10 Easy RA Cleaning Tips

When you haveRA, you need some tricks to help you chase away the dirt devils, dust bunnies, and clutter critters that regularly hold meetings in your home. Keep it simple with these 10 easy tips.

Couple buying a home.
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Fresh start

If you're in the market for your first home, you are already ahead of the game. This is when you can save yourself a lot of extra work by planning for the future. Imagine your worst flare ever, then choose a house, furniture, flooring, and fixtures that are easy to maintain.

Man working on computer.
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Make a schedule

To help you stay on track, you can sign up for a daily email fromFly Lady。记住,即使你可能会喜欢follow her schedule, there may be times when your disease has other plans. Be prepared to adjust your expectations and energy, accordingly. Build rest periods in to your cleaning schedule. You don't have to do it all in one go.

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Ten minutes

Perhaps pre-diagnosis you were a cleaning machine, powering through your home in record time. Now, you may find it difficult to get dressed, or get a decent meal on the table. Break your tasks down into 10-minute, or even five-minute segments, doing the most important (and visible) things first.

Pink sneakers.
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Wear indoor shoes

Tender tootsies tend to take a thumping when you get into a cleaning groove. Oh, the pain of hitting the edge of the bed when you change the sheets, or when you give the vacuum a good pull and your foot gets in the way.

Woman cleaning floor.
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Floor surfaces

Each time I drag the vacuum cleaner out I dream of new flooring. Instead, I struggle – if it's not with the pulling, pushing, and prodding of the vacuum, it's with the changing of the attachments. So, while carpeting is kinder to arthritic feet, it can also be more difficult to maintain.

Mop and bucket.
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Washing the floor

I've graduated from using a mop to wash my floors toskating them clean。I put two wet rags on the floor, then use the stronger muscles of my legs to carefully clean backwards across the room.

Young woman opening curtains.
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Blinds & curtains

Curtains and drapes can be taken down and washed or dry-cleaned. I have yet to find the ideal blind cleaning tool – a damp rag and lots of patience (and time) are required to get each slat clean. You can also look into wooden shutters that would be easy to just wipe 'n' go.

Dusty table, dust on finger.
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Dusting

You may wish to do some de-cluttering. The more stuff you have, the more you have to move it around to clean it. Look for easy-to-dust pieces of furniture. If you find it difficult to grip a duster, slip two old pairs of socks over your hands and do double-dusting duty.

Woman washing dishes in kitchen sink.
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Dishes

During a flare-up, I discovered that I could combinecontrast baths with doing the dishes。I filled one side of the sink with hot, soapy water, and the other side with cold rinse water. Clean dishes and more flexible hands, all in one go!

Young boy helping with household chores.
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Delegate

If you have children at home, it's important to assign them chores. Not only are they learning invaluable life-skills, but they are contributing to the well-being of the family. Start children off with age-appropriate chores. Encourage them as they grow into their tasks.

Meet Our Writer
Marianna Paulson, B.Ed., B.P.E.-O.R.

玛丽安娜保尔森称为AuntieStress。在她的Auntie Stress website, you’ll find links to her two award-winning blogs, Auntie Stress Café and A Rheumful of Tips. When she is not helping clients (and herself) address stress, she keeps active by swimming, walking, and taking frequent dance breaks. She takes steps in a number of different directions in order to work on being a “Superager.” She may have RA, but it doesn’t have her! “Choose to be optimistic. It feels better.” - Dalai Lama XIV