Quick And Effective Cleaning Tips Every Pet Owner Needs to Know
As much as we love our pets, cleaning up after them can become a nightmare if you don’t know how to do it properly. From long dog hair to cats marking their area, being a pet owner can be very hard. And since our pets are not really capable of cleaning up after themselves, we have to do it in their place. However, if some things are a bit harder to clean by yourself, don’t hesitate to ask for any cleaning help. Hiring a professional cleaning company can save you a lot of time and effort.
Animal waste that hasn’t been cleaned up can also become a possible health risk for your family or your little friends. In order to ensure that you are keeping your home clean and healthy for everyone, here are few home cleaning tips for pet owners.
How to clean fur from different surfaces
Floors
You might have noticed that when you vacuum or wipe your floors, no matter if they are wooden or tiles, most of the dust and dirt isn’t actually cleaned rather than sent flying into the air. This happens especially with dog or cat hair.
This is why we recommend that you use some sort of electrostatic mop that would trap the hair before it manages to fly away. If there is any leftover first afterwards, you can just vacuum it. However, this needs to be done a couple of times a week at least, if you want to prevent dust bunnies from appearing.
Rugs
You may notice that your rugs look quite dirty, grey and sad, and it makes no difference how often you vacuum it. The colour just can’t come back, especially if they were initially white, because that’s not regular dust in your rug. It’s actually deeply embedded pet hair that needs to be completely removed.
Luckily for all pet owners, there is a very simple solution for that that will require the help of something you never thought about: a rubber squeegee! It actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The rubber can easily pull out the pet hair because of its sticky surface. Just drag it along the rug and you will see how quickly all the pet hair is removed. Repeat this process as often as you need to, depending on the state of your rugs.
Furniture
The first thing you can try is vacuuming the upholstery with a special attachment that wouldn’t damage it. If this doesn’t work, you can use the same technique as with the rugs – rubber. Instead of a squeegee, however, simply dampen a rubber glove, put it on and stroke the furniture with your hand. The fur should stick right to your glove. Clean it up after each stroke, just to make sure that you’re not just piling hair on your sofa. In case you don’t have or you don’t like using gloves, you can still try with the squeegee.
Nowadays, there are also plenty of brushes and attachments made especially for removing pet hair from furniture, so we really recommend investing in one to make your cleaning routine a lot easier and faster.
Clothing
Your method of cleaning pet hair mostly depends on the material of your clothes. For example, if you have fur stuck on a woollen sweater, we recommend that you either put it in a steamy room or use a clothes steamer on low to loosen up the fabric before removing the fur with a brush. With most other fabrics, using a normal sticky lint or clothes roller will do just fine. If you don’t have one and you’re in a hurry, you can also use packing tape.
Another thing you can do is make your clothes less prone to trapping your pet’s fur in the first place. If you add half a cup of white vinegar to your washing machine load each time it will help reduce the static cling of the clothes. This means that pet hair will not cling as strong to your clothes and if there is any fur on them beforehand, it will be removed a lot easier. You can also buy an anti-static spray that will create a protective layer on your clothes, loosen up the hair and ease the whole removal process.
How to clean your pets
Vacuum
We promise it’s not a joke! There are special tools and attachments made for grooming your pets, mostly dogs. They are extremely effective in removing dead skin and loose hair, taking care of the allergens before they are spread around your home. Bonus is that most dogs love being vacuumed since it doesn’t irritate their skin as much as brushing them and the added bonus for you is that it’s a lot less messy.
Don’t let the dirt inside
Most dogs need to be taken out at least twice a day and what happens is that you get mud, dirt, leaves and who knows what, brought into your home by your pet’s paws. And once this dirt is accumulated in your flooring and furniture, it’s almost impossible to remove. This is why we recommend that you clean your dog’s paws as soon as you bring them inside. Make it a fun game for them. If your bathroom is close to the front door, then perfect. Just bring them inside after each walk and wash their paws before letting them in your home. If that is not the case, you can just keep a shallow container filled with water by your door and a towel next to it. You can also place rubber mats outside and inside of the entry door and teach your pup to stand still while waiting for his paws to be washed.
By doing so, you will save yourself a ton of scrubbing and overall trouble when cleaning your floors and furniture.
Take care of the smells
We all know that awful “wet dog” smell and we would try to do everything to avoid it. It’s created by a special bacteria that thrive in moisture, so in order to get rid of it, immediately dry off your dog after a bath. Don’t let it dry naturally as it might take more time than usual, depending on the current temperature and ventilation of the room.
