As the mercury starts to creep upwards, we draw ever closer to the day when we can crack the windows wide open and let the warm spring breeze sweep through our homes. The refreshing spring air has an uncanny ability to rid your home of its stuffy winter vibe and kickstart the spring cleaning process. If spring cleaning leaves you wondering where to start, you are not alone. Regardless of ability, spring cleaning can be daunting; tackling months of dirt build up is not for the faint of heart. However, if you live with a disability you may also have the added challenge of wondering how to start. So, we’ve put together a cleaning guide to troubleshoot some of the most common cleaning challenges.
Floors
The floor is the fifth wall in any room, but unlike your walls and windows, it takes a continuous beating and is subjected to anything dropped, spilled, stepped in, or rolled through. Whether you have carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate or combination flooring, you want to have a selection of tools at your disposal for tackling everything from the everyday to the exceptional flooring messes.
Brooms
If using a standard broom, opt for a lightweight, angled broom like the Yocada Broom and Dustpan Set. The broom comes with a handle extension so you can sweep under sofas, cabinetry overhangs and other hard to reach areas. It also clips into the long handled dustpan and when together the two can stand independently, eliminating the need to find somewhere to lean them, or pick them up off the floor if you need to pause sweeping mid cleaning. This combo is perfect for individuals who use mobility devices, those with limited ability to bend and reach and those with chronic fatigue and others requiring energy conservation strategies.
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Forget about brooms that are too short and inconvenient! This broom is extra-tall at 52″ so you will never have to bend down ever again! The long broomstick will also allow you to reach every corner and spot, even under the couch, so you can keep your space spotless!
Shop Brooms
Some individuals who use wheelchairs find it easier to forgo the traditional kitchen broom and instead use a shop broom like the Quickie Smooth Surface Push Broom. The broom can be pulled along behind your chair or mobility device and is wider than a standard broom, so requires less passes across the floor to get the job done.
Dustpans
Regardless of your broom type, a stand alone dustpan is ideal for anyone using a mobility device or with balance or fatigue issues as it eliminates the need to bend to pick up the dirt, (or the pan) from floor level. The Rubbermaid Lobby Dustpan is an excellent option as it can be paired with any style of broom and its rear wheels allow for smooth propulsion across any floor type.
Vacuums
The right vacuum can make a broom and dustpan a thing of the past. A lightweight, cordless vacuum offers flexibility to vacuum while sitting or standing and doesn’t limit where you use it. The Dyson Cyclone V10 offers the deep cleaning ability of a bulky traditional vacuum with the portability of a lightweight handheld. At 5lbs, it comes with a variety of interchangeable cleaning accessories and can be used as a handheld or traditional length vacuum. Aside from cleaning floors, it can be used in lieu of a dustpan and even a duster.
Robot Vacuums
If your home is appropriate for one, a robot vacuum is one of the best cleaning partners for those living with disabilities. Many can be used in a “set it and forget it” way that eliminates the physical component and lessens the cognitive burden of remembering and executing floor cleaning. The Roomba e5 is wifi connected and is able to learn your cleaning habits to offer personalized cleaning schedules. Also, when paired with Google Assistant or Alexa, it can be activated with just the sound of your voice.
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The Roomba e5 Robot Vacuum is packed with performance for powerful pickup. The premium 3-Stage Cleaning System cleans the dirt and pet hair you see—and the allergens and dust you don’t. Intelligent sensors guide the robot throughout your home, navigating under and around furniture to help thoroughly clean your floors. Just press CLEAN or schedule Roomba on the go with the iRobot HOME App.
Mops
Steam mops are the way to go when it comes to convenience, cleaning power and energy conservation. Not only are they lightweight and more portable than a traditional mop and bucket, but their ability to reach and hold high temperatures allows users to lift tough stains without extra scrubbing. This is ideal for anyone with mobility, pain or fatigue issues. Also, with steam mops, floors dry almost instantly which not only helps keep floors clean but also lowers the risk of slips and falls, especially for people with balance issues.
Garbage
A big part of spring cleaning is garbage removal. A quality trash can with wheels, like simplehuman’s slim kitchen trash can makes getting that trash out the door and to the garage or curb much easier. Also, a tip from seasoned wheelchair users is to double bag your garbage to prevent leaks and spills on your lap when removing the garbage bag from the can.
