Cleaning Tips to Help You Spring Into Action

By Diane Mondini, Caring Companions At Home Owner & President

Spring Cleaning is a great way to usher in the new season. A “good tidying up” has many positive benefits. A clean home reduces allergies and improves concentration. If you happen to be one of the 77% of Americans who suffer from stress, you might just find cleaning helpful in relieving anxiety and stress.  

While stress and overwhelming emotions are among the day-to-day realities we face during the pandemic, we must remember that, for older adults, long periods of isolation can be even more traumatic. Lack of cognitive stimulation, according to the American Geriatrics Society, can exacerbate the need to stockpile and accumulate things, making spring cleaning and regular decluttering a necessity for seniors and families who wish to help their seniors stay safe at home. From simple justifications to sentimental reasons, things can accumulate fast. The emotional need to make a purchase or take items home simply because it is free, contributes to the clutter cycle that ends up draining seniors emotionally, financially, and physically. 

Helping older adults need not be overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips that may make the process a little easier this year:  

A Little Goes A Long Way 

Cleaning can quickly become overwhelming without a strategy. Start with a Spring Clean Plan and a Checklist. Take your time and tackle one or two tasks each day will make sorting and cleaning feel more manageable. The results from the tasks you complete each day will help motivate you and keep you focused on the next task on your list.  Enlist the help of family members and professional caregivers who can make sure to keep the experience positive. Cleaning out the refrigerator, pantry and medicine cabinet are important items to include in your list. Checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and changing batteries each season are good practices to adopt. 

Work Smart

While creating a safer environment is the goal, follow general safety precautions while getting the spring cleaning done. Avoid possible falls by using dusters that have an “extender” to help clean the spots that are difficult to reach. Refrain from climbing ladders and stools. Other useful tools include a cordless vacuum, an appropriately sized broom, and a standing dustpan. Make it a fun “family” event and schedule different family members to take turns helping with each area. If enlisting the help of family members and close friends is not an option, a professional caregiver, even with 3 to 4 hours each week, can do wonders to lighten the load of spring cleaning and decluttering. They would also be able to help in other areas of your loved one’s daily activities, such as safety supervision, healthy meal planning and preparation and household chores like linen change and laundry.

Clear Out The Clutter 

Create an activity out of sorting. Sort items by using bins or boxes that are pre-labeled “to keep” or “for donation.” Keep the mood positive with your senior loved one. There is no need to make them feel bad about having accumulated “things” throughout the years. Encourage them to talk about the items and allow them to tell the stories that are associated with the memories. You just might learn more history and fun facts about your senior. By planning it out, using bins and sorting the clutter, you will start to distinguish what you truly need versus the things that can be donated or given away. Bins that hold items that are needed often, should be easily accessible by the senior. Some craft supplies, holiday decorations and gardening items may be stored on the higher shelf. Make sure to keep pathways clear of too many items. Area rugs are huge safety hazards for seniors and needs to be removed altogether or secured to the floor.

When You Can’t Decide

If you or your senior loved one find yourselves with a box of miscellaneous items and you simply can’t decide what to do with it, shut the box and put it aside. Set a 3-month deadline and mark your calendar. Keep the box closed and donate it to your local charity without looking. Feel free to apply this to reading materials, toys, and clothes that you swear you would wear or fit in to someday.  

I Remember When… 

Feeling emotionally attached to photographs and keepsakes most certainly makes it difficult to part with them. Fortunately, technology now presents new options for storage and archival. Whether you choose a professional photo scanning service or take the time do it yourself, digitizing old photographs will give you the benefit of preservation, organization, and accessibility. It’s also a great way to maximize your storage space at home.  

If space is still an issue due to family memorabilia, consider photographing the keepsakes and documenting them in a scrapbook before giving them to younger members of the families. Some items may also be donated to museums, libraries, and historical societies, where the stories and memories can be shared and enjoyed by more generations