When opening up those windows, letting fresh air in, and cleaning those somewhat neglected areas in your home begins, safety is the key when tackling your projects.
Here are some tips to knock out all those cleaning chores as safely as possible.
Body Protection
One important safety tip is to protect yourself from head to toe to avoid injuries.
Mask
Wearing a mask provides extra protection from the dangers of dust, indoor pollutants, and fume inhalation. Inhaling fumes or other toxins causes irritation to the throat and lungs.
Gloves
Gloves are a great tool to prevent chemical burns, rashes, and other skin irritations or reactions.
Many commercial cleaning products contain harsh chemicals. While they may cut through grease and grime, they may also cause allergic reactions, chemical burns, or other irritation to your skin.
Gloves also protect your hands from exposure to the grime, dust, and dirt you’re trying to remove. There may be bacteria or germs lurking in that dirt and grime.
Gloves also provide more protection from potentially cutting yourself on unseen sharp edges or debris. They also protect dry, cracked, or cut hands from further damage.
Overall Protection
Wearing long pants and closed-toe shoes helps prevent injuries to your legs and feet. Avoid slippery sole shoes that can cause sliding or tripping while working.
Ventilation
Inadequate ventilation and airflow causes problems for your lungs and throat, in addition to breathing problems and severe headaches.
Because commercial cleaning products emit fumes when sprayed, breathing in those fumes is harmful to sensitive membranes and lungs.
Even if you mix your own green cleaning solutions with baking soda or vinegar, it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re breathing in enough fresh air.
Safe Climbing
As you climb to get to those hard-to-reach places, never stand on a chair, storage tote, or counter.
Becoming off-balance by simply using anything to stand on can result in a fall. Injuries from falling include bumps, bruises, overall body injuries, muscle strains, sprains, and broken bones.
For your safety and to avoid falling, use a securely placed, sturdy ladder or step stool and not any kind of a substitute.
Heavy Lifting
The key here is knowing your limits. Moving or lifting heavy appliances, furniture, or anything that, with the slightest wrong move, can result in severe back pain and injuries, should be avoided.
If you feel confident, use more of your lower body Instead of relying solely on your arms and back.
Never, ever lift up or pull down heavy objects over your head. The higher you lift, the less strength and muscle control you have. Also, in most cases you can’t see what you’re doing when arms are raised above your head, increasing the odds of injury.
Conclusion
While cleaning is an annual rite of passage into spring, please do it safely. When cleaning exposes you to undetected harmful mold, call in the mold removal and remediation experts at RCS in Santa Rosa.