You can also use a fabric softener sheet to keep that smell from entering your dog’s bed, your sofa, or wherever he likes to sleep and relax. Just put the sheet in an envelope and place it under the bed, cushions or sofa pillows to keep the area nice and fresh.
Reduce drooling
Drooling is a completely normal process that could be caused by many things or absolutely nothing. If you feel like your dog is drooling more than it should be, however, we do recommend taking it to a vet for a check-up, as it could mean that your pup might be suffering from a number health issues such as mouth disease, tooth decay, organ disease, upper respiratory infection and much more.
However, if nothing is wrong with it and drooling is just a natural part of your dog’s existence, there are a couple of ways to prevent it from happening or at least reducing it so it doesn’t mess up your furniture and clothes. One of the best ways to do it, and the most stylish one, is buying your dog a bandana to tie around his neck. It will absorb the saliva right away, especially when he is eating, and once it’s too soaked, you can just throw it with the rest of the laundry.
Another thing that we recommend is placing a washable towel or a rug under and next to your dog’s food and water bowls. It will stop them from messing up your floors and are incredibly easy to clean.
Brush Your Pets Regularly
This one applies to both cats and dogs. As we mentioned earlier, with dogs it’s actually better to vacuum them instead of using a brush, but if you don’t have the proper attachment, you still have to brush them. Same goes for cats. If their fur is left unmaintained, it could lead to an increased number of furballs around your home and many health problems such as constipation. Keep in mind that different fur types prefer different brushes and if you want to make this process pleasant and pain-free, you have to do thorough research for your specific pet or just consult with your vet. We recommend that you do it at least three times a week.
Taking care of your pets’ belongings
Clean the beds regularly
If you want to save yourself a ton of trouble and time, we recommend that you either buy or make removable covers for your pet’s bed or resting area. It makes everything so much easier. Once it gets too dirty or stained, you just throw it in the washing machine, instead of wondering how to wash the whole bed without damaging it.
Most of those covers are fine with being washed with whatever detergent you use, be it a normal laundry detergent or mild soap. However, in order to further disinfect and remove persistent smells, we advise you to put a cup of baking soda to the mix. It’s a great antibacterial solution for many types of fabrics and surfaces.
Don’t forget the toys and collars
Most people tend to neglect the collars and toys of their pets even though they are the items that get dirty and smelly the fastest. No matter if you have a cat or a dog, we recommend that you wash them at least once a week, especially if you have a drooling dog.
You can quickly clean them by putting them in the dishwasher. If you need to do a deeper clean, then the best way would be to wash them by hand in a bowl filled with hot water and dog/cat shampoo. You have to let them soak first, for about 10-15 minutes, and after that rub them good with an old toothbrush or whatever you find suitable. Once you are done, just rinse them with cold water and let them air dry.
Easy pet bowl cleaning
It’s probably one of our least favourite things to do but it’s one of the most important, too. Leftover food is proven to be one of the things that attract the most pests in a home and it could lead to a number of health issues in your beloved pet.
As tedious as it sounds, we recommend that you clean your pet’s bowl after each feeding. Mild soap and hot water should do just fine, as long as you don’t have any hardened old food stuck to the bowl. To avoid that, you can apply a thin layer of low-fat cooking oil, if your pet’s diet allows it. This will keep the food from sticking to the bowl, making the cleaning much easier.
When cleaning, make sure that you have a special sponge that is only for your pet’s bowls.
You can also put them in the dishwasher if you don’t mind them being washed along with your own plates and glasses.
Thoroughly clean the litter box
It should go without saying, but we will say it anyway. Regularly clean your cat’s litter box! If you want to avoid turning it to an awful-smelling poop dump, clean it at least twice a day. Most people do it only a couple of times a week and think it’s enough but it’s actually far from it. The odour accumulates super fast and it could lead to a permanently smelly litter box that is very hard to clean and refresh.
It’s important to remember that you should never use strong chemicals when cleaning the box as cats are extremely sensitive to odours and might avoid using it if they don’t like the way it smells. Hot water and mild dish soap will do just fine.
Change the entire box at least once a year and the litter itself every week.
Author bio:
Jane Wilson is a blogger, home improvement expert and marketing manager for Fantastic Cleaners – a licensed cleaning company, which offers a full portfolio of cleaning services for homes and offices.