The many joys of owning a pet also come with a downside: constantly having to clean up after them! Whether you are cleaning up piles of hair or trying to clean all the mud off their paws, it can feel like a full-time job.
If you want to make your cleaning routine shorter and easier, try following these tips.
1. Clean Their Paws
Use towels you do not care get dirty and keep them by both the front and back door. Dip their paws in a tray of water (or keep a spray bottle with the towels) and wash and dry them as soon as they get inside.
2. Use Outdoor Mats
Outdoor mats may not get all their dirt off their paws, but it will help take away some of the loose dirt that would otherwise end up on your floor. They can even be used inside at both the front and back door, they are not just meant for porches and decks.
3. Use Cheap Throws
Buying cheap throws or blankets to put on your furniture can help keep them clean and pick up all the hair. They can easily be rotated every couple of days and thrown in the washer to freshen them up.
4. Getting Rid Of Hair
If your dog sheds a lot and you are constantly trying to get their hair off the couch or your clothes, either have a lint roller handy (keep a travel size in your purse) or use a damp baby. It will not be hard on your furniture or clothes and it has a nice fresh scent to it too. Depending on the breed, you may want to consider having them groomed regularly to keep the hair shedding under control.
5. Handheld Vacuum
Invest in a small handheld vacuum that can easily fit between the couch cushions or in corners where hairballs collect that your larger vacuum may not reach otherwise. It is easy to use on carpets too, or even your clothes.
6. Darker Paint
If you are looking to repaint the walls or your kitchen cabinets that often get splashes of mud on them from the dog, darker paint colours hide smears better.
7. Essential Oils
If you are trying to get rid of strong odors, there are some essential oils that dogs and cats quite enjoy! Invest in top-quality oils to put in your diffuser like lavender, cedarwood, ginger or chamomile. Look up beforehand what other scents you can use around your pets, because there are scents that could be quite harmful.
8. Wash Their Toys
Keep up with washing their toys and beds. When you are washing the bed, baking soda is a great way to fight odor and if the lining comes off it can easily be thrown in the washer along with fabric toys. Plastic toys can go in the dishwasher.
9. Put Their Toys Away
Do not just leave their toys on the floor. Just as you would with kids, put their toys away and store them in a cute basket or bin that they can easily take them out of when they want them.
10. Kitty Litter
A great natural way to mask the odor coming from the litter box is adding in baking soda. Or look at investing in walnut based cat litter. It is very absorbent and already has a nice, natural scent to it that helps fight odor so you do not need to add baking soda. Also, put a litter grabbing mat outside their box to catch the litter that may be on their paws afterwards.
Research should be done beforehand too to determine what breed would work best for you, especially if you do not want to worry about hair all the time. But there are lots of ways to keep your house clean if you have pets, you just have to get creative!
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