As fun as pet ownership can be, there’s no denying that the privilege of living with fur babies is accompanied by some pretty stringent cleaning and maintenance responsibilities. From vomits and toilet messes to shedding season and everything in between, it takes a lot of work to keep a pet household clean year-round. For more detailed strategies on how to keep house clean with dogs, consider establishing a consistent grooming routine and using pet-friendly cleaning products.
So what should you keep in mind when maintaining a home with some furry friends in tow? We’ll be answering just this question today by sharing our top cleaning tips that all new pet owners should follow. Read on to learn how you can keep your home spick and span even with cats, dogs, or pocket pets scurrying around.
You may also like to read – “How often do you clean your carpet when you have pets?“
Invest in a good pet vacuum cleaner
The first thing you’ll want to do is purchase some pet-friendly home cleaning tools. This includes buying steam cleaners that don’t use harsh chemicals (to help prevent your pets from developing respiratory issues) as well as investing in a good pet vacuum cleaner. We recommend checking out the cleaning supplies on offer over at BISSELL Australia. Their range has a lot of good examples of pet-friendly cleaning supplies that are also able to tackle all the extra fur and dust accumulation that accompanies pet ownership.
You may also like to read – “What is a good vacuum cleaner for pet fur on carpet?“
Generally, you want your pet vacuum cleaner to come with rolling brushes and fur traps. This ensures that your vacuum cleaner will be easy to clear out. Other vital features that are boasted by pet-friendly vacuums include more powerful suction capabilities and more sophisticated filtration systems for segmenting finer dust particles produced by animal dander.
Stay on top of your pet’s grooming requirements
Although cats produce hairballs virtually year-round, there is an elevated risk of your cats hacking up these fluff balls during their shedding season. Cats are likely to experience excess shedding directly following the winter months. As the weather gets warmer, they lose a lot of their thicker coats to prepare for warmer summer weather. So cat owners can help prevent the frequency at which their cats produce hairballs by simply brushing the excess fur out before your cats have a chance to do it with their own tongues!
You may also like to read – “Why do Most Landlords not Accept Pets?“
The same goes for dogs too. If you know when you can expect your dogs to start shedding every year, stay proactive with their grooming requirements by getting busy with a brush yourself. Regularly scheduling regular grooming appointments for your pooch can also help here. – not just with keeping your house clean but also in reducing the risks of your dog experiencing painful and uncomfortable matting in their coat!
Develop feeding and toileting routines for your pets
This one’s for all the millennials out there that are opting to raise dogs instead of children. Truth be told, taking care of pets isn’t all that dissimilar to caring for human toddlers, in that the best way to keep them comfortable is to establish some strong routines. Think about it – a dog who knows when they’ll be able to go to the bathroom or go out for a walk is less likely to have an accident in the house or even act destructively. Pets who know when and how their care needs will be met will be able to live comfortably alongside their owners indoors.
You may also like to read – “Is carpet cleaning safe for pets?“
So develop strong feeding and toileting routines in your first few weeks with your new pet. By establishing and maintaining these routines, you’ll find that keeping your dog or cat from toileting in the house or tearing through foodstuffs in your pantry becomes a truly effortless endeavour. And of course, some good pet training and etiquette work can also go a long way.
Establish house rules for your pets
One of the best ways to keep your house clean is to simply limit what you can bring from room to room. For example, setting a blanket rule that you can’t bring foods or drinks into office spaces can help ensure you won’t need to clean these interior spaces as frequently.
This is the main reason why many seasoned pet owners maintain ‘pet-free’ rooms in their homes. By restricting your pets from entering bedroom spaces (for instance), you can help ensure that some rooms in your home are immune to build-ups of fur or dust that result from pet activity. Having even just one pet-free room in your home can help cut your household cleaning requirements down – potentially by hours every week. Other house rules can include restricting dogs from jumping on furniture like couches.
You may also like to read – “Is it true that cats are cleaner than dogs as pets?“
There’s also plenty of evidence that suggests that pets (particularly dogs) like having these house rules in place. This is because these rules maintain a hierarchy in your household, which dogs respond well to, being pack animals.
Pet-proof your home
Finally, it’s important for new pet owners to think critically about how pet-friendly their homes actually are. Do you have glass vases perched on the very edges of bookcases or wall-mounted shelves? Do you have indoor plants that are poisonous when ingested? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, your home could benefit from some extra pet-proofing.
Look at any potential dangers or hazards that can be found across your home and rectify them prior to bringing your new fur baby home. In doing so, you can help to not only minimise risks of a messy accident that results in some major cleanup, but you can also make sure that your pet’s new home is actually safe and comfortable for them as well.
You may also like to read – “How Do You Carpet Rug Clean If You Have Pets?“
If you’re bringing home a new puppy, we highly recommend investing in puppy gates for barrier training your dog. This can also come in handy for establishing house rules that your new pet will be able to follow for life.
With these practical cleaning and home maintenance tips at your fingertips, new pet owners should have no issue keeping their pet-friendly homes immaculate and safe for both humans and fur kids alike.
