeeze the trigger using your hands to open or close the claw at the base of the long arm. Some more advanced models may also offer a rotating head to help you work at the most comfortable angle for each task.
3. Spread tasks out over several days or weeks.
“Cleaning does not have to be done in a day, and cutting it up into multiple weeks can often make the chore more manageable,” says Willatt. Instead of trying to clean your whole house in a single day, he recommends spreading tasks out over several weeks to limit fatigue or stress. “Pick a room a week to clean and clean your house over a month. If you get tired, stop cleaning and push your schedule back a week,” says Willatt.
4. Try some tricks that will lessen your workload.
Learning tricks that will lessen your workload isn’t cheating—it’s working smarter and can help keep your cleaning tasks much more manageable. For example, instead of scrubbing the stuck-on gunk on the inside of your microwave, cut up a lemon and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the bowl in the microwave for a few minutes and let it sit for a few additional minutes to cool. After removing it, wipe down the inside of the appliance—the hot and steamy lemon juice should have loosened the gunk, making it easier to wipe clean.
Another cleaning trick is to hang your wrinkled laundry in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will release the wrinkles, saving you the time and hassle of pulling out the iron and ironing board.
5. Invest in cleaning tools to help you reach up high or down low.
When you have low mobility, it can be especially challenging to clean objects or surfaces that are up high or down near the floor level, such as ceiling fans, crown molding, and baseboards. “I recommend getting a long duster and a Baseboard Buddy,” says Willatt. “These tools will allow you to clean your baseboards and molding without having to get on your hands and knees and your ceiling fan without having to get on a ladder.” Just like a stand-up weeder can help those with low mobility maintain their garden, these tools can help accomplish otherwise nearly impossible home cleaning tasks.
6. Clean more than dishes in the dishwasher.
The dishwasher can be a huge asset if you have limited mobility. But, did you know that it can help you clean more than just dishes? Get the most out of this appliance by using it to clean other items around the house, further simplifying your job. Always confirm by checking the manufacturer’s recommendations, but some of the items you can clean in a dishwasher include vases, plastic combs, many children’s toys (plastic or rubber toys that are not electric), shower heads, and oven racks.
7. Assess your furniture layout and any potential trip hazards.
Enhancing home safety for the elderly and other individuals with limited mobility can also make cleaning easier. Area rugs, stair runners, and exposed cords can make it more difficult (and dangerous) to navigate through a home. Removing these trip hazards can help you or family members with limited mobility move more freely throughout their home, making cleaning it a more realistic (and safer) possibility.
Changing the furniture layout may also help make it easier to move throughout the home. Consider getting someone to help you place furniture to create a more open floor plan, allowing you or others to move through the space using mobility aids, such as a wheelchair, walker, or crutches.
8. Look for products that will make it easier to navigate your home.
Beyond removing trip hazards and being purposeful with where you place your furniture, you may also want to consider investing in a few new products that will help you navigate your home. For example, a rolling stool—like this one from Vapaa Taide—can allow you to sit closer to the ground without having to kneel or bend. This may help make it more comfortable—or simply possible—to complete certain tasks like cleaning up spills on the floor. You may also want to consider installing some grab bars or sturdier railings on your staircases. If you’re aging in place, making modifications such as these can help ensure that your home continues to meet your needs.
9. Use technology to your advantage.
Technology has come a long way over the past few years. Some of these advancements are evident in the types of cleaning tools and products that are on the market, many of which can greatly reduce the workload necessary to clean various areas of the home. One of the most obvious examples is the robot vacuum, which can be a huge help in keeping your floors clean. Some models—like the Roborock Q5 Pro+—will also mop the hard floors in your home. Choosing a self-emptying robot vacuum will further reduce your role, as these bases can hold several weeks of dust and dirt before they need to be emptied.
10. Ask for and accept help.
There is no shame in asking for help if there are specific tasks that you are not able to safely or logistically complete. Chances are, your friends and family are more than willing to do what they can to help make your life easier and more enjoyable, and maintaining a clean home can certainly fall into both of those categories. Willatt also suggests hiring “someone to do a deep clean for you once or twice per year,” while you keep up with more of the daily and weekly cleaning tasks.
