As the spring season approaches, you may look forward to enjoying the long-lasting sunlight, fresh air, and beautiful flowers that begin to blossom. But this is also a time when you enjoy scrubbing your home from top to bottom. And while there is nothing wrong with doing some much-needed spring cleaning after a long, cold winter, it’s crucial to take the necessary steps to clean the right way and prevent injuries in the process. Check out the following simple ways to give your home a deep cleaning without putting a significant strain on your body.
#1. Try to Avoid Repetitive Motions
Completing repetitive tasks within a short period of time could increase your chances of sustaining an injury. For example, if you’re trying to go through old clothes, shoes, toys, and other accessories, don’t keep bending down and moving forward repeatedly because you could end up with lower back pain, joint pain, and aching muscles from the repetitive motions within just a few hours of cleaning. If necessary, sit and go through your belongings to avoid non-stop bending and prevent injuries.
#2. Take Breaks Instead of Pushing Yourself to Keep Going
Even if you feel like you’re on a roll with your spring cleaning, you don’t want to overexert yourself by pushing your body to continue doing more. Instead, make it a priority to take periodic breaks between your deep cleaning sessions. For example, you can start in one room and spend an hour working on it. If you’re not finished with that room within that hour, take a brief 15-minute break to give your body time to relax before picking back up where you left off. Your body will thank you for this later!
#3. Maintain a Steady Posture When Completing Different Cleaning Tasks
Maintaining the correct posture when completing various deep cleaning tasks can help you prevent injuries. If you need to lift something heavy, slowly bend your knees and focus on keeping your back straight. You don’t want to twist your back too far to one side or attempt to lift those heavy items with your arms. Lifting with your arms makes you more likely to sustain injuries to the hands, arms, and joints.
#4. Wear Protective Shoes on Your Feet
It’s not uncommon for people to do their spring cleaning barefoot or while wearing light shoes, such as slippers and sandals. However, it’s best to wear protective shoes on your feet when performing assorted tasks, such as heavy lifting, sweeping, mopping, and scrubbing. Non-slip sneakers are an excellent choice because they work well to prevent slips and falls that can lead to assorted orthopedic injuries.
With the spring season quickly approaching, now is a fantastic time to pull out the vacuum, duster, broom, and other cleaning equipment to give your home a detailed deep cleaning. However, before you start cleaning, make sure you know what to do to avoid potential injuries from all the lifting, scrubbing, and repetitive movements. At Denver Ortho, we want to help you avoid sustaining painful injuries that require treatment by encouraging you to take breaks, avoid repetitive motions, wear protective footwear, and maintain good posture as you work on cleaning every room in your home
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