Spring Cleaning with Arthritis - by Brent Dodge

May marks the beginning of good weather in Montana and with good weather comes the need to clean and spruce up the house for the coming summer activities. Spring cleaning can be a challenge for many people living with arthritis. Here are some tips for minimizing your pain when cleaning:

Avoid Overexerting Yourself: Aim to clean just one room a day. This will prevent you from over using your joints and causing more inflammation.

Focus on High Traffic Areas: Sprucing up your house may not require a complete overhaul of the place. Start by cleaning areas of high traffic such as entryways and living areas. This might be enough to make the place look brand new without the need of days of vigorous cleaning.

Get the proper supplies: Cleaning is tough on the body’s joints and can be even tougher if you are not using the proper tools. Look for arthritis- friendly cleaning tools like long handled mops and duster can help avoid over reaching and climbing. Tips such as using magic erasers to clean tough stains of walls can up minimize the amount of muscle needed to remove the grime and all you need is the erasers and water! Also buying concentrated cleaners can help you avoid having to lug around heavy bottle while still giving you the cleaning power of the non-concentrated counterparts.

Letting Cleaners Sink In: Let your cleaners sit on tougher grime for a minute or two before scrubbing it. It will come off easier and save you the elbow grease and the extra stress on your joints.

Store Supplies Where They Are Needed: Storing your cleaning supplies where they are used most often will save you the strain of having to move them from room to room. For those living in multi-level homes having a set of supplies for each floor is a great way to avoid having to carry heavier objects such as vacuums up and down the stairs.