Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Women Only Message Board House cleaning

I was wondering if anyone has trouble with house cleaning? I know vacuuming is extremely difficult but I even find that constantly bending to dust something down low or ex. wiping down outside of cupboards especially the lower cupboards is soooo hard. It seems I can only work for a half hour and then have to rest for another half hour to continue. I am not sure if this is from AS or because I also have scoleosis.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks

I also have (mild) scoliosis, but I have zero doubts that my difficulties with cleaning are a direct result of my spondylitis. It's typically my hips, SI joints, and spine that make any task requiring bending over pure torture. Mopping is the absolute worst, since it also puts strain on my hands. If I mop our kitchen, I'm out of commision for the rest of the day. I seriously need to teach my husband how to mop.

I know for a fact my AS has hampered my ability to clean! No way can I vacuum, (right shoulder replaced) but any job requiring bending for as little as a few seconds at a time gets my back to throbbing. I wanted to really clean my bathroom, I mean pulling everything out from behind toilet and under the vanity and mopping etc... It took me 2 freaking days just to get that job done. I was dripping sweat at the effort and was down for the next three with increased pain.

That was the last straw for me!!! My husband does yard work and laundry (laundry because our washer/dryer are located in our basement and I can't do stairs and laundry) that's it around the house. He has been working a lot of overtime so I really can't complain. But he's one that doesn't like someone else in our house to clean. I had a recommendation for someone who does a wonderful job at a very reasonable price and I jumped on it. She's comes one day a week for the last two and is scheduled next week also. Once we've got the house in good order she will come every other week. This lady pulled sofas away from walls and vacuum and dusted even the backs of my furniture. House looks and smells so good! Hubby doesn't like it but I just said its gonna be that way unless he wants to take it all on. Not another word was spoken from him. LOL

Yes, some tasks requiring a stooped posture cause me pain. I have been upfront with my partner and just as him to do things that hurt me. I also ask him if there is anything I can do for him - other chores, prepare a meal on his day, errands, etc.

Don't know if you have kids, but if so, use them to their best advantage!!

Thanks everyone. I was hoping now that I am in Simponi things would change for house cleaning. I did have a cleaner but I have a hard time with having anyone in my home on my bad days and that happened a few times so my husband said he would help and he has helped alot. I find the worst is when I get company for any length of time because things pile up. If I can stay ontop of my housecleaning I am fine but boy do I every get anxiety when my life gets interupted. I know I need to not put soooo much pressure on myself and the things I can't change. I feel like a failure when things get out of my comfort zone.

Giving up control is a very very hard thing but sometimes it is more than half the battle

My kids have chores. They are generally the things I can't do well. My son (9 yrs) vacuums and sweeps. My daughter (6yrs) does the dusting. As time goes by they will be able to help out more. It does them good to learn these things. So many young adults don't know how to do stuff like this when they get out on their own. We plan to make sure the kids know how to cook, clean, take care of finances, etc... It's good for them and good for me.

Blessings,
Nisey

I am blessed with 2 teenagers. I also hurt so much if I have to do anything where I have to bend over. One of my girls, Summer. keeps the kitchen clean, she empties the dishwasher, sweeps and mops the floor, sets and clears the table and helps with meal preparation. I have to nag if I want anything else, like getting down the spider webs or cleaning cabinets or windows. Ashlee does the vacuuming and keep the guest bathroom clean. She also takes care of our 3 cats, feeding them and keeping their litter box clean. I have to nag her about spiderwebs also. The girls seem to treat all spiders at pets.

My husband can cook and do laundry if I am really down, but he does all the outdoor work, he fixes out truck and car and he is always fixing or building something around the house. Since he is 83, I am surprised he can do so much. He still gets up on a 10 foot ladder to paint.

I try to do as much as I can on my good days, but I just can't keep up with it all. My garden is full of weeds and I just pull what I can to get to the tomatoes. My biggest problem is that my husband just doesn't understand why I can't keep up with him. He hurts, but keeps going on anyway.

Yep, I'm in the same boat. Can't clean anywhere near what I used to. There are some things I simply can't do, like vacuuming, mopping, getting on the knees to wipe down baseboards. It's just useless. So, I don't know what the solution is, but I'm lucky to have a 25 year old son who actually cleans for me. If he ever moves away I guess I'll be hiring somebody to do it for me!

I am on the same ship with the rest of you. I do not have kids though. I have had to get creative with some of my cleaning, and with other pieces I have just had to learn to let go. I was raised mopping floor happened on hands and knees, because mops just spread your last round of dirt back onto your floor. I found the reveal mop from rubbermaid, I put my solution into a snap on bottle, put a clean pad on the bottom, and mop. I have hardwood floors, so I have a lightweight dust mop, and I also have a little stick vac to help with stuff the mop misses. I also bought a restaurant dustpan at home depot so I can sweep up my dirt piles with out bending. I have almost no motion at the waist, so if it's on the floor I have to squat or sit. i also picked up a window washers kit that has a light weight pole that extends to 9-12 ft. I can dust my walls and ceilings and I don't have to hold it up, I can upend it, and leave the end on the floorand slide it around on my bad days. The tricky thing for me is changing the sheets on the bed, loading/unloading the dishwasher, and laundry (ours is in the basement, and I have trouble getting stuff in and out of the machine) My husband does that, and typically if I keep on him he will help me knock out the things i need help with.