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Our slim plastic step can has a space-efficient shape that fits perfectly in tight spaces, like between cabinets. The strong steel pedal is designed to last, and our patented lid shox technology ensures a smooth, silent close every time. A slide lock helps keep trash in and pets and curious children out. Our code K liner fits this can perfectly – no bunching or slipping for a cleaner trash experience.
Dusting
An unavoidable consequence of long winter months and closed windows is dust. The thing about dust is that it tends to build up low touch surfaces, and for those with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs, there may be a lot of those hard to reach surfaces in your home. A handheld reacher tool paired with a dusting rag or dryer sheet, or a telescoping duster like the Swiffer 360 are great ways to get at those hard to reach spots. The added reach is perfect for anyone dusting from sitting and those who can stand but with limited upper extremity range of motion.
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With thousands of fluffy fibers, Swiffer 360° Dusters Extender traps and locks up to 3X more dust than a feather duster. It cleans deep into grooves, and its amazing all-around design has 50% more fibers than regular Swiffer Dusters. Plus, its extendable duster handle reaches up to three feet in any direction, and its swivel head can lock in four positions to clean hard-to-reach places.
Laundry
Spring cleaning will inevitably include additional loads of laundry. A rolling laundry hamper, like the Sterilite Ultra Wheeled hamper is helpful to transport all those extra linens and clothes. Also, use your handy reacher to help reach up or down into your washer and dryer. Another helpful tip for people accessing their washing machines from sitting, those with limited grip strength or those who struggle to steady their hands/arms, is to transfer your detergent of choice to an empty liquid dish soap bottle for more controlled pouring. Detergent pods or strips are also a handy solution for those who struggle to lift or pour liquid detergent. They are also better for the environment as they cut down on plastic destined for the landfill!
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Tru Earth Fragrance Free hypoallergenic laundry detergent strips are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin and are hypoallergenic certified by independent dermatologists.
Bathroom
While many people do daily bathroom tidying, spring cleaning is the perfect time to do a deep clean. The association between deep cleans and vigorous scrubbing is strong, and can be problematic for many people with disabilities. However, there are many cleaning products on the market that reduce or eliminate the need to scrub. These products are a great option for individuals living with pain, fatigue, limited grip strength, decreased range of motion, or anyone else with a limited ability to scrub their tubs, toilets and vanities. Scrubbing Bubbles has a range of bathroom cleaning products that profess to “clean so you don’t have to”. Another great tip for wheelchair users and other people sitting to clean is to invest in a second toilet brush to use for your tub. A toilet brush is an inexpensive and efficient way to tackle the inevitable grime build up in those hard to reach corners of your tub. Finally, a low mounted removable shower head can be helpful to rinse away cleaning products. The Bright Showers Dual Shower Head is a great addition to any accessible washroom as the suction cup mount can be placed and replaced with the click of a button, so rinse water is always within arms reach.
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BRIGHT SHOWERS ultra-luxury rainfall combo with hand shower head with you can use it for drenching rainfall shower, or pamper with new state-of-the-art hand shower featuring convenient push button flow control, just hold the hand shower and switch its flow settings with the same hand!
Mirrors and Windows
To maximize the amount of spring sunshine filling your home, you want to make sure to include mirrors and windows on your spring cleaning list. People cleaning from sitting or those with a limited ability to reach above their heads can achieve streak-free cleaning of windows and high mirrors with with your handy dandy reacher or an extendable squeegee combined with your glass cleaner of choice. The AMZHome extendable 3 in 1 squeegee includes a silicone blade, a microfibre scrubber, and a large drying pad so you are prepared to tackle any cleaning job from start to finish. It can also extend to 59” and has a built-in spray head eliminating the need to spray upwards at the glass when cleaning from sitting. Say goodbye to those unintended Windex showers!
We hope this guide helps to troubleshoot some of those spring cleaning to-dos! Click over to evika.io to learn more about the products featured in this guide and other tools and devices designed to help you tackle spring cleaning and other springtime activities!
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This 3 in 1 Double Face Window Squeegee is a professional cleaning tool, it is ideal for every cleaning. It make your work easier. Everybody don’t like messy windows, it will let you down. Now you don’t have to worry about falling off a stool, the extension pole will help you reach the high windows easily. Scrub, Wipe and Clean, just need a simple wipe, leave a streak-free clean, clear surface.
