Clean House Tips for Pet Owners

As a nation, we love our pets. Our furry friends make us laugh and give us constant companionship and unconditional love. We don’t, however, have to love the messes, odors and disorganization that pets can bring to the table when we open our homes to them. Here are a few cleaning tips for pet owners who love a tidy house as much as they love their four-legged fur babies.

Minimize the hair issue. Dogs and cats shed- a lot. Unless you have a breed that doesn’t shed, chances are your house is overrun with pet hair. This can not only make your furniture look shabby and unclean, but can also wreak havoc upon houseguests and family members with an allergy to pet dander. Grooming your pets regularly can cut down on the amount of dog or cat hair that is shed in the house, as can putting a special sheet, towel or blanket down on the spot(s) your pet occupies most often and then shaking off the hair outside before laundering. Of course, nothing cuts through the hair better than a thorough vacuuming- you may wish to invest in a good vacuum cleaner specially designed for pet owners, and give the major areas of your house a good vacuuming at least twice weekly.

Wipe Your Paws. Dogs are known to track mud in from the yard, especially in winter and spring months. To avoid muddy pawprints on your clean floors, keep a towel and shallow container half-full of room-temperature water by the door, and clean your pooch’s paws off as soon as they come inside. Baby wipes are also a practical weapon in the war on paw prints, and can be very effective after a walk through a muddy puddle.

Stains happen. No matter how well you train and care for your pet, accidents are bound to happen. Puppies get excited and forget their potty training. Kitties miss the litter box. Dogs and cats of all ages sometimes get illnesses which cause accidents that can be unpleasant to clean. It is a part of pet ownership that you know about as soon as you sign up. All you can do is learn how to treat pet stains effectively. The best way to deal with fresh stains is to remove solid residue, then blot with a clean white cloth, then apply a solution of one cup lukewarm water and a couple drops of clear dishwashing liquid. Blot dry and repeat steps until the stain is gone.

For persistent stains and odors, I recommend Amaziing Solutions Pet Stain Remover and Pet Odor Eliminator ($19.97, Amazon). When used as directed, this product can eliminate even the strongest odors caused by pet stains on carpets and upholstery. It is by far the finest enzyme-based odor eliminator I have used, and got rid of stains and smells I thought were going to be there forever!

Speaking of Odors… Even when it is not the direct result of a potty accident, pet owners know that there is a certain “smell” that comes with furry friends. Candles, plug-in air fresheners and odor-neutralizing sprays such as Febreze can go a long way in making your house smell fresh and pleasant, but please do try to follow the “less is more” approach to camouflaging pet odors with artificial scent. The best way to keep your home smelling fresh and clean is to regularly clean surfaces with lemon, baking soda and vinegar, and to sprinkle baking soda onto your carpet prior to vacuuming.

It’s furniture, not FUR-niture. If you’re like me, you can’t bear to be one of those people who doesn’t allow their pet on the furniture. As far as I’m concerned, my dogs are my family members and are therefore entitled to rest on any bed, couch or ottoman they please. The result, of course, is an endless supply of dog hair on the couch cushions and throw pillows, not to mention the “dog smell” that can arise from time to time. To combat these issues while still allowing your pet to make himself at home, consider purchasing furniture with microfiber or microsuede upholstery. Both of these materials are durable enough to withstand pressure from claws without tearing or snagging, and can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth. Additionally, you may want to take your pet’s fur color into consideration when buying a sofa: true story, when my husband and I were buying our furniture for our first house, I took a few “samples” of my bulldog’s hair and laid it on the couches we were considering to find the color that best camouflaged it.

It’s not easy to have a clean home and a pet at the same time, but it can be done, with a little patience, diligence and consistency. Have any stories of pet-related house disasters and how you cleaned them up? Please let us know in the comments section.