Picking things up from the floor with a towel

A towel can serve as an assistive device for persons with impaired hand function to pick up objects from the floor.

The milk carton is on the floor next to the user's wheelchair wheel and she places a towel next to it.
The milk carton is on the floor next to the user’s wheelchair wheel and she places a towel next to it.

A towel can be used to pick up large heavy objects from the floor.

Technique: Susanne places the towel on the floor, braces the object against the wheels of the wheelchair and places the towel under the object. She wraps the object in the towel, grasps both ends of the towel, pinches them together and picks up the object.

Users comments
Hand surgery enabled Susanne to achieve a strong key grip in one hand. She is incapable of a performing a volar grip.

Purchased from
Department store

Paid for by
The user

Whose idea
Susanne Berg

This tip is from 2005

The user leans the milk carton against the wheel and positions the towel underneath it.
The user leans the milk carton against the wheel and positions the towel underneath it.
She grasps the towel.
She grasps the towel.
She holds both ends together and lifts the towel with the milk carton.
She holds both ends together and lifts the towel with the milk carton.

Tipsare: Susanne

Susanne lives in an apartment. She studies as well as working full time as a free-lance journalist. She was injured in 1982 and has a high spinal cord injury (C5). Through hand surgery her grip function in her left hand improved. She has personal assistance.