You don’t have to wait for spring to deep clean and get rid of clutter. Over the course of a lifetime, most people collect a lot of belongings. If you are acting as a caregiver for someone that you love or if an elderly parent has moved into an assisted living facility, it may be beneficial to help them clean and declutter.
A lot of seniors struggle with cleaning. Not only is it physically challenging but it also is exhausting from a mental standpoint. By stepping in to help, you can create a clean, safe environment for your loved one.
- Write down all of the tasks you want to accomplish.
After you decide that you want to help a special senior in your life with cleaning their home, it is important to figure out exactly what you want to accomplish. The items on your list depend a lot on the situation. For instance, if your loved one is moving out permanently, you will need to thoroughly deep clean the property. That includes tasks like washing the windows, cleaning the oven, and shampooing the carpets.
If your loved one is staying in the home and just needs some help tidying up, figure out which spaces need the most attention. It usually makes sense to prioritize the areas that are used the most often. Some of the rooms that you may want to consider include the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room.
- Start by decluttering.
Seniors often have a lot of belongings that they may no longer want to keep. Any clutter that is lying around can not only make the house feel messy but it also can pose a hazard. It is easy for elderly people to trip on items that get in their way.
Having a lot of clutter also makes it more difficult to keep the house clean. For instance, if paperwork has piled up on a desktop, trying to dust is practically impossible. The same goes for groupings of collectible figurines that are stacked on surfaces throughout your house. This isn’t about forcing your loved one to get rid of items that they love. Instead, it is about figuring out which items they want to keep and which ones don’t add any value to their lives.
- Allow yourself plenty of time.
Cleaning is often a slow and tedious process. This is particularly true in houses that haven’t been cleaned for a while. You may need to spend time moving furniture around or vacuuming in hidden corners to ensure that the house is really clean. This can cause the cleaning process to take longer than usual.
Along with cleaning areas that are easily visible, focus on out-of-the-way areas where contaminants like mold, pet hair, and dust tend to accumulate. Getting rid of mold in the bathroom or kitchen can be a time-consuming process. On top of that, you still have to deal with decluttering and handling basic cleaning tasks. Usually, you will need at least a day to finish cleaning the home. It is better to give yourself more time than you need so that you don’t feel rushed or stressed out.
- Find easy activities for seniors to help with.
Even if seniors have problems that limit their mobility, they usually are excited to help. Find tasks that they can accomplish that don’t require heavy lifting. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes them feel like they are part of the process.
For instance, you could have them go through any paperwork that is laying around to figure out what to keep and what to throw away. The same goes for sorting through old collectibles or dusting figurines. Sorting clothes is another good activity for people with mobility issues. Bring their clothes out and have them sort them into separate piles, depending on whether they want to keep them or donate them to charity.
- Get other people involved.
Cleaning can be a fun family activity. Don’t feel like you have to do it alone. Reach out to other people in your family to see if they are willing to pitch in. Together, you can get the job done a lot more quickly. You can also turn the day into a fun social occasion that is as enjoyable for you as it is for your loved one.
Divvy up the tasks between family members. One option is to give each family member a different room to clean. Another option is to have people focus on specific tasks. For instance, one person could go through all of the closets while the other focuses on dusting all of the hard surfaces in the home.
If your priority is to declutter the space or if the project is extremely large, you may want to hire a cleaning company to handle any deep cleaning. While you go through your loved one’s belongings, you can trust the cleaning crew to take care of cleaning everything from the kitchen and bathroom to the living room.
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