Spring is the perfect time to clear away the clutter and cobwebs of winter. But for seniors, spring cleaning can mean a lot of bending, stretching, and straining. This year, make cleaning easier on yourself by checking some high-tech products that will get your home clean without a lot of effort.
Robotic Vacuums and Mops
With a few presses of a button, an automated vacuum or mop can clean an entire level of your home in about an hour with surprisingly good results — no more lifting heavy vacuums or bending over to squeeze out mop sponges.
There are plenty of models out there, so do your homework. Some work by sweeping a floor at random, while others use a systematic pattern to clean each room. A basic model can cost as little as $25, while others cost upward of $600.
There are, however, a few things to keep in mind before you buy one. You’ll have to pick up items like shoes and small trash cans off the floor. If you have a second floor, you’ll still have to clean the stairs on your own, too. And since robotic vacuums move from room to room, take care that you don’t trip over your unit.
Automatic Pill Dispensers
An automatic pill dispenser not only rids your cabinets of all those pill bottles, it also provides reminders to dispense medication at pre-scheduled times. According to Philips Lifeline, one in 10 hospital admissions among seniors is caused by a medication error. A pre-programmed pill dispenser such as the one offered by Philips Lifeline will remind your senior when it’s time for her to take her medication. The dispenser makes pill organization simple, and eliminates the hassle of searching through pill bottles stuffed in a corner or balancing on a shelf.
Cleaning Tools with Extended Handles
For seniors, cleaning can be dangerous. Standing on ladders to dust high shelves could lead to a fall, while bending over to scrub tubs and toilets could mean strained backs and knees.
To help clean hard-to-reach places, look for cleaning tools with extended handles. A dusting wand with a microfiber cloth, for example, will allow your senior to reach his ceiling fans while keeping his feet on the floor. The microfiber cloth will keep the dust from falling on his head.
Paper Shredders
Seniors are often the targets of scams and identity theft. One way to keep your senior from becoming a victim while reducing the clutter in her home is to use a paper shredder for old bills, medical documents, and even junk mail. A basic model that shreds a few sheets at a time costs about $25, while the more advanced models that shred up to 100 sheets, plus credit cards, paper clips, and staples, can cost as much as $260.
Sanitizing Wands
If you really want spick-and-span surfaces, check out sanitizing wands. They use powerful ultraviolet light to kill germs and bacteria on hard surfaces. Just wave the wand over the area you want sanitized and the light does the rest. These are especially useful for hard-to-clean surfaces such as computer keyboards.
Spring is here, and there’s no need to fear a little tidying up. Throw open the windows, put away the winter coats, and commence with the spring cleaning — high-tech style.
