Fall Cleaning For the Caregiver

In a previous post, I talked about helping the elderly clean and winterize their homes. Now, its time to talk about cleaning house when you are a full-time caregiver in your own home.

I heard that groan.

I know.

But keeping a clean house really IS important when you have an aging loved one. With weakened immune systems, and decreased sense of smell, taste, and sight, the elderly could be considered
more fragile.

But I'm not going to tell you that you need to be polishing your windows with a cotton-swab or carefully using a toothpick between the floorboards. This is a reasonable checklist of tasks that can make your home feel more clean.

Only YOU know your schedule and how much time you can allot each day to these tasks, but here are some ideas for how to manage a whole house when you are already overworked and underpaid:

• Do one room at a time, top to bottom
• Or group like tasks together (mopping all floors, dusting all rooms, etc.)
• Or do usual daily tasks first, then add a few tasks from the deep clean list per day
• Or prioritize by rooms that see more traffic

Prioritizing your cleaning list is a sanity saver. It might seem logical to tackle a huge project, like the attic, first. But really...who sees your attic? Unless someone lives up there, then it probably doesn't need to be the first thing on your list. 

Likewise, there is no need to start with tasks you have already done recently. Just step back and note most neglected areas in the rooms that everyone uses most. A great starting point is the bedroom of your elderly loved one. Let star there? 

Ready? Set? Follow the checklist!

(or make it up as you go along. I'm not going to judge you.)

Deep Cleaning the Bedrooms: 

Bedrooms are havens for allergens that can irritate the skin and lungs. Start here when you are energized and full of caffeine. 

• Sweep ceilings to knock down any dust. (its there, even if you can't see it.)
• Dust light fixtures and fan blades. 
• Strip beds and remove curtains to be laundered
• Flip and rotate mattress
• Run a vacuum over the mattress
• Dust any furniture and wash knick-knacks (wipe picture frames and books too,)
• Shake rugs and throw pillows outside
• Wash bed pillows 
• Clean the floor. (sweep, vacuum, Swiffer. Doesn't matter. You are just getting up the dust.)
• Spray or wipe hard surfaces with disinfectant.
• Hang up clean curtains and make the bed with fresh linens. 

Nice, huh?

Did you know that dust can contain bacteria as well as dust mites? That is a really good reason to keep those fan blades clean. Who wants to breathe in fuzzy chunks of bacteria?

Bathrooms 

To put it discreetly, the elderly are not always the most hygienic of bathroom users. Stop germs from unwashed hands and toileting accidents from spreading to other rooms (and possibly into your food) by thoroughly disinfecting: 

• Toilets (including behind the seat bolts, around the base and the flusher handle)
• Sinks: especially the knobs.
• Cabinets: these are touched often. Get the vanity, any drawer handles or knobs, and the medicine cabinet too. 
• Light switch the wall around the switch. (for when germy hands grope for the light)
• Bathroom door, inside and out
• Towel bars and toilet paper holder
• Bath tub, shower head, shower chairs, etc. 
• Mats and rugs
• Towels
• Toiletry bottles: soap dispenser, shampoo, colognes, etc. 
• Floor

Notice I said disinfect. Feel free to dust and polish too if you want it all sparkly, but disinfecting should be the top priority in the bathroom!

Safety Note: When cleaning the bathroom, take the time to discard old medicine, rusted razors and anything else that could make your loved one sick. Disinfect items such as toothbrushes and holders, and denture cups too. If you are dealing with dementia, make sure you don't store any toxic cleaners or medications in an accessible area. 

Kitchen

For many people, the kitchen is the central hub for all activity in the house. It probably gets more traffic than any other room, and accumulates its fair share of dirt, dust and germs no matter how much you clean it. 

I'm sure you already wash your dishes and mop your floor. So lets just skip to the nitty-gritty tasks that make a kitchen healthier: 

• If you don't do it regularly, disinfect counters, handles, knobs, cutting boards, the sink (including that awkward space behind the faucet) soap dispenser, sponges,  and light switches. 
• Wash or dust any decorative knick-knacks (especially if you fry a lot of food.)
• Wipe down open shelves. 
• Wipe down appliances
• Empty out the fridge and disinfect the shelves and drawers. Return only items that are still edible. 
• Throw expired food from pantry or cupboards
• Clean your table and chairs, including the undersides of each! Wash or shake out cushions.
• Launder curtains and soiled kitchen linens

If you are really feeling powerful, you can clean under all the appliances and even the inside of the oven. If not, then don't worry. Not many people come in and look under your stove. You can save that task for another day. 

Again, make sure medications and chemicals are stored safely away in the kitchen. 

Other Rooms (Living, Dining, Den, Etc. )

You might think that living areas just need to be vacuumed and dusted to be completely clean. But really, you need to bring along your disinfectant in here too. Anywhere you eat needs to be disinfected occasionally. And if anyone has ever laid down a soiled tissue or propped their feet on a table...

Yeah. 

• Vacuum upholstery
• Clean curtains, pillows and rugs 
• Spritz rugs with disinfectant
• Disinfect tables, lamp switches, coaster sets, chairs, footstools, chain pulls, wall switches, remote controls, video game equipment, toys, and other items that are touched frequently. 
• Wipe down doors
• Pick up clutter and tripping hazards

Picking up clutter does more than make a room look nice. It can prevent accidents!

Other Things You Might Consider

Once you've gone through the basics of every room, there are a few miscellaneous tasks you might want to consider. For instance, you might want to sanitize all the clothes hampers. This is pretty important when you care for someone who has incontinence. Germs from soiled clothing can be moved from room to room, but many people never think to clean the hampers and laundry baskets. At the very least, don't put clean clothing back into a dirty hamper. Use a basket that never holds soiled clothing!

Another dirty area can be pet bedding. Pet dander can be very irritating to some people, and its not fun for your pet to sleep on dirty bedding either. Make sure to regularly clean areas where pets sleep, and replace bedding as needed.

Now take a few minutes to make your house smell good. 

And finally, mind your houseplants! Elderly persons with dementia should be protected from toxic houseplants. Set plants up high, keep vines trimmed, and clean up all plant debris to deter accidental ingestion or skin contact.