Do you own a furry friend in your home? If yes, then by now you probably know how challenging it is to keep your home clean with a pet. Pets are notorious when it comes to shedding, tossing their food while they eat, and knocking things all over the house. And they often leave behind a pretty impressive mess in the process.
Despite all this, there is good news for you. Studies have shown that you can actually share a common home with a pet and stay happier and healthier together. In this little piece of writing, we’re going to show you our top ten (10) tried and tested tips for keeping your pet-friendly home clean and fresh.
1. Vacuum Your House Regularly
Vacuuming is undeniably the best way to keep your home clean from any mess including fur and dirt tracked in by your furry friend. A carpeted house particularly calls for regular vacuuming to keep dirt, pet hair and odors from lingering in the carpets. To eliminate odors that may have gotten into carpet fabrics, you will need to sprinkle baking soda before vacuuming. You should also invest in a lint remover to keep in a drawer for emergencies.
Once you are done sprinkling baking soda, allow it to sit for about thirty minutes. Then pick up your favorite vacuum cleaner and do the vacuuming task. This is the surest way to remove any residual hair or fur that was left behind by your pet.
2. Keep a Stain Remover on Hand
Some pets tend to have an issue when they eat something they shouldn’t have eaten or when they have a stomach bug. For this reason, you should be having a stain cleaner designed to tackle stains and pet odors. Your odd for stain removal becomes higher if you follow package directions carefully. Again, you should consider getting powerful cleaners that handle both indoor and outdoor messes.
3. Groom Your Pet Frequently
A dirty and smelly dog often ends up making your home messy and stinky. Keep your home tidier by grooming your pet regularly, such as brushing and bathing. Grooming also helps to prevent serious canine health problems associated with poor hygiene. You should wash your dog at least once every month, but make sure to consult your veterinarian before doing so.
4. Clean up Your Pet’s Eating Area
Pets make more messes when they eat than when they play. If their food bowls are located in proximity to a wall, the baseboards typically get laden with oils and fur. It is imperative to reduce the clean-up area by placing a mat under their food bowls.
Also, get the floor and baseboards wiped down daily to keep the mess from setting deep into your floors. Clean their bowls meticulously as well. Or would you enjoy eating dinner off a messy plate? You definitely wouldn’t; so is your dog.
5. Clean up Your Pet’s Pieces of Stuff Regularly
Pet’s things—pet toys, beds and even leads—naturally pick up strong pet odor and thus require regularly scheduled cleaning. Check whether those things are machine washable for easier cleaning. If they aren’t, you can just wash them by hand in the sink. You might like to do this task on a sunny day so that the sun can help kill bad odors.
Do the laundry at least once a week to prevent the dirt from re-depositing on your clean pet. Wash the blankets, beds, and towels thoroughly. This may mean a lot of extra laundry. But it is necessary to keep your home with a pet cleaner and odor-free.
6. Dog-Proof Your Space
It would also be helpful to dog-proof your space using washable rugs and cotton canvas cloths to keep your floors and furniture clean. Place an easy-to-clean mat in your entryway so that it becomes a drop zone for any dirty stuff trying to enter your apartment—including pet messes. For instance, if your furry friend got all muddy at the run, you will wipe him down on your dog-proofed entryway before you let him enter the tub.
Do you fancy seeing your dog on the furniture? Of course, most pet lovers do. For this reason, it would be useful to cover your bed and sofa with washable canvas drop cloths. Not only are they cheaper than traditional pet covers for furniture, but they are also durable.
7. Wash Your Pet’s Paws
Washing your dog’s paws on days with inclement weather is a good way to slash down the amount of mud and dirt entering your home. Get a towel for wiping paws and a rimmed baking sheet to hold some water outside the door. Place your pet’s feet in the water, rinse and dry them off.
8. Freshen Up
Pets do have a bad odor. They seem to smell no matter how much time you dedicate to cleaning and bathing them. To keep this lousy smell from getting out of control, sprinkle some baking soda in the litter box to absorb the putrid odor. Choose a secure freshening spray that doesn’t spoil fabrics on your carpets and furniture. Spraying every day will help remove bad smells from lingering around your hose.
9. Keep All Pet Toys under Control
Toys left behind by pets create the greatest messes around your house. Give your pets only a handful of toys at a time to play with them. Don’t overload them with too many. After all, they won’t even use all of them at a given time.
Keep the rest of the toys in a storage area so that they can only have a minimum number of toys. Also, remember to switch out the toys every day with the ones in the storage area. Doing this gives them at least something new to play with every day. It also prevents you from stepping on toys each time you move or turn around your house.
10. Invest in Sturdy Materials
Opting for décor made out of sturdy and durable materials is vital as it helps you avoid dealing with a dirty couch and clawed-up carpet. Indoor and outdoor rugs have a low pile, which means they do not tear easily and you can always hose them down outside in case of any messes. If possible, stain-resistant fabrics should be utilized in high traffic areas such as the living room. They are easier to clean and can keep your home clean and fresh.
Final Thought:
When you live under the same roof with pets, keeping your home clean is a real challenge. However, it is well worth the hassle considering the love you receive from your pet in return. Like any other kind of clean-up, keeping up with the cleanup chore every day is the ideal way to keep it from becoming overwhelming.
Last, but certainly not least, is a piece of advice directed to all pet aficionados out there. This is just food for thought; loving your pet is more important than getting stressed over shedding and muddy paws. Put these tips into practice and see how work will become easier.
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