A gentle cleaning thread for those with mobility problems and/or disabilities.

[BeansMeansFun]

Hope I've worded the title in an inclusive way. I have mobility problems, and struggle with housework and really have to pace myself. Everyone welcome.

So, if you struggle, need regular rests, need tips or just want some hand holding motivation, welcome.

I'm currently trying a gentle version of TOMM.

This morning I have
Hoovered the stairs - took 20 minutes ffs.
Rested for 15
Filled the washing machine - toddler loaded the drum.
Wiped my bathroom.
Made my bed.

I'm resting for 20 now while my toddler dusts her room. She just runs round with a dry cloth but it keeps her busy.

Building up to doing the living room.
Essentials are hoover, mop, dust and empty bins. I'll see how I go and may do windows, skirting and wiping settee thoroughly.

Joining- haven’t had chance to read all. Tried to get DH onboard with TOMM but we seem to have failed. It’s distressing living in such chaos which wouldn’t be so bad if he PUT STUFF AWAY but I have CFS/fibro/arthritis & he is disabled/unmotivated.
Hoping to pick up tips.

I don't really have a disability but i have arthritis which means i can't do too much without seizing up and my joints hurting.

I don't have small children any more, just a grubby, hairy hound, but i do have quite a big house.

Thankfully DH and i are both very tidy which helps. I try to do something every day depending on what is annoying me most at that time. Today i cleaned the en suite and changed our bedding.

I hate my vacuum with a passion as it is very heavy so i might look at getting a lighter weight one. It would still need to be good on dog hair though. Any recommendations? I also dislike my steam mop as i need to keep squeezing the on button thing for it to work and it makes my joints very sore. Maybe time to change that too.

I had a GP appointment this afternoon and had a lot of emotions coming back from it,

My kitchen is now gleaming and living room is tidied,

Found a tablet which I have no recollection of getting which was sitting on the lowest shelf of bookcase, its been there since I moved in here at least as a detail on it (wifi password) links it to my old address, that i moved from 3 years ago.

The bookcases are getting cleared to be donated on local free site as want/need to have space for move to next house which will be April/May time.

Slept most of the morning, have had an early lunch, washing up is up to date, washing machine on, the dryer is on, oil delivery this morning sorted, cat fed twice,

need to make a list of what all need to do without making more mess which then becomes overwhelming and takes me into an attack which means that it has to be abandoned

I’m finding the rule ’Take something with you when you leave a room!’ just so so helpful.

i.e If anyone’s going to the bedroom/kitchen from the living room and there’s something in the living room that belongs there, take it back.

A little bit at a time all adds up to the full job.

Afternoon all, hope you're having a nice Sunday.

@plateofbiscuits

I agree. I just cleaned my bathroom in 3 minutes! TOMM doesn't have a schedule for the weekends but I'm finding that although 30 minutes doesn't transform a room it adds up. I didn't have to scrub anything as it's been wiped every other day this week. People laugh at Mrs Hinch saying she's cleaning what's already clean, but a gentle wipe every other day is so much easier than a weekly scrub.

DH is in love with our new super light cordless hoover! He said it's magic and can imagine the difference it makes to me. I hoovered every day bar Saturday this week, I can carry it myself and no bending to change plugs. Usually when I hoover I feel it for days and never manage a whole floor in one go.

We've just ordered a cordless Shark vacuum. It's due to arrive tomorrow so will see how it goes!

I've got a cordless Shark. It's quite hard work if you're disabled. First off, it folds in half to stand, so the unfolding is hard. Secondly, it pulls itself forward, sort of like a self-propelled mower, so it's quite hard to handle. It's also heavy. My lightweight cordless Vax was much easier.

I very so nearly got a shark, but heard similar things @ProfessorMoody.

I got one of these for £30-something in a department store as it was the last one.

www.dirtdevil.co.uk/cordless-vacuum-cleaners/handiclean-18v-cordless-vacuum-cleaner

It's not got brilliant suction, very basic. But does the job well enough and it's better than one I can't actually manage.

@ApolloandDaphne I’ve got a cordless dyson which I find is great for cat hair. But you do have to hold a button down so I’m not sure if it would be the best choice for you.

Having a lovely Sunday today. I’ve just been in the kitchen making a beef casserole thing for later - chucked it in the oven so can forget about it for a while now.

Hope you’re all having lovely Sundays too.

Just used my Shark for the first time. It works really well for me - I like that it self-propels, and being upright instead of having to bend down means that my shoulders aren't taxed too much. It's done a grand job on the floor too.

But I can see it being difficult to manoeuvre for others and think something more lightweight would be better.

So update on what's happening here,

Washing up under control, a load of washing done today and thru dryer and now folded and put away. Floors swept and 1 mopped.

Bored cat today as has to stay inside as works being done outside so lots of drilling, hammering and banging. Lots of dreamies administered to help.

