When can I cook and do housework after cataract surgery?

MedlinePlus says light activities are best as you recover from cataract removal, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology says very light exercise, including walking, is generally fine the day after surgery. For most people that means simple cooking, tidying, folding laundry at table height, and similar low effort tasks can restart quickly.

The 48 hour bending rule is what actually reshapes your housework. AAO says not to bend over or put your head below your waist during the first 48 hours because it raises eye pressure. That rules out loading the bottom rack of a dishwasher, reaching into low cabinets and the back of the fridge, making beds, scrubbing a tub, picking things up off the floor, and lifting a full laundry basket. Squat with a straight back, use a grabber tool, move things you need up to counter height before surgery, and hand off the low tasks for a couple of days.

Heavier chores wait longer. The National Eye Institute advises avoiding lifting heavy things for a few weeks, and AAO puts more vigorous activity at around 7 to 10 days. Vacuuming, moving furniture, hauling trash bags, yard work, and carrying groceries all belong in that later group.

Watch the environment too. MedlinePlus says to keep soap and water out of the eye for the first few days, which matters when washing dishes or scrubbing. AAO recommends wraparound sunglasses partly because they keep dust and irritants out, so postpone dusty jobs like sweeping a garage, sanding, and cleaning a fireplace, and skip harsh aerosol cleaners near your face. Call your surgeon if a chore leaves the eye painful, red, or blurrier.