Cleaning and de-cluttering is never really anyone’s favourite job, but it’s important to keep a clean home, especially as you age, as clutter around the home can cause trips and accidents which could have been avoided otherwise. Luckily these tips are ideal for anybody, including those in their golden years or with a less mobility:
1. When de-cluttering, it’s best to focus on one room at a time. The best approach to not become overwhelmed is set a timer for 10 minutes and organise a section of a room into piles of “throw”, “keep” and “donate”. Be helpful when decluttering with your elderly relatives, make sure they are involved in the process- especially those who are feeling a little stubborn about throwing things away. When decluttering duplicate items, instead of using phrases like “you don’t need two of these, pick one”, perhaps say “are you sure you need two?”. This no pressure approach will garner more results
2. Reorganise the house so everything essential is within an arm’s reach to minimise slips, falls and injury from falling objects. Make sure important paperwork, kitchen utensils, food in the fridge and cupboards, their bedroom and bathrooms are set up for easy access, that way seniors are less likely to have trouble with things they use most. Having things effortlessly at-hand makes daily tasks much easier.
3. A tip for pet-lovers! Put on a rubber glove and use circular rubbing motions to collect any pet hair on furniture, then sprinkle your pets bed or area they like to rest with a little baking soda, let it sit for 15 minutes and then hoover it up! The baking soda absorbs those smells your or your relatives furry friend leaves behind.
4. Unclog the kitchen sink by pouring 4 tablespoons of baking soda and 150ml of vinegar down the plug. Cover the plug with a cloth to prevent the mixture from fizzing over and wait 5 minutes. Then remove the cloth, turn on the hot tap and flush the drain with hot water for 30 seconds
5. To make a no chemical kitchen cleaner, mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 litre of water and pour into a spray bottle. Add a few drops of lemon or essential oil if you like! This is perfect for cleaning inside the microwave, the fridge and kitchen counters.