Have you recently become a dog owner who wants to ensure that they keep the house nice and clean with the arrival on your four-legged friend? Even if you have been living with a dog in the family for a while, you might also be looking for some useful advice on how to keep a clean home.
Well, you ‘ve come to the right place because we’ve put together seven of the most effective ways to maintain that cleanliness you desire. So, not only will your house be pet-friendly, it’ll be a fresh, clean home too!
1. Air Your House Out
If you’ve discovered persistent pet smells have wormed their way into your home, then it’s time to act. One of the most basic things you can do, which work really well, is to open your windows and allow some fresh air to come on in.
Even when the weather is cold outside, if you give it 10 minutes with an open door or window, it’ll make a difference.
2. Keep Your Pooch Looking and Smelling Fresh
If your little Fido is looking like drab and they love to really go for it when they’re exercising, it is definitely time to put a grooming routine in place. Without it sounding too obvious, dirt that is removed from your pet from grooming them is dirt that won’t make its way through the house.
Just like you shouldn’t shampoo your own hair too much, you should use the same advice when it comes to pet shampoo. A swift wash down with some plain, warm water can help to make all the difference.
3. Keep Them Contained and Dry
Adding to the previous point, try to keep a damp dog in a designated area – ideally near a food-based area; you might want to acquire a spill proof dog bowl so they can eat some food to keep them distracted. Take the opportunity to give them a thorough dry off afterwards to swerve the inevitable wet shake-offs and unwanted wet dog scent lingering about the place.
You need to consider that a proper wash with pet shampoo needs to be done regularly, but not too often, as we mentioned. Depending on the breed of dog you have, they might need some trimming or de-shedding work carried out too.
Read Also: 20 Most Popular Dog Breeds
4. Wash the Toys on A Regular Basis
Your pooch’s toys have a habit of picking up some seriously strong doggy-type odours that can really take hold of a home. There’s another simple way around this, and that is to just take the time to clean them regularly.
It’s worth checking that they are machine washable, or you might end up unintentionally breaking their favourite toy! Otherwise, go for the safe option and wash them by hand in the sink.
Put them out on the washing line or somewhere that’s out of reach from the attention of your pup, or they’ll be pestering you to have them back before they’re dry!
5. Vacuum Up the House Thoroughly
In order to remove your home of those pesky hairs and unwanted odours, the vacuuming becomes a much more important chore that previously (unless you have children, then you’ll know all about it anyway!).
Ideally, your vacuum should have the following:
- Extra strong suction
- A quality filter fitted
- A good brushing action
The features above will help you to suck up all the fur and dander. If you’re now thinking about getting a new vacuum to compete with the shedding and general tidying up required when being a dog owner, then think about not only the type of flooring you have in your home but also if your pet goes on the furniture.
Seek out a vacuum that can handle the demands of cleaning upholstery too. Is your four-legged friend a known shedder? If that’s the case, then to really stay on top of things, you’ll need to vacuum daily to avoid having an unclean house.
Make sure that you regularly clean out the filter too because otherwise, the hair and dirt will clog up the filter and will only serve to spread the smell of pet hair as soon as you fire the vacuum up!
6. Use Household Products to Combat Pesky Odours
It isn’t always necessary to go out and buy a tonne of cleaning products, because you might not realise it, but what could already have what you need in the cupboards.
For instance, furniture and upholstery need only have a light spritzing of vodka to aid the removal of odours (not too much though, or it might smell a bit suspect at home).
Baking soda is also a renowned household item that is superb at neutralising odours. You can go ahead and shake it over carpets and rugs prior to vacuuming and you can also leave little pots of it in troublesome areas to help absorb off-putting odours.
Finally, vinegar is a magnificent household product in the effective removal of bad smells, and you can use it when you come to wash bedding, beds, and toys.
Read Also: 3 Tips for Buying a Bed for your Dog
7. Scrub Walls and Floors
Pets are good at leaving traces of urine in the house and marking their territory by rubbing against the floors and walls. But, if you use the vinegar trick we just mentioned to scrub your walls and floors then you’ve got yourself a great deodoriser and disinfectant that can be used on a range of surfaces.
1 Comment
I got my pup in 2019 and I was very much concerned about the cleanliness of my home. But luckily, it is a low-shedding breed so I got relief from one side. She almost shed no fur, all I do is give her a bath every second week and brush her regularly. She is a super pup.