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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2021 - 02 - 08 - ID#lfpqzz
7
Cleaning your home with a VI (self.Blind)
submitted by mammothswoon
So a bit of set up, I (29M) live alone with my 2 year old son (single dad and that) I have reasonably severe Retinitis Pigmentosa along with both cataracts & macular Edema in both eyes.

As I’m sure many of you know and those who don’t can imagine, 2 year olds make a lot of mess, whether that be toys everywhere, crumbs from snacks, & all manner of things they can bring in, add that to general dust & dirt etc.

Because of my eyes I find it quite hard to be certain I’ve cleaned everything properly & am frequently embarrassed when a visitor comes over and immediately spots mess or dirt or whatever that i have missed even though to me I have scrubbed every inch.

Basically I wanted to ask do any of you have any tips to make sure everything is clean or ways to not miss things regularly, because all I’ve got is asking my son if things are clean once I’m done, and while sometimes he points out bits I’ve missed, I’m not always 100% sure he’s the most reliable.

Thanks
74bpa 3 points 2y ago
These may or may not be viable or helpful suggestions depending on your financial situation... a Roomba vacuum could be helpful (I have sighted friends who have gotten them when kids became part of the picture), or a cleaning person once every week or two for an hour or two - my parents are blind and they do this (and they are on a tight budget, it's just something they find helpful enough that it's worth it). That way you know that the things you might miss are getting covered off regularly.

Other suggestions - make rules around where your kid is allowed to eat. We were only allowed to eat at the dining room table or outside growing up, so at least the dirty stuff is kinda contained to kitchen/dining room. Also maybe try to take note of where your guests are noticing things that need to be cleaned, sometimes it just takes building an extra habit into your cleaning routine. For example, I have no idea how, but I am always getting stuff all over my upper kitchen cabinets and have to wipe those down regularly. And since we moved and we have white doors all around our house, I've noticed that they get a bit grungy over time from touching them when opening/closing. I never would have thought that that would happen, and if I couldn't see it I obviously would never notice.
mammothswoon [OP] 2 points 2y ago
A roomba is definitely something to save for but neither that or a cleaner is currently in my budget, I would absolutely love them to be.

I do do my best with where he is allowed to eat and he has his own table he likes to eat at for meal times, I do need to be stricter when it comes to snacks though

Thank you for all of the advice! It’s really helpful
74bpa 1 points 2y ago
Yeah they are super expensive, I didn't even realize how pricey some of the models are til I checked just now, lol. I looked quickly and noticed there are quite a few used ones being sold on Kijiji where I live, so that could be something to keep an eye out for too.

Also... Don't sweat the small stuff. Most people's houses are always messy unless they have people coming over, mine included. I'm surprised people are even commenting on this to you, I wouldn't bat an eye if I was at a friend's place and there were crumbs or spills, especially with a kid around, unless it was really bad. Is it possible people are being "overly helpful" about it because you're VI? Is it family members that are mentioning it? I understand it likely feels kind of embarrassing but just want to reassure you that it's probably not that bad...
mammothswoon [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Yeah I’m definitely going to keep an eye out on marketplace. I was shocked how expensive they could be

Oh yeah it’s not people being rude about it or malicious, it’s more then grabbing the dustpan and brush as soon as they walk in the door that makes me feel a bit rubbish

Thanks
Amonwilde 2 points 2y ago
You could use the Be My Eyes app on your phone, or, if you have means AIRA. Both give you access to a sighted person over video. If there aren't people coming over, don't stress about it. I feel like a lot of stuff sighted people stress over are like artifacts of vision, like tiny black spots on a dish. Day to day do blind cleaning, fall back to apps or whatever when people are coming over.
BlueRock956 1 points 2y ago
Keep a bucket with a cloth and cleaning solution near by, then when someone shows up tell them that you were doing cleaning chores. Ask if they can give you a quick observation of things that may need extra attention when cleaning. Also, remember that kids are messy, and blind or not, your house will get durty quick.
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