No matter how much we love our furry best friends, living with them requires constant care and house maintenance. If you had an indoor pet before, you know that the hair struggle is real. Not to mention the odors, stains, germs, and all kinds of mishaps that having cats, dogs, or other animals brings. However, every pet owner will tell you that all the work is totally worth it since these fantastic companions bring joy to our lives. You just need to figure out the hacks and tricks on how to keep your home clean when having pets.
Preparing the house in advance
There are many ways to keep your home clean when having pets. However, the most efficient one is to dedicate some time and budget to preventive measures. Both cats and dogs manifest some behavioral issues by leaving urine stains on the floor, plant pots, or even walls. To avoid having to deal with such situations in the future, it’s essential to prepare in advance. Floors and walls not only stain but absorb odor as well. Using washable wall paint and a protective floor finish is a life-saver. Glossy paint will give a shiny and exciting look to your wall surface, and the best thing about it is that it can be washed and cleaned multiple times. Using it in the messiest rooms in the house, like hallways and kitchens, is a money and time saver.
The best time to do all the wall and surface preparation is before you move in. But in case you’re already cozily settled in your home, you will need to temporarily relocate your things, or at least pack and protect them so that the home improvement work doesn’t damage them. If you don’t know where to start, make sure to visit nwmoving.com for valuable online sources about packing, supplies, and ways to move and protect your items.
Declutter your home
One of the most important things in homes that require regular cleaning is to make easy access to all surfaces. That means getting rid of all the extra things and making the place tidy. The items in our homes, especially fabrics, absorb odors fast. Not to mention how easily they can get dirty or covered with hair. Therefore, if you have a lot of furniture or live in a small apartment, re-evaluating the purpose and necessity of every piece of furniture in the room is a game-changer.
And even though you might have a hard time letting some stuff go, you should know that decluttering will save a lot of time spent on cleaning, but also it will help your mind as well. Many things in the room can be distracting, and learning to let things go it’s always a desirable life lesson. Still, if you don’t want to permanently get rid of the furniture, renting a storage unit is a great solution. You can put away items that cause clutter and use them again at some point.
Keeping the pets clean
The only way to keep your home clean when having pets is to maintain animal hygiene at the same time. Often washing, grooming the animals, and taking care of their bedding will make the job of keeping your house neat much easier. But not all indoor pets require the same amount of attention when it comes to bathing. Cats are very clean animals by nature, so daily grooming and an occasional bath keep the hair at bay. Dogs, on the other hand, spend more time outdoors, rolling on the dirt, often getting themselves muddy. Luckily, most of them love water, so washing them every couple of days shouldn’t be a problem. Still, in both cases, regular hygiene of their bedding is necessary. The same goes for cat litter. You must clean it every day, investing in the quality litter that absorbs smells.
Re-think the furniture fabric choice
The easiest way to recognize a pet owner is by looking at their outfit. No matter how careful you are, some rogue hairs will find a way to follow you. Naturally, using a pet hair remover on your way out will become a mandatory routine, especially if you have cats or medium-hair dog breeds. Even though all animals have their own shedding period, you will soon find out that the hair is a very resilient enemy all year around.
It’s no secret that animals love cozy chairs and sofas, which can be a nightmare to clean if the fabric of the furniture is “sticky”. That’s why it’s important to avoid buying furniture with such fabric properties. Remember that the interior design of the home should meet the needs of all family members, including your adoptive animal family. Still, if investing in new house items at the moment is not on your list, practical bed and armchair covers will do just fine.
A vacuum cleaner will be your new best friend
If you haven’t had an indoor animal before, soon you will learn the importance of a good vacuum cleaner. Keeping the kitchen area clean and hair-free is crucial. Therefore, you will have to equip yourself with a quality hoover. If you’re considering investing in a new one, make sure it has powerful suction and resistance to clogging by excess hair. Of course, every vacuum cleaner needs to have a good filter that you can easily empty. Alternatively, get a robot vacuum cleaner. They will do the job for you, and most importantly, they are quiet, so they won’t disturb the pets.
Additional tips for maintaining the home with pets
Owning an animal is a wonderful thing. You are constantly rewarded with unconditional love and loyalty. But naturally, great things in life come with a cost, and giving some care and work in return is nothing compared to what you’ll be getting from your animal family. That’s why it’s important not to look at house maintenance as a burden, but as a way to give something back to your beloved pet. To make it easier, here are some additional pet owner tips:
- using rugs on both sides of the doors can help to get the dirt in dog owners’ homes,
- wash the animal’s paws every time after an outdoor walk,
- airing the rooms often can get rid of pet odor,
- make sure to use eco-friendly cleaning solutions for treating the surfaces around your animals,
- vinegar and baking soda are very efficient urine stain removals
- if your pet is having more mishaps than usual, call a vet for advice. Usually, that’s a manifestation of some kind of displeasure of physical or psychical nature
Of course, if you have difficulties keeping your home clean when having pets, you can hire professional help to do the work for you. Experienced cleaners can make all the hair, stains, and smells from your rugs, carpets, and floors disappear since they’ve done it a thousand times.
Author bio
Lauren Stevenson is blogger and content creator, currently working on her Master’s Thesis in Interior Design. She adores covering topics about home improvement, decoration, and DIY. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys leafing through magazines and catching up on her favorite shows.
