Limited mobility is a common disability among seniors. Living independently can be increasingly difficult as you lose mobility and agility.
Aging is something everyone has to endure. While seniors are living longer and more active than ever, that doesn’t mean even basic tasks like cleaning don’t start to become a significant chore.
Luckily, the right bathroom cleaning tools for the elderly can make this chore much more manageable.
Top 3 Things to Know About Bathroom Cleaning Tools for Older Adults
- Choose lightweight tools with handles that are adjustable and extendable – power is a great option too!
- Avoid heavy tools that require manual cleaning methods
- Our top pick is the Voweek Electric Spin Scrubber because it cleans multiple surfaces and does the work for you!
Why Might Older Adults Need Special Bathroom Cleaning Tools?
As mentioned, seniors tend to have various issues that can make cleaning a bathroom very difficult. Whether it’s mobility issues or the inability to get on your hands and knees to scrub, properly cleaning the bathroom isn’t easy.
The good news is you don’t have to live with pain and exhaustion from cleaning. While you may not be able to get on your hands and knees, these bathroom accessories for seniors can help you accomplish the same cleaning results.
What Important Features Should Seniors Look For When Shopping For Bathroom Cleaning Tools?
You would need to look for cleaning tools designed to be both lightweight and versatile. Seniors tend to have diminished strength from their younger days.
As a result, those heavy vacuums and other cleaning tools may not be practical at an older age. Instead, you want tools designed with lightweight materials that extend your reach so you don’t need to bend down.
Adjustability and Extension
You want tools that have a lot of adjustment features. Key features include adjustable angles, arm extensions, detachable tools, and more.
Lightweight
You want to find tools that are designed to be very lightweight. Seniors shouldn’t be carrying around heavy tools. Seniors tend to have diminished strength and poor balance. Even a fall from a short distance can be devastating.
Having lightweight bathroom cleaning tools is an excellent way to ensure you don’t have to expend all your energy lifting them.
Power
If you are talking about shower cleaning brushes and more, you want tools with a built-in automatic motor. You want something you won’t have to manually power.
The act of scrubbing takes a lot of strength and energy. These are two things that most seniors don’t have in excess. Because of this, you want tools that can do most of the hard work for you.
Best Bathroom Cleaning Tools For Seniors And The Elderly
1. Electric Spin Scrubber - Voweek Cordless Cleaning Brush
This handy tool is an electric spin scrubber designed to remove stains, dirt, and other grime effectively. It can be used completely wireless and comes with four different brush heads, which you can use on various surfaces.
This makes it a handy and helpful cleaning tool that is useful for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, and other rooms. A tool like this will definitely lighten the burden of cleaning.
Why Is It Good For Seniors?
This tool is one of the best electric spin scrubbers in the marketplace for seniors because of its lightweight aluminum build. The interchangeable attachments are essential for seniors because some may have more mobility than others.
The cleaning arm can extend and retract as needed. And the head, which has three adjustable angles, is a versatile and accessible cleaning brush that does the work for you. It’s also wireless, so no worry about tripping over wires while cleaning the bathroom.
2. Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber and Grout Head
2. Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber and Grout Head
This product is another electric-powered scrubber that should make it easier to clean the bathroom. It can oscillate the head scrubs at 60 times per second, making it effective at clearing out hard-to-remove grime.
This particular scrubber includes one powered handle, one multi-purpose head, and one grout cleaning head.
Why Is It Good For Seniors?
This particular device is suitable for seniors because it delivers the power you need to clean grout and tile. While it is a handheld device, it’s excellent for cleaning bathroom tiles and walls.
You’d want to use scrubbers with extension features for the tub and floors. But this tool is essential because it’s handheld, making it extremely light and easy to use.
It’s also powerful enough to handle some of the more difficult cleans that a power brush with extension poles wouldn’t necessarily be able to handle. It’s also much more effective at getting into tight spaces, which you couldn’t do with a larger brush head.
A cloth may seem like a basic cleaning tool to add to this list, but it’s essential. A microfiber cleaning cloth is the single best thing to add to your bathroom cleaning kit.
These clothes can effectively clean surfaces without worrying about micro-scratches or anything else. They can even clean glass windows without streaking. They are entirely reusable, so you no longer have to waste money on paper towels.
