Cleaning your house when you have a chronic illness

When you’re in a time of flaring, when your illness is overwhelming you, when fatigue and brain fog is kicking your arse, cleaning your house is probably the last thing on your mind. And as much as house cleaning is not something to prioritise over your health, things still need doing and sometimes having a messy house actually becomes an additional stress to your life and so I got thinking about my top tips.

1. Get help

Last year we took on a cleaner, now I know this is a luxury that many people can’t afford but for some it is something that could be considered. We have a cleaner once a week for two hours and it costs £20 a week, when I started working, it was my first decision as I knew I couldn’t do it all. Look through your finances and see if it could be a possibility as it is worth it’s weight in gold to me. A friend of mine uses part of her disability benefits to fund a cleaner as it is an important part of her health and well-being.

If you can’t afford a cleaner, then is there anyone you can fall back on when times are tough? A partner, friend, parent, child? It’s not easy to ask for help, but you can’t do it all all of the time and it’s ok to need support.

Even young kids can be taught to help out and it’s good for them to learn new skills and independence, whether it’s balling socks or filling the dishwasher, every little helps!

2 Plan for your bad days

If you know that on your bad days you can’t do anything then think of your plan for those days.

If on your bad days you know you can barely get out of bed then what could you put in place for those days? I keep a stack of paper plates so if I can’t manage, we can eat off those and throw them in the bin. Is it a perfect answer? No! But it takes off a little pressure and I’m good with that.

3 Make it easy

What’s the easiest way to do a chore? Baby wipes have saved my skin more times than I can remember, they wipe down sides, clean a bathroom sink, wipe scuffs off walls and clean up spills. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be easy!

4 Keep it organised

Life is easier if you know where stuff is, and it also then makes it easier to delagate to other people if it’s clear where things are kept and where your cleaning supplies are.

5 Declutter – get rid of the stuff you don’t need!

Do you use it or love it? If not, consider whether you need to keep it! Our lives become more and more filled with stuff and that can be overwhelming.

In Marie Kondo’s book The Magic art of tidying she says “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle.“

6 Accept it

Your health and well-being is more important than an immaculate home. Sometimes we have to accept their are limitations to what we can do and we need to prioritise ourself over whether your kitchen floor gets mopped.

If fatigue or pain means you have limited energy then in my opinion, use that energy on something that makes you feel good! If you have kids, playing a game with them wins over ironing any day! We need joy in our lives so if you only have enough spoons to do one thing, make it something that makes you happy!

I hope this helps, let us know your top tips in the comments

✌? & ❤️

Sam x