How to Keep a Clean House When You Don’t Have the Energy

Fibromyalgia. It’s not a lot of fun but you deal. Part of surviving is learning ways to save your energy and still get things done. Regardless, the house still needs to get cleaned occasionally, amiright?

Oh, how I would love a really clean house. The kind of clean my mom keeps, or magazine clean, fresh-lemony-scented-white-glove-test clean. A girl can dream.

So I do my best, follow the tips below and try not to look at the rest. These tips would also work for moms of little children and anyone else with limited time or energy.

1. Cleaning products – People with fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease often have a cluster of illnesses including multiple chemical sensitivities. You should have seen how my eye lids used to swell up when I was overexposed -actually, you shouldn’t. I was scary looking LOL! So I use homemade cleaners. For the tub and shower I use undiluted dish soap. It lasts quite a while so I like to splurge and get a really nice scent like Mrs. Meyers brand soap https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mrs-meyer-s-clean-day-dish-soap-473-ml-1531082p.html. Method brands smell great too https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/method-dish-detergent-refill-lemon-mint-1530130p.html#srp. I also make a spray with one part water, one part vinegar and a teaspoon of dish soap. I use this on counters, sinks, floors and general cleaning. I make a disinfecting cleaner for using 9 parts water, 1 part bleach and a teaspoon of dish soap. Since I am allergic to bleach, I only use this on toilets.
2. Keep it light -literally. Get the lightest vacuum you can. Here is an article rating light weight vacuums. https://www.rtings.com/vacuum/reviews/best/lightweight Thankfully today we can skip the mop and bucket in favour of a Vileda Spray Mop https://www.homedepot.ca/product/vileda-promist-max-mop/1001103925. I love this mop! It is great for the environment, you use your own cleaning mixture, it’s light weight and the floors dry very fast. No bending or pressing down to wring out! No lugging a bucket of soapy water. It makes mopping easy. I have extra microfibre heads so if I want to put on a fresh one I can.
3. Declutter -this allows easier dusting and vacuuming. The less there is to pick up or move/move back the easier it is. Plus it costs nothing and a clutter-free house creates calm and who doesn’t need that?
4. Exfoliating mitt -What now? I actually love this one! I use it to clean the fibreglass shower stall and glass doors. It is scrubby but not abrasive and with a few drops of dish detergent it gets rid of soap scum without harsh chemicals. It is also great for getting into small spaces. Toss it in the wash and it is ready for the next cleaning day https://shop.shoppersdrugmart.ca/Luxury/search?text=quo+exfoliating+gloves&sort=relevance&page=0&q=quo%2Bexfoliating%2Bgloves
5. Stash -wipes or spray bottle and a rag (better for the environment) in different rooms in the house. That way when you notice a little mess you can deal with it quickly with out having to climb stairs.
6. Ask for help. -Ugh, I don’t like this one. It’s hard for me to do since I work part-time due to my illness, I feel I should make other contributions. However, it really is good, especially for children to pitch in. It teaches them skills and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Failing that, try #6-b Make it easy for others to help you. Do part of the job and get help with the “heavy lifting”. I often get the recycling ready to go out by the door and my husband will carry it out to the garage. I get the kids to carry down the vacuum and lift the heavy ottoman onto the couch. See if you can’t find a way to ask for help in small ways that save you the most physical part.
7. Be Kind to Yourself -Life with Fibromyalgia is difficult to say the least. Beyond the pain, exhaustion and brain fog, it is hard to accept that you cannot do everything you used to do. I hear you. I get it. I struggle with this too. Yoga helps with acceptance, talking helps, having understanding friends and family helps. But it’s really up to you to be kind to yourself, to forgive yourself and to lower those dang expectations.
8. One for the brain fog -I have magnets on the front of my washing machine and when I wash an item that I don’t want to put in the dryer, I place a magnet on the lid. No more shrunken items! I also bring the laundry basket to a room to remind me that I am doing laundry! Sad but true and it saves me re-washing when I find cold, wet clothes that have been sitting in the washer for I-don’t-want-to-say-for-how-long. We all do that right?

Well I hope this has been helpful! Please send along any tips you have that make life easier when it’s time to clean.