10 Tips for a Clean Home with Pets

If you love your pet but hate the mess and odor that comes along with them, follow these ten tips to help keep your home clean and fresh.   

1. Control pet dander

To keep fur and dander from accumulating, run an electrostatic or damp mop over hardwood floors daily, and keep a supply of cleaning cloths on hand to quickly wipe tabletops, chair rungs, and other surfaces.

2. Vacuum furniture

We suggest using upholstery attachments to reach hair along furniture bottoms and between cushions. There are several vacuum models available that are designed specifically to pick up pet fur.

3. Remove excess fur at the source

Use a grooming attachment to lift and reduce your pet’s thick undercoat. Do this outdoors to avoid fine fur from accumulating in your home, and make sure your pet isn’t frightened by the vacuum!

4. Change your home's air filters

Do this once a month to keep the air clean and dander free, as well as to cut down on pet odors. Wipe down or vacuum grates each time you change the filters, and thoroughly wash them at least once a year.

5. Identify "pet zones"

Cover the couch within “pet zones” with blankets or towels that are easily removable, and wash them frequently. To make sure you’re not continuously recycling fur back into your home clean out your washing machine’s drain filter regularly.

6. Use baking soda for pesky pet odors

Lightly sprinkle on upholstery and then vacuum; scented carpet cleaners work well, too. Clean litter boxes with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, and mix baking soda into the fresh litter to keep it fresher longer. 

7. Eliminate pet stains

Use an odor neutralizing solution on pet urine stains. Be sure all traces of urine or other matter are thoroughly cleaned—don’t overlook carpet padding or cushion foam when applying the solution. Consider investing in an air purifier to remove pet odors as well.

8. Clean your pet's "house" regularly

Caged pets like birds and small rodents can be messy. Make droppings, seeds and spilled bedding easy to clean up by placing plastic tablecloths under cages. Sweep and wipe daily, and wash once a week.  Clean cages weekly as well to help eliminate unpleasant odors.

9. Steam clean carpets

Have your carpets professionally steam cleaned once a year to remove embedded fur and pet odors; enzyme treatments should remove lingering stains.  In between cleanings, be sure to attack pet stains quickly; blot with a pet safe cleaning solution.

10. Keep your fur-child clean!

One of the simplest ways to keep your home clean is to keep your pets clean. Brush them often, and have them bathed and groomed on a regular basis. Use pet wipes on fur and paws when needed. Wash pet beds and toys regularly.

Sources: A Place to Nest, Martha Stewart, Wikihow

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