If you have pets, especially the furry ones, you know that keeping a clean home is a constant struggle. You may try tricks, such as buying a carpet the same color as your pet’s hair. But those tricks won’t fool your friends and family who stop by on short notice and have to ask for a hair roller on their way out. Our Maryland home cleaning teams transform homes like yours on a daily basis. Here are some tips to help you make cleaning up after pets a bit less stressful and more efficient!
A Little Brushing Goes a Long Way
Accept that you will never be able to keep your home completely hair-free if you own pets. However, it is possible to keep the hair at bay and avoid those hairy tumbleweeds rolling around the living room floor. As soon as your pet starts shedding, get to brushing. A good brush makes a big difference for everyone. Try different brushes until you find the one that gets out the most hair with the least stress for your pet.
If possible, brush your pet outside to prevent any loose hairs from sticking to your furniture. Have kids? Make brushing their responsibility if they were the ones who asked for that puppy. If your pet doesn’t like to be brushed, keep a bag of treats nearby to encourage your cat or dog to sit still.
Move Anything That Could Make a Mess
Tall dogs and coffee tables don’t go well together. If you have pets that can jump or reach your tables and shelves, make sure there is nothing there they can knock down. Big dogs, even if they are well-trained, don’t have a sense of their size and often hit things with their wagging tails. And cats, no matter how well-trained, will often do their own thing anyway when you are not home. Don’t leave any temptations for them in the form of an unfinished sandwich or an open drink. Get into a habit of putting anything edible, liquid, valuable or fragile away after you are done with it.
Get a Good Vacuum
Seriously, the right vacuum can make a big difference both in how fast and how well you can clean. What would take your old vacuum a few runs, would take a specialized pet vacuum half the time. Plus, when you have pets, you want to have a vacuum with a HEPA filter. This filter helps remove allergens such as pet dander, making not only your floor, but also your air cleaner.
Clean Up Accidents ASAP
Of course, you are not always home to see when your pet may have an accident. But when you are, clean up the mess right away. Use paper towels to absorb as much liquid as possible, then clean up the rest with a damp washcloth. If the smell keeps lingering, get a spray or liquid enzyme cleaner and follow the instructions. Keep in mind that Febreeze and similar products only mask the smell, but don’t remove it. An enzyme-based cleaner actually brakes down the organic molecules that cause the odor, which should solve your problem.
Keep Your Pets Clean
Sometimes, it’s the animal itself (rather than what they do) that is the source of dirt or a bad smell. Clean pets mean a clean home, so here are a few tips for keeping your pets clean:
- Keep grooming wipes handy by the door and use them to wipe your cat’s or dog’s feet as they enter the house. This will save you from muddy footprints!
- Wash your pet as recommended for their breed. Some breeds should be bathed weekly, while for others frequent washing can cause dryness of skin.
- Wash the pet beds when you wash the pet or more frequently as needed. Pet bedding often gets packed with hair and lingering smells.
Schedule Thorough Cleanings
The thing with pets is that you often don’t know where they’ve been or what they did in your house. Maybe your dog likes to nap under your bed when you are not home. Or maybe your cat steals dog food and stashes it behind the fridge.
Vacuuming and dusting are good basic maintenance habits, but they don’t replace the need for a thorough cleaning every once in a while. It’s a good idea to deep-clean your home at least on a quarterly basis. Don’t have time for it? No problem, that’s what our Maryland home cleaning services are for. Feel free to get in touch to talk more about how we can help you keep your home clean despite the counter-efforts of your furry family members.
