7 Sensory-Friendly Cleaning Hacks for You, From People With Processing Disorders

I hate doing the dishes. I used to think it was because I was lazy, when in reality it’s because of my sensory sensitivities due to my neurodivergences.

When it comes to cleaning, you’re interacting with different textures, smells, sights, and sounds that can easily send some running for the hills. This can cause people to clean less, which leads to more cluttered homes. 

We decided to ask The Mighty’s community, The Neurodiverse Crowd, if they had any tips for cleaning when you live with sensory processing disorders.

Here’s what they had to say:

It’s unanimous – gloves are your best friend.

“Gloves gloves gloves! Also paper towels for wiping up cleaning spray.” — @JKLopezFamily 

“Marigold gloves or medical latex gloves… [You can] use [a] fresh pair each time [to] create a barrier between [your] skin and what you’re in contact [with,] be that chemicals in cleaning products, actual dirt, debris, or food-handling with a thorough cleaning or food prep.” — Susan Dixon

“My best friend let me know she wears latex like gloves when handling raw meat or chicken. It’s changed my world, at 43.” — @ThreeLittleBeans

Sorry, didn’t hear you, we had our headphones in.

“I wear headphones when I vacuum.” — @DeeBee907

“Headphones can help with vacuuming, but I’m still weirded out by the vibration from it.” — @ThreeLittleBeans

When in doubt, have some fun with it.

“When I clean I usually make it a game! If I’m not in the mood for that, I usually tend to play my favorite songs! Or I find a cleaning playlist!” — @Saww

“As a gamer, I turn cleaning into a side quest I need to complete before I can get my actual gaming.” — @Wal3D

Do you have any tips that you feel were left out? Feel free to join the conversation with your fellow Mighties here or in the comments below.