Spring started yesterday, and if you’re planning a big cleaning binge, here are four common ways people HURT themselves while spring cleaning.
1. Don’t get lazy when you use a ladder to clean light fixtures and ceiling fans. If you can’t quite reach something, get down and move the ladder so it’s easier. A lot of people just stretch to reach it, and that’s how you fall.
2. Don’t throw out your back lifting furniture. Like if you’re moving your couch to clean under it, make sure you lift with your legs. And get someone to help if you need to.
3. Don’t use more toxic chemicals than you need to, especially if you have kids. You can clean most stuff with a mix of water and vinegar. Just google it to see how much vinegar to use, because it depends on what you’re cleaning. (Here’s a good list.)
4. Don’t mix cleaning products, because it can create toxic gas. Mixing bleach with vinegar creates chlorine gas that can cause chemical burns to your lungs. And the same thing happens if you mix bleach with anything that has ammonia in it.
(Here’s a list of common cleaning products you shouldn’t mix.)
