Cleaning is a highly physical activity and therefore, it is important to protect yourself from muscular aches and pains. Here are three ergonomic solutions to common cleaning routines that will help you avoid any aches and pains.
Kneeling on a hard surface: You may often fine yourself kneeling on a hard surface when washing the floor, the tub, or even the bottom of your shower, which puts a lot of pressure on your knees.
Solution: Protect your knees by utilizing knee pads. Gardening kneepads or a kneeling pad is the perfect solution to help cushion your knees against hard surfaces. If you don’t have any gardening kneepads handy, roll-up a towel or use an old pillow to reduce the pressure on your knees. If possible, kneel on one knee at a time, switching legs regularly to minimize and disperse pressure.
Bending over while standing: You may often find yourself bending over to pick up toys, blankets and pillows from the floor. This puts a lot of pressure on your back.
Solution: Bend at the knees, not at your back. The goal is to get as close to your task or the object as possible. The closer you are to the object, the easier, and safer it is to pick up.
Over-reaching: Over-reaching often occurs when cleaning hard to reach places. For example, you may over-reach when removing cobwebs from the top corner of the ceiling.
Solution: Utilize a step ladder or stool to get closer to your cleaning chore. Make sure the stool is placed on even ground before standing on it. This will help you clean those tough to reach areas without straining your muscles.
