Helpful Cleaning Tools
There are hundreds of ingenious gadgets available in grocery stores, big-box discount stores, and online that can make the job of cleaning a whole lot easier and faster for people with disabilities. Here are just a few.
Grabber tool
A Nifty Nabber or other picker/grabber tool can be a life-changing tool for people with mobility issues. This long-handled, lightweight device has pinchers at the end that you can operate easily from the handle, letting you pick up objects from high shelves, behind appliances, under beds and tables, or simply anywhere that is otherwise hard to reach. It has hundreds of uses, from helping you fill or empty top-loading washing machines to retrieving socks that go behind the dryer to picking up dog toys that roll in front of a wheelchair, and much more.
Rolling laundry sorter
Instead of a big laundry basket that’s hard to lift and awkward to carry, try a rolling cart that comes with multiple hanging bags — sort your laundry into whites, darks, and even reds or towels right after using them. When you’re ready to do laundry, simply roll the cart to the washing machine and dump everything in a bag right into the machine; it’s already sorted by type or color!
If your home is too small to accommodate a cart like this, consider getting a couple small laundry baskets that come with removable sack liners that can be removed and carried to the washing machine.
Robotic vacuum cleaners
Products such as the iRobot Roomba and others use electronic sensing to map your home and vacuum rooms on their own; all you have to do is start it with an app on your phone. While they can be expensive, they may be worth the investment in your time and physical work. Just know where it is so it doesn’t trip you up!
Stick and handheld vacuums
Stick vacuums are not electric, so they don’t have motors. This means they’re lighter and easier to maneuver. Handheld vacuums can be stored on a shelf and allow you to clean small messes and furniture without lugging a heavy, full-size vacuum.
Melamine scrubbers
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and similar products can easily help you remove grime from many types of surfaces without having to use a separate cleaner. Just rub the stain until it’s gone!
Toilet tablets
Just pop open the wrapper around a tablet and drop it into your toilet tank. The tablet will slowly dissolve over several weeks, releasing small amounts of cleaning solution into your toilet, so you don’t have to scrub the bowl.
Wheeled caddies
A small, wheeling caddy or tiered cart lets you keep all cleaning supplies in one place that you can easily move from room to room without having to lift anything.
Multipurpose cleaning liquids
Look for sprays and wipes with liquids that can clean more than just one type of surface, such as glass, tile, and porcelain. That way you only need one product to clean several rooms. Spray and leave it for a few minutes to give it time to break up grease and grime; this will make the scrubbing part much easier.
Lightweight plastic broom/dustpan combo
If you don’t have a lot of hand or arm strength, look for tools that are lightweight. A light broom and dustpan combo is one such tool. Plastic is lighter than wood, and though these don’t tend to last as long as wooden brooms, they are cheap, so they’re easy to replace.
Spray mop
A spraying mop, such as the Swiffer WetJet or O’Cedar ProMist is a lightweight mop that allows you to hook up a liquid tank refill. Once it’s installed, you can spray the liquid from the front of the mop by simply pushing a button on the handle. The pads are changeable, so you just spray, wipe, and toss the pad, rather than having to rinse a water mop.
With the tank attached, the broom is heavier; if you prefer a lighter-weight option, remove the tank and use a hand spray first on the floor before picking up the mop. You also may be able to purchase presoaked pads that are covered in cleaning solution. With many of these mops, you can dry mop to dust as well as wet mop hardwood, linoleum, and tile.
Cleaning wipes
Disinfecting and glass cleaner wipes work just as well as sprays and towels, but with fewer steps; if you have dexterity problems with your hands, the trigger on a spray bottle may be tricky to use, so a wipe makes the job easier.
Extendable dusters
Extendable, sometimes called telescopic, dusters are on lightweight plastic poles that have extendable lengths, so you can dust high and low spaces from a chair or without having to reach or bend as much. There are also short options for tabletops with easy access.
Motion-sensing garbage cans
If you’re in a wheelchair or have difficulty with using your feet for pushing garbage lid pedals, try a can with a motion-sensing lid. Some even come with a compartment for recycling.
