Migraine-Free Household Chores
One weekend last fall, I went on a cleaning binge (as I tend to do) and dusted, vacuumed, and scrubbed every inch of my apartment. While I was scrubbing a counter, my kitten fell fast asleep on my foot, which made me realize that if HE was tired from watching me, maybe I needed to take a break!
As I sat there, the fumes from all of the various cleaners I used started to catch up with me. I got a severe migraine as a result. I’ve made a few key changes in the way I now get my household chores done, and I have not had a “chore-induced” migraine since then.
I realized I needed to change the cleaners I was using. I didn’t even realize how many ingredients are in products like Pledge and 409, and here I was wiping down every inch of my one bedroom apartment with them! I went to Trader Joe’s and bought its version of a cleaner. I use it every week when I do my cleaning, and there are seriously no fumes as a result. I am so grateful for this!
I changed my laundry detergent too. Again, since I am a Trader Joe’s fanatic, I tried their lavender laundry detergent. As we’ve mentioned before, lavender is actually a pleasant fragrance for migraineurs. So far, I’m happy with this switch too.
I don’t know as much as I should about environmentally-friendly products, but it seems like the more eco-friendly the product is, the more it helps migraineurs.
I also make sure I take breaks while I’m cleaning - no more valiant marathon cleaning attempts! I drink plenty of water to ensure I don’t get dehydrated. So far so good!
What changes have you made to your household chore routine to make it more migraine friendly?