Yesterday there was massive works on cutting down trees within a close range (about 20m away) so loads of noise as well and also inside day as she roams about underneath those trees and one cat lost feared dead already.

I'm waiting on tinsel to come in the post so that can take the cat's photo for this years Xmas cards. Need to continue working on them as well. I make my own and do print inserts to each one

Cats photo done for Xmas card,

Clothes ready for going to hospital appointment tomorrow and hopefully a bit of shopping as well.

I'm mostly housebound often bedbound so getting out and about is major for me now. I only leave the house for appointments as the pain levels afterwards are unreal. They keep rising when I am out.

Made Ross Gellar's sandwich "the moist maker" last night and ate half then and the other half for lunch today, I can understand why he got so angry when someone stole it. Absolutely gorgeous.

Because I didn't want to cook a whole gammon, I got 2 gammon steaks and put them in with the smallest turkey crown I could in the small tabletop oven, I made a foil "Chinese" tray of stuffing, using a packet and a bit of water, mashing for about 30 seconds and tipping in to the foil tray, the tray now awaits its next lot of stuffing. My oven barely fitted the small foil tray and the pyrex dish. Was done in 45 mins,

I hope I haven't put people off this thread but would love others to join in

Having a rough few days
Saw a new private physio yesterday and I was hoping she would 'fix' me as she's a very well known physio and bloody expensive
She's convinced she can help but it isn't a quick fix blah blah
So just have to soldier on for now
Feeling low
House has gone to shit, well even shitter
And all I want to do is sleep

Cat photo sounds cute!!!!

What is your hospital app for?

X

I've had a bad week too. It really puts you back which sucks when you've been getting ahead a bit.

Today though, I finally finished the hall I started last week. It's bare, everything not needed got thrown out. Boring, but I can now spend 5 mins a day as part of my dailies keeping it nice. Nothing to move to vacuum or mop. Straight through. No prisoners.

Husband wangled an early finish, came home and cleaned the whole kitchen. I'm weak at the knees!

Ive been flaring since hospital appt on Friday.

It was an appt in Respiratory lab which I got the equipment to be tested for sleep apoenea on Friday night. It has gone back this evening so can be read in the lab tomorrow.

I have another test this coming week which I need to wait till equipment comes into stock in chemist to start doing it. I potentially have a tumour which needs to be sized so have this test first before that.

Have to get my PIP form away this week,

Have been trying to work out everything I need for my house move next year, what flooring, what to go on walls

Only think Ive done today really, is crash in front of telly, play with cat, make cod in cheese sauce which is 3 ingredients in a dish in the microwave

Busy week for you Smurfy. Nice supper and telly sounds ideal. Lots of self care this week!

I overdid it last week so I’ve been given strict instructions from DP to stick to a tiny bit each day this week.

How’re you feeling today mumisalliam?

Smurfy my cat makes me feel a million times better. Sounds like yours does too!

Your DP sounds like a good one Beans.

@PlateOfBiscuits Yeah the cat has real healing powers when I hit a very low point MH wise a few weeks back, she let me cry into her and she got hugged to within an inch of her life, never complained at all.

I was about to do something that wasn't good and would have ended it, she was all over me like never before and howling at me, trying to lick my tears, the only time she shut up was when I picked up the phone to get help.

While I was on the phone she picked up the things I was about to do something with and dragged along slowly with her mouth to the hallway, And when I came back off it, she demanded my full attention and stayed literally on top of me for days, I swear she doubled her body weight to lie on top of me.

The vibrations of her purring as I buried my face in her fur and cried was comforting and she tolerated it with no problem, even when she lay beside me she insisted on having one hand usually caught in near her belly and her front paws wrapped around it.

Today I plan to change a load from washing machine to dryer, have grocery deliveries coming this morning so that is most of my spoons today gone.

Wishing spoons to all

That sounds really hard smurfy - but so lovely to have such a wonderful furry bestie.

Mine is currently snoozing curled around my hand. We’re getting a dog very soon (just to add to the madness) and I’m hoping they become good pals.

I’m managing to stick to the ‘little and often’ moto with housework so far this week.

Hey! I was doing ok
New stretches I was given by my new physio seem to be helping
But now I've got some sort of tendinitis in my bloody hands/wrists
From picking up the baby and breastfeeding etc
It's just one bloody thing after the other
So now I'm struggling to do the very basic things! And as I'm sure most of you understand have convinced myself it's another chronic issue I will have for the rest of my life 😭

Hope everyone is ok x

Ouch to the tendonitis, I hear you, I have carpel tunnel in both wrists and need to support them with splints to be able to use them

Not much happening here, Paralysis kicked in yesterday this time it took out from the waist down so kinda confined

How are you all? Sorry I seemed to have killed the thread

Yesterday I have cleared out the drawers beside my bed and dumped a ton of stuff that I dont really use. And just the bare basics happening here