You might relish the look of a clean home, but do you enjoy cleaning it? As you get older, the burden of cleaning your home can feel larger. You don’t want home care to feel like an insurmountable task. How can you simplify interior home maintenance and have time to enjoy your home in addition to caring for it? 

Make Everything Run Smoothly

Do you spend time wrestling with your awnings outside and your cupboards inside? If you’re frustrated by the fact that you need to spend time and energy pushing and pulling items around the home, it’s time to invest in smoothing out your maintenance life. For instance, you could: 

• Install motorized patio awnings to add shade to your outdoor living space and help keep your home cooler during hot summer months. Press a button indoors, and shade appears.
• Add different drawers with rollers that are easy to access and simple to clean.
• Install higher toilets, sinks, and bathtubs. These are easier to get into and easier to wipe down as well. 
• Invest in home-cleaning tools such as automatic vacuum cleaners.

Download our free gutter guide for helpful information about gutters and gutter guards. 

Cut Down on the Clutter

Clutter in the home is the bane of many a homeowner’s existence, and it only gets worse as you get older. If you’re overwhelmed by dusting and sorting items, simplify. Make sure that it’s easy to walk through each room and run a broom or vacuum through it by reducing the amount of furniture in the room. Reduce or remove the number of scatter or throw rugs. They’re harder to clean, and they’re tripping hazards as well. 

Consider who would like to own some of the items that you have in your home, and think about giving them away or storing them in an organized fashion. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, talk to a home organizer about ways to simplify and cut down on the clutter. Reducing what you own will make your cleaning easier, and it will also make your home safer as there are fewer items that could be a tripping hazard or break as you walk through the room and knock them from a shelf.  

Make Your Maintenance Safer 

Home maintenance isn’t necessarily what you think of when you think about dangerous activities, but actions, like cleaning out your gutters or changing the lightbulb on the hallway stairs, can be surprisingly dangerous. In fact, According to the Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, “According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, every year 500,000 people are treated for ladder-related injuries and approximately 300 of these incidents prove to be fatal.” Many of these incidents occur at home. 

Reaching, lifting, and climbing can be hard on you, and it can be dangerous as well. Instead of reaching up high or standing on a ladder to manage your cleaning, aim for home maintenance that is easy to reach. For instance, you could install a lower lamp rather than a high bulb and you can add gutter guards to eliminate the need for cleaning them. Consider what tasks you want to do yourself and which ones you’re willing to outsource to someone else who can help. 

Finally, don’t tire yourself out. Clean in bursts rather than cleaning the entire house at once. It’s all right to take a break and move some of the clutter into containers rather than sorting it all out in one day.

At Harry Helmet, we want to make it easier for you to maintain your home. That’s why we offer the convenience of retractable awnings and gutter covers to reduce the need for home maintenance. Talk with us today about our gutter guard products and schedule a free estimate.

Written by Del Thebaud