Essential Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean When You Have Pets
- Cheeko
- 0
- on Jul 15, 2022
Pets can be a lot of fun, but they can also be messy too. If you’re tired of dealing with pet hair and paw prints, try these simple tips for keeping your home clean. Daily home tasks include basic dusting, mopping, and vacuum cleaning to clean and disinfect the spaces. When doing home cleaning you may want to have a checklist just the same way your office cleaning has an office cleaning checklist.
1. Pets Need Bath Time Too
If a walk in the park turns into a muddy obstacle course every day, get into the habit of washing your pet before they go into the house. Wet mud is usually easy to get rid of. Just spray them with some water in the garden to rinse the mud off. Let them dry off in the garden or the lobby to stop the wet dog smell from getting into the house. Of course, this is no substitute for a proper bath. Make sure your pets get some time with a proper doggy salon for shampoo and brush down to stop their hair from shedding everywhere.
2. Choose Pet-Friendly Furnishings
Loose woven fabrics can accumulate both hair and smells. If you have a pet that sheds a lot, consider changing your sofa for something that is made from a thicker weave. If your pets don’t have sharp claws that might damage the material, a good leather sofa in a similar shade to the colour of your pet’s hair could be a good choice that will last a long time and won’t accumulate hair. If a new leather sofa is out of your reach, or your pets tend to soil furnishings, a fabric cover can give an old sofa a new lease of life while you tame the pet.
3. Invest in a Good Vacuum Cleaner
Pets can wreak havoc on cheaper, smaller vacuum cleaners. If you have a pet that sheds hair, invest in a vacuum cleaner that can cope with it. Look for one with good filters, a brush that will help lift the hair so it can be picked up, and powerful suction. If you need to clean your sofa or chairs, make sure you look for a cleaner that comes with upholstery attachments, because these make it much easier to pick up all of the hair in awkward nooks and crannies. You may need to vacuum daily if you have a pet that sheds a lot. Regular brushing and grooming can offset this, however.
4. Set Up a Mud Room
If your home is big enough, set up a mud room where pets can spend their time after they’ve been playing outdoors. Humans can deposit muddy shoes and wet gear in the mud room too. This will help you keep the house free from wet paw prints, and get your pets used to hanging out in a tiled and generally easy-to-clean space when they’re mucky. Leave a bed and some toys there so they’re comfortable.
5. Wash Your Pets Bedding Too
Bedding, toys, and anything your pet wears should be cleaned just like you clean your own bedding. These items, especially if they’re made from fabric, can accumulate odours quite quickly. Wash them thoroughly, then let them dry outside in bright sunlight so that the sun kills off the bacteria that causes odours.
6. Home Remedies to Beat Smells
Natural cleaning substances can be useful for beating bad pet smells. Baking soda is one common cleaning tool that works well for scrubbing stains and banishing smells. Vinegar can also be used as part of a pre-wash treatment. Some people swear by vodka for wiping down less porous surfaces. Be sure to do a spot test on a piece of fabric or the underside of your furniture before trying any new cleaning technique for real.