Why Is It Good For Seniors?
Seniors will want to stock some microfiber cleaning clothes in their cleaning kit because it can save them money. They are completely reusable, and they are soft to the touch.
They are also very absorbent and won’t scratch any surface you clean on. This inability to scratch is vital for seniors that may be weary of wiping down anything because they can’t control how much pressure they put on the surface while cleaning.
4. High Reach Duster For Cleaning Kit With Aluminum Extension Pole
An extendable duster is another must-have cleaning tool for seniors. This particular kit can reach up to 20 feet high, which makes dusting even the hardest-to-reach places much more accessible.
If your bathroom has tall ceilings), you will find cleaning out the cobwebs and dust easy using this kit.
Why Is It Good For Seniors?
This high-reach duster cleaning kit is perfect for seniors because it doesn’t use stainless steel like some other products. Instead, it uses aluminum. This fundamental difference makes the duster much more lightweight and easy to handle while still sturdy enough to operate at full extension.
It also uses a microfiber cleaning surface which means it can work on any surface without worrying about scratches.
The head can rotate to any position you want, and it even includes a multi-purpose squeegee scrubber which means you can use it for washing and cleaning windows that may be out of reach.
5. eufy X8 Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner
There are a lot of smart home gadgets and appliances hitting the market. Some are more useful than others. If you are searching for a helpful but unique bathroom cleaning tool for the elderly in the smart home department, it has to be a robot mop.
A robot vacuum and mop can be an essential addition if your space is compatible with it. This particular robot mop is a hybrid that features both a vacuum and a mop. It makes the process much more efficient by combining the two simultaneously.
Depending on the floor plan of your home, you could even have it extend beyond just the bathroom and have it vacuum and mop entire floor levels. This robot mop uses advanced technology to scan your home to map it out, and it works even in low-light conditions.
Why Is It Good For Seniors?
This robot vacuum and mop hybrid by Anker is a good bathroom cleaning tool for seniors because it can cut a lot of the hard work associated with cleaning.
It scans, vacuums, and mops the floor for you cutting your work in half as you can focus your time and limited energy on cleaning everything above the floor.
Alternatives To Bathroom Cleaning Tools For Elderly
Heavy Duty Tools
A lot of the stuff listed in this article is lightweight. While lightweight is undoubtedly an advantage for those with limited strength, agility, and balance – they do come with compromises in effectiveness.
If you can handle it, heavier and more durable tools will likely produce more effective cleanings, but they will require much more strength to get the most out of them.
Tips For Using Bathroom Cleaning Tools For the Elderly
Use Extensions Whenever Possible
It’s always a good idea to use extensions whenever possible. You don’t want to get on your tippy toes and reach for something that might throw you off balance.
Risking a fall is the last thing you should do. This is why you want to get tools that have extension capabilities. The better you can balance yourself while cleaning, the safer you’ll be.
Keep Your Floor Dry
You do not want to clean your floor first and attempt to clean everything else. You must either clean your floor last or wait for it to dry completely before moving on.
If you try to clean everything else in your bathroom after washing the floor, you are much more likely to slip and fall.
Wear Shoes With Traction
There is going to be water getting onto the floor while cleaning. So, you need to wear clean shoes with traction on them. That way, you can make it less likely you’ll slip while doing your cleaning.
Remove Rugs
Rugs will only get in your way and cause tripping hazards while cleaning your bathroom. Please remove them and clean them simultaneously as you clean the bathroom. By the way, you should only use the best non-slip bathroom rugs for a senior’s bathroom.
Keep Your Robot Mop Out Of The Room While Cleaning
Don’t try to clean while the robot mop is cleaning. Remove it and have it clean another room while working on your bathroom.
RELATED: Best Bathroom Faucets for Seniors and the Elderly
Summary and Final Recommendations
You want to invest in senior-friendly, lightweight bathroom cleaning tools for the elderly. The right tools will help you clean your bathroom with minimal hassle.
They will also make cleaning your bathroom safer without constantly worrying about losing your balance or falling. Cleaning tools with good extension and high-level adjustability can make your life a lot easier in the long run.
References:
[1] https://www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2014-pr/cb14-218.html
