In the UK, where the charm of ageing gracefully within one’s walls is akin to a time-honoured tradition, maintaining a clean and serene environment is not just a task–it’s a necessity.
For older people, this often-daunting task, much like a slow and steady drizzle on a British afternoon, requires patience, method, and the right tools.
This guide delves into practical cleaning tips and the understated elegance of using domestic cleaning services, ensuring a safe and comfortable haven for those choosing to age in place.
#1 Create A Proper Cleaning Checklist
Make sure you involve the senior members of your family in the planning process. Creating a prioritised and detailed cleaning checklist and converting time-consuming tasks into smaller chores can reduce the chances of injuries.
You can also schedule shorter sessions for house cleaning chores. Be sure these tasks involve less physical stress or elbow grease.
#2 Simplify Your Space for Easier Cleaning
People collect lots of belongings over the years, and seniors often end up storing belongings their adult children have left behind, too. It’s nice to hang onto possessions and mementoes, but they must be managed responsibly. The art of decluttering one’s space is akin to pruning an overgrown English garden. Make decluttering a priority.
When your belongings take up too much space outside of storage areas, they become cluttered. For older people, this can be dangerous. Make decluttering a part of your regular cleaning routine so that items won’t build up over time and eventually become hazardous.
Don’t store items in your common spaces where people walk and gather. If you don’t have another place to store things, it’s definitely time to get rid of your no longer-needed items.
Identify a specific place for all of your belongings. Put things back immediately after use (use the one-touch rule as your guide).
#3 Establishing a Regular Cleaning Schedule
Creating a cleaning schedule is like setting the rhythm to a song – it provides structure and flow. For the elderly, a routine ensures that cleaning tasks don’t pile up like unread posts, becoming overwhelming and unmanageable. It’s about maintaining a rhythm that aligns with their capabilities and the unpredictable British weather.
#4 Prioritizing High-Traffic Areas
Focusing on high-traffic areas in a home is like a detective honing in on key clues. These spaces, where life unfolds daily, gather dirt and dust faster than a train gathering speed on the tracks. Regular attention here ensures that cleanliness radiates throughout the home.
#5 Choosing the Right Cleaning Tools
In the quest for cleanliness, the right tools are invaluable allies. Lightweight and easy-to-use tools can turn a strenuous task into a manageable one, much like a well-oiled machine eases labour. While a robotic vacuum cleaner offers convenience, it’s important to weigh its limitations against traditional methods, ensuring a balanced approach like a chef perfecting a recipe.
#6 Get a cart on Wheels for your supplies
Make your cleaning supplies more mobile with a rolling cart that you can bring with you from room to room. Keeping important cleaning items in the rolling cart will eliminate the need for you to constantly move back and forth to your storage to get something you need as you clean your home.
#7 Exploring Eco-Friendly Cleaning Options
Cleaning with eco-friendly solutions is like hiking through a forest – it’s kind to the environment and oneself. Natural ingredients, popular in the UK, provide effective cleaning without the harshness of chemicals, much like a soft-spoken word can have more impact than a shout.
#8 The Advantages of Using Domestic Cleaning Services
For many seniors, domestic cleaning services are a beacon in the fog. Older people with mobility problems often struggle to move the hoover around the carpets and clean the upholstery, so one great way to help spring clean is to get professionals to clean these items.
These services offer thorough cleaning by skilled hands, taking the physical strain off older people. Customised to individual needs, they ensure that the home remains as pristine as a well-kept English lawn.
Professional cleaners provide deep clean services and thorough treatments to remove this build-up. They can even protect items with a treatment that helps prevent staining to keep items looking nicer for longer.
“We would suggest that carpets, upholstery, and curtains are carefully vacuumed on a regular basis to reduce the buildup of harmful allergens and keep their homes hygienic and healthy. If they are faced with a stain, treat it carefully.
Work on it as soon as possible to reduce the risk of permanent damage by using a slightly damp, plain, clean white cloth or kitchen towel. Blot from the outside in, change the area of the cloth used and be careful not to rub the area as this could damage the pile.
#9 Addressing Safety Concerns, Allergies and Respiratory Health
For seniors, cleaning is a dance that must be choreographed with safety in mind. Choosing ergonomic tools is like selecting the right pair of shoes – they must fit perfectly and provide support. In the dampness that often pervades British homes, addressing mould and moisture is crucial, like a captain steering a ship away from turbulent waters.
In the UK, where the air can shift from crisp to heavy in a heartbeat, keeping a home free from allergens is crucial. Regular cleaning reduces the presence of dust and pollen, much like a steady breeze clears the air. Hypoallergenic products ensure that this cleaning is as gentle as it is thorough.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ageing in place in the UK brings with it the challenge of maintaining a clean home. Through strategic decluttering, safe cleaning practices, and the right tools and support, this task can be as fulfilling as it is necessary. Balancing independence with the option of professional help ensures that seniors can enjoy their homes in comfort, surrounded by cleanliness that is both inviting and reassuring. In their golden years, our elders deserve a home that is not just a living space but a sanctuary of cleanliness and comfort.
