Health Tips To Help Las Vegans Avoid Injuries During Spring Cleaning
So, we’re back on Daylight Savings Time. Spring is just around the corner in the U.S.A. Here in Las Vegas, the pleasant temperatures of spring encourage us to get outdoors. The nicer weather also means it’s time to get your home cleaned up after the colder winter months. Inside and outside. With that in mind, the experts at the Scoliosis Reduction Center are providing spring cleaning health tips to help you avoid injuries.
First: Create A Spring Cleaning Schedule
My wife and I always make this mistake. We tend to try to get all of the spring cleaning done in one weekend. Of course, by Monday, we’re worn out and it’s time to go back to work. Their first recommendation is to create a spring cleaning schedule.
In fact, you should spread the different cleaning tasks on your lists over several days or weekends, depending on your regular work schedule. Furthermore, they advise you to alternate between tasks that require different postures and movements. This will help you avoid back injuries. For example, if one cleaning task means you’ll be doing some heavy lifting, make the next task in your schedule one where you’ll be standing straight up.
More Spring Cleaning Health Tips
First, it’s a good idea to make sure you keep up your regular exercise routine throughout the year. Especially if you’re about to begin all the difficult work around your home. The Scoliosis Reduction Center recommends focusing on “core-strengthening exercises.” As a matter of fact, these types of routines will help improve your strength and flexibility. Remember, you’ll be doing lots of bending, stretching, and lifting when spring cleaning.
Back pain is the absolute worst. When your back hurts, you’re pretty much bed ridden. So, to avoid back injuries, be sure you lift things correctly. Always keep your back straight and lift with your legs.
They also recommend keeping an eye on your posture while vacuuming and performing other cleaning tasks where you’re standing upright. In fact, keep the vacuum, broom, or wet mop close to your body, using your legs to move it around rather than your arms.
Moreover, it’s just common sense to use the correct tools. Lightweight vacuums are a great investment. So are mops and brooms with longer handles. You’ll want to avoid hunching over to perform these spring cleaning tasks.
Finally, be sure to take breaks. Whether you consider yourself in great physical condition or not, you need to give your muscles and joints a rest. You don’t want to overstrain them. Additionally, keep that water bottle nearby at all times. It may not be a sweltering summer in Las Vegas yet, but you’ll want to stay hydrated. Your body will function better when you’re drinking enough water.
Spring Has Sprung: Spring Cleaning 'To-Do' List
Clean Your Windows
Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite spring cleaning jobs around our house. We’ve had a pretty wet winter here in the Las Vegas Valley, so there are lots of water spots on our windows. Thank goodness we live in a one-story home or I might not enjoy this chore so much.
Change Your Wardrobe
I think this is one of my wife’s favorite spring cleaning chores. I have no idea where she stores all of her winter clothes, but what I don’t see doesn’t affect me, right? On the other hand, since I am on the radio and very few people ever see me in the KKLZ studio, I really don’t need a lot of clothes like I would if I was on TV. So, all my stuff fits in my closet and drawers.
Clean Overlooked Surfaces And Light Fixtures
This is one of those chores that we always need to remind ourselves about. It is amazing to me how much cleaning the base boards around our home makes the house look so much cleaner. Dusting off light fixtures and blinds is also important, but it seems like we are always doing that and the dust just returns immediately.
Get Organized And De-Clutter
I have a family member (who will go nameless) who is not a hoarder, but loves to save stuff for future use. This person has a jar of loose buttons saved up for cryin’ out loud. I hate clutter, and so does my wife, so this is one chore we take care of year-round. If you don’t keep up with it, the spring cleaning organization of your garage and storage areas is certainly a huge task.
Clean Under Furniture And Appliances
Every once in a while something rolls under a sofa or under the refrigerator and we pull the vacuum out. Once we move this heavy object, we’re shocked to see what kind of dust and debris has collected under that sofa or fridge. We need to put this task on our spring cleaning to-do list.
Power Wash Any Outdoor Hard Surfaces And Driveways
I got a head start and cleaned my grill last weekend. Gave the backyard patio a good power wash too. Next up, cleaning all the patio furniture and the cushions. We have to get things ready for our first backyard party. We’ll be sick of the summer heat by August, but right now, we’re looking forward to the warmer temperatures and getting outdoors more often.
Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.
