Scrubbing the bathtub- definitely not one of my favorite jobs… but well, sometimes you’ve just got to get it done. As a physical therapist, I see this task as one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs around the house. There’s bending, kneeling, twisting, pushing and reaching, and just crazy amounts of repetition. Graba towel to help cushion your knees on the floor. While kneeling our kneecaps get squooshed against the rest of the knee. There is a groove that the kneecap is supposed to be resting in, and if it’s in that groove, kneeling for short periods of time should be no problem. If you’ve got a tight muscle along the side of your thigh, however, then you’re vulnerable to painful compression and even it popping out of place while getting up after kneeling. I’ll show ya how to take care of that issue. Bending and leaning up over the tub isnt’ the best for ergonomic situations either… bend from your waist/hips, rather than rounding out your back as much as possible, and it’s absolutely encouraged to utilize leaning on the tub edge. Depending on it’s height and your height, you might be leaning on it with your belly, lower ribs, or for sure you can support the weight of your upper body with your non scrubbing arm. On to the scrubbing arm… try to keep your shoulder blade muscles engaged. Keep them back, like you’re pushing your chest forward. This will keep the arm in the best position in your shoulder socket, (it will also help out with keeping your back in a better position). I find that when I scrub the tub, I’ve got my elbow mostly straight, I’ve got to push down against the tub bottom, and I make little circle motion or a back and forth motion. I find my arm gets tired from this… you know what – take breaks. Switch to your non dominant arm- this isn’t calligraphy- so who cares if you’re not super coordinated. Scrub scrub scrub. Keep your shoulders back in their best position, and take breaks as you need them. Who says you need to clean the whole tub all in the same day? Here’s some stretches to help your knees, back, shoulders, and arms tolerate this tormenting task a little more uh- tolerably. . seated piriformis, hand clasp behind, wrist flexion/extension stretch. A slightly better option would be to scrub the tub while you’re in the tub