Spring Cleaning with Limited Energy: 5 Tips for Spoonies
Spring is in the air, and for many people, that means it’s time for spring cleaning. But for those of us with limited energy, like spoonies with chronic illnesses or disabilities, the thought of tackling everything can feel daunting and exhausting. If you can afford it you can hire a cleaning service to do it for you, but that can be cost-prohibitive for many. The good news is, there are ways to make spring cleaning more manageable and accessible, so you can still participate in the annual tradition without sacrificing your health or well-being.
1. Pace Yourself:
Who says you have to clean everything at once? Cleaning is a forever ongoing thing, and Spring just gives us another reason to do it, but anything you can do is great. A clean space feels nice, but you can’t enjoy it if you make yourself sick in the process. Take as long as you want to get it done and take as many breaks as you need.
2. Ask For Help:
There’s no shame in asking for help, and if you have limited energy, it can be a game-changer. Whether it’s asking a friend or family member, having someone to help can make spring cleaning more manageable. Everyone needs help sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
When I was too sick to function, my mom helped me weekly to clean the bathroom and do meal prep, and it was a lifesaver. We’re often taught that we shouldn’t ask for help but if someone asks us for help we don’t think less of them. If you wouldn’t judge someone else for asking you for help, don’t be afraid to ask yourself.
3. Break It Down:
If doing a task in a large area is overwhelming go smaller. Make the space you want to focus on as big or as little as you can handle. If you can go room by room that’s great, but you can also do different areas of a room or single surfaces like desks or nightstands. Go as small as you need to to make it manageable for you. Even cleaning one shelf at a time is progress.
Another way to break it down is going task by task. For example, focus on only picking up all trash. It doesn’t matter if things are out of place, you just want the trash out. It won’t leave a room fully clean, but it’ll give you an overall cleaner space and is a step in the right direction.
4. Modify Tasks Or Systems:
If something isn’t working for you, change it. Modify your space and tasks to make them accessible for you. It doesn’t matter how others would do it, or even how you were taught to do it.
My mom cleans her bathtub with a broom and a bidet hose because she has a shoulder injury and otherwise wouldn’t be able to. It might be slightly unconventional, but it works for her. I have my clothes all hung up or in fabric bins because wooden drawers are too heavy and hurt my hands. If separating your light clothes from darks makes doing laundry harder, don’t do it. The worst that can happen is your clothes might not be of the best quality as long, but they’ll be clean. Doing something differently is better than not at all.
5. Do It More Often:
There’s a reason washing machines have size options. We don’t have to wait to do laundry when we’re out of clothes, only run the dishwasher when it’s full, or only take out the trash when it’s packed. Some tasks pile up and by the time we get to them, they feel huge. But if we do these big tasks more frequently they can become less overwhelming. You can turn those mountain-sized tasks into hill-sized ones.
Spring cleaning can be a lot, but by listening to your body, mixing things up, doing things your way, and maybe asking for a little help, you can get it all done! Remember to take as many breaks as needed and prioritize your health and well-being above all else. Happy spring cleaning!