Back care while performing domestic work
Many of the domestic tasks place a great strain
on your back. There are several ways to protect it while sweeping,
vacuuming, cleaning windows, ironing, dish washing, working in the
kitchen, making beds or shopping.
Sweeping and Mopping Floors
When sweeping and mopping floors, make sure that
the length of the broom or mop is enough to avoid leaning forward.
If not, change these objects because it will be impossible to use
them without overloading your spinal column. Hands should hold the
broom or mop between the level of your chest and hips. When sweeping
or mopping, move the broom or mop as close as possible to your feet,
and do it only by moving your arms, do not follow movements with
your waist, ensuring that your vertebral column is kept vertical
and not bent.
Vacuuming
While vacuuming, adopt the same posture as when
mopping floors, while slightly flexing the knee of the leg placed
forward. If you should have to vacuum underneath a piece of furniture,
do it by kneeling on the floor on one of your knees. Make sure your
column is straight and, if you should have to bend it, place your
free hand on your knee or on the floor.
Cleaning windows
When cleaning windows or tiles, it right handed,
place your right foot forward and the left one further back, rest
your left hand on the window frame at shoulder level and use the
right hand to wipe.
After a while, change sides and use your left hand.
Make sure that the arm used for wiping keeps the elbow flexed with
a movement range from the level of your chest to your eyes. To clean
above this level, climb on a ladder or a stool, always leaning on
one of your hands as explained. Make sure that your column is straight
and that your body weight is distributed between your feet and the
leaning hand.
Ironing Clothes
When ironing, the ironing board must be relatively
high, reaching the navel or slightly above it. If you are standing
up, keep a foot on an object or footrest and change from one foot
to the other frequently. If you need to exert force on the ironing
surface, lower your foot from the footrest, place it behind the
other foot and rest the hand that is not holding the iron on the
board. This way, the resting hand and your feet will support your
weight, not your column. In this posture, use your arm, not your
weight, to press the iron against the board.
Washing dishes
When dish-washing, make sure that the sink is approximately
at the level of your navel, in such a way that you may hold plates
with your column straight and your elbows forming a 90º angle. Keep
one foot on a footrest or on any similar object, and change feet
frequently, always watching that your column is straight. When passing
dishes from one sink to the other, do it with your arms, without
moving your waist.
fWorking in the Kitchen
If you must frequently reach for goods in cabinets
at floor level, think about changing the distribution. The heavier
utensils should be placed at a level between your chest and hip
to avoid overloading your column. There is no reason why heavier
items should be organized on the lower shelves. If you must look
for something on the lower cabinets or shelves, you may do so in
several ways. The first way is to squat facing the cabinet, if you
have no problems with your knees and provided that it will be for
a short period of time. If you choose this squatting posture, keep
your feet apart to improve stability and, eventually, rest one hand
on the countertop.
The second posture consists of leaning correctly:
Place yourself perpendicularly or at an oblique angle to the cabinet,
in such a way that (for example) the cabinet is on your left. Place
your left hand on the countertop and bend down while your right
leg supports your weight; raise your left leg backward, lifting
the utensil in a tilted fashion. This method
is useful when you do not have to remain in a leaning position during
a long time and if the utensil is not heavy. If you should remain
for a certain time looking for something in the cabinet, put both
hands on the countertop, kneel facing the cabinet, resting your
buttocks on your heels while maintaining one hand on the countertop.
If what you wish to lift is heavy, place it on the floor and lift
it with the diagonal lifting technique.
Making beds
While making beds, place the sheet on the bed and
fix its corners below the mattress in the following way: Place yourself
at the corner of the bed, with the tip of the toe facing the edge
of the bed and the other parallel to the corner rim. In this posture,
flex your knees, raise the corner of the mattress with the hand
at the side of the foot placed at the edge of the bed -if necessary,
stretching your knees to assist yourself- and with the other hand
place the sheet below. If your back hurts, then kneel down facing
the corner of the bed and fix the sheet corners underneath the mattress.
In this latter case, rest your arms on the bed while kneeling and
getting up. If any side of the bed is placed against the wall, pull
it out so that you can go completely around it.
Shopping
When you go shopping, try to avoid carrying your
purchases. It is best to shop twice a week, and to have goods delivered
at home rather than loading and transporting weights yourself. If
you must transport the purchase, use a trolley. If you have no other
way than transporting goods without a trolley, use a rucksack or
divide the weight equally on both arms, keeping it as close as possible
to your body, and avoid carrying more than two kilograms in each
arm.
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Back Pain Research Network 
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