Ergonomic Solutions for Household Chores

In the last blog [Ergonomics Concepts for Kitchen Cleaning] we explored general ergonomic concepts to incorporate into your day at home. Ergonomics isn’t just for the workplace. It applies to all areas of our lives. From driving, cellphone use, home activities, work, and everything in between. In this blog, we included more specific solutions to the possible problems you may be dealing with. 

 

The items below are ergonomic solutions for popular household chores. 

 

1. Mowing the lawn – keep the handle close to your waist. Avoid reaching out to push the lawn mower forward or pull it backward. Adjust the handle height so it is at your waist level. A similar concept applies to pushing a shopping cart or stroller. Keep your arms close to your body and avoid an extended reach. 
2. Using an electric string trimmer – use your legs to get closer to the work area instead of reaching forward with your arms. 
3. Washing dishes – Open the door below your kitchen sink and rest your foot on the ledge. Alternate which foot is elevated. This can help reduce the strain on your upper back. Also, consider upgrading your faucet to one with a handheld sprayer. This will help to reduce a forward bending posture and extended reach. 
4. Loading the dishwasher – place dirty dishes in the sink closest to the dishwasher. If your sink is further than 12 inches or so away from your dishes, place your dirty dishes in a tub and transport them closer to the dishwasher area to reduce reaching. Practice safe lifting techniques when loading the dishwasher on the lower level. When removing clean dishes from the dishwasher, place items on the counter and organize them prior to storage. Put your silverware away by removing the silverware caddy and bringing it to the silverware drawer. 
5. Laundry – Increase the height of your front-loading washer and dryer so the door area is close to waist level. Avoid placing high volumes of laundry in a laundry basket to reduce heavy lifting. If you have had a busy day with plenty of walking and standing, sit down to fold clothes. 
6. Vacuuming – Avoid forward bending and extended reaching when vacuuming. Keep the vacuum handle closer to your body with your elbow at 90 to 100 degrees. 
7. Kitchen layout – Keep commonly used items close to waist level. Avoid placing heavy items overhead. Practice safe lifting techniques especially when retrieving items from below knee height. 
8. Cleaning the shower – Use a safe cleaning solution to avoid excessive scrubbing. If scrubbing is involved, use neutral-positioned handles on the scrub brushes and elongated brush handles for lower and higher heights. 
9. Making a bed

 

Always remember to take breaks and pay attention to the cues from your body. If you notice feelings of discomfort or muscle fatigue, find another position, activity, chore, or stretch to do… or simply sit down and rest for a few minutes.

 

Check out our YouTube video below for a visual representation of the blog!