Spring Cleaning with Parkinson's

Pearls for Parkinson's: Tips for Daily Living with PD. 

To watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MiyWaV9frR8

Does spring cleaning feel more exhausting than it used to? You’re not imagining it.

This week on Pearls for Parkinson’s, we talk about smart ways to clean with Parkinson’s - saving energy, reducing fall risks, using better timing, and making your home work better for you now.

You don’t need to clean harder. You need to clean smarter.

To support more programs like this: https://wiparkinson.app.neoncrm.com/forms/support-pearls4pd

Wisconsin Parkinson Association 
website: https://wiparkinson.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wiparkinson
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wiparkinson/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiparkinson/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Pearls for Parkinson's. Here is this week's Daily Living Tip. Hello, friends, and welcome back to Pearls for Parkinson's. Today we're talking about spring cleaning with Parkinsons, smart hacks that save energy. When spring arrives, many people feel the urge to freshen up their home and clear the clutter and get organized. But if you live with Parkinson's, spring cleaning can feel less like motivation and feel more like a mountain. Tasks that once felt simple can now take more energy, more balance, more planning, and sometimes more patience. So you don't need to clean harder, you just need to clean smarter. And we're going to talk today about some spring cleaning hacks that can really make a difference. First, stop thinking about the whole house. Think about zones. Trying to clean everything in one day can quickly lead to fatigue and frustration. Instead, choose one small area at a time. Maybe it's a bathroom drawer or one kitchen shelf, one closet corner, or a bedside table. Progress really adds up faster than you think. Second, use your best on time. Plan harder tasks during the time of day when your medication is working best and movement feels freer. Save those lighter tasks for lower energy times because timing really does matter. And third, sit whenever possible. Many household tasks can be done seated, whether it's folding laundry, sorting papers, cleaning lower cabinets, organizing supplies, or wiping surfaces. Sitting can reduce that fatigue and improve your steadiness. Fourth, be careful with overhead lifting. Reaching up to place items in high shelves or lifting something upward can shift your balance backwards and increase your fall risk. And this is really where people with Parkinson's kind of carry their weight anyway, is on their heels. This is especially important with Parkinson's because your reflexes can be slower to catch yourself. So keep frequently used items between waist and shoulder level whenever possible. And for those higher shelves or heavier items, make sure that you're asking for help. Fifth, carry less and move safer. Instead of carrying piles of items from room to room, use a rolling laundry basket or a utility cart or a small tote. This helps to keep your hands free and reduces that fall risk. And sixth, change your tools. Use long handle dusters or lightweight vacuums or spray mops. Reachers and grabbers can also help with reducing bending, twisting, and strain. Sometimes those adaptive tools are really smart tools. Watch the floor. Loose rugs, cords, cluttered piles if you're stacking up and cleaning things out, and open boxes can become a trip hazard real fast. One of the best forms of spring cleaning may simply be clearing safe walking paths. And lastly, set a timer. Try 20 minutes of work, then rest. Many people do better with short focus sessions than long exhausting ones. But make sure you ask for help before you need it. Family members or friends may be happy to help with heavier lifting, hauling donations, or reaching those high shelves. Saving your energy for what matters most is really wise. Spring cleaning is not about perfection. It's about creating a home that works best for you right now. Safer pathways, easier routines, and less daily stress. So if one drawer gets cleaned today, that counts. If one shelf gets reorganized, that counts. If one fall risk gets removed, that really counts. Thank you for joining me today. If this episode was useful to you or someone you know, please share it. Share it with a support group or a friend, and tune in next Monday for more Perls for Parkinson's. The Wisconsin Parkinson Association is a grassroots organization funded by people like you. To support more local programming like this, visit wiparkinson.org.