How to Avoid Injuries Whilst Spring Cleaning
The sun is starting to shine, the mornings and evenings are getting lighter. It must mean that spring is nearly here!
For many of us that means spring cleaning. Before you start the big spring clean spend a few minutes reading this blog to discover my top tips on ways to avoid injuries whilst spring cleaning.
How to Avoid Injuries Whilst Spring Cleaning
The most common spring cleaning injuries I see are ones to backs, shoulder or arms. Usually from over reaching, lifting heavy items of furniture or doing too much in one go. The actions involved in cleaning are often repetitive. So if we try to do it ‘all in one go‘ we can end up with overuse injuries in our hands, wrists or shoulders.
Below I am going to outline the main activities involved in spring cleaning and how to avoid injury whilst doing them.
Vacuuming and Mopping!
This is one of the most common household tasks that I see irritating the lower back. Vacuums tend to be very heavy and cumbersome to use, especially on the stairs (unless you have a nice light weight stick vacuum cleaner or robot hoover). This added with the tendency to try and do too much at once can cause your back to become irritated – particularly as when we hoover we tend to push in one direction all the time.
How to avoid irritation of the lower back
Hoover little and often – do one room at a time and take a break before going on to the next room.
Moving furniture
When doing a proper spring clean we tend to move the sofa or heavy chairs to clean behind them – often we do this in a rush and try and move furniture that is too heavy for us to lift on our own by just shoving it out of the way. This is an easy way to injure your back.
How to avoid this potential injury to the back
Get someone to help you move heavy furniture and bend your knees and not your back and – do a bit and then rest – don’t do it all at once.
Dusting
Reaching or over stretching to reach corners or high ceilings can irritate your back, neck and shoulders.
How to avoid irritation of the back, neck and shoulders
Make sure you always stand on a stool or ladder to reach things and try and stand as close to the area you need to clean as possible to avoid over stretching injuries. Try and use the duster in one hand and then the other so you are not always reaching in the same direction.
Cleaning windows
The repetitive action of window cleaning can irritate the hand, elbow and shoulder especially if you do all the tall windows in your house at once.
How to avoid irritation of the hand elbow and shoulder
Take regular breaks, try and alternate which hand you use to clean the window and be careful on the ladder.
Hopefully you will find these tips helpful and by using them you will avoid injuries. Especially if you do a little bit at at time and take regular breaks.
If you do hurt your back, neck, shoulder or elbows cleaning then chiropractic care could help you.
For more information you are welcome to speak to me on 01635 791301 or contact me via email and you can always book an appointment online.
Over to you!
Do you have a top tip for making spring cleaning easier, more fun or for avoiding injuries? Let me know in the comments below.