Cleaning Houses with Dogs
Cleaning the Pet Friendly Home
If you have pets you know too well what it is like to live with gobs of hair, wonderfully scented sofas and the ever so popular urine on the carpets. Being animal lovers we get used to this and frankly don't even notice most of the time that our home smells like a kennel!
Well help has arrived you no longer have to create excuses for your pets when friends or family visit. Cleaning up after your pets can be easy and create a healthy environment for you and your entire family. The steps below will get you started on a "fresh" new home place.
The key is that you must remove the source before the smell will completely disappear.
1. Bathing your pets: Recommended at least once a month as needed.
- If you have dogs, give them a bath. If they are dirty they will carry it around all over your home. It will also remove the excess hair before it reaches your furniture. For cats, brush them to remove excess hair; even for short hair breeds. I recommend the FURminator, it is a wonder brush. It is pricey, but will last a lifetime and is available at major pet department stores.
2. Furniture: Recommended at least once a week.
- Next, start with removing animal hair from your furniture. The best way is by using a standard vacuum cleaner with the side attachment; simply guide it along the furniture until all the hair is gone. A common lint roller will also do the trick.
3. Floors: Recommended at least once a week.
- Vacuum: Start with an empty vacuum bag or cup. Vacuum longer than you usually would to get out as much dirt and hair as possible.
- Laminated or tile flooring: Sweep well then apply regular house hold bleach (full strength) and mop. Nothing kills bacteria like bleach. You do not have to rinse, unless your floor becomes sticky.
4. Air filters AC/Furnace: Recommended once per month.
- Change out your homes air filter. This should be done once a month when you have pets. I recommend FiltreteTM or WEB Lifetime Electrostatic filters. They range between $10 and $20 dollars each and are available at major home improvement stores.
5. Disinfect: Recommended daily.
- Removing surface bacteria will remove lingering odors. A high quality sanitizer can kill more than 99% of germs, even cold and flu viruses. Many of them can be used on any surface in your home.
6. Air fresheners: Recommended daily.
- Utilizing standard spray air fresheners only mask the scent and usually will end up smelling like a pet covered in flowers. The best thing is to use a spray that will remove the odors instead of covering them up. A good air sanitizer will kill many of the airborne odor-causing bacteria and leaves your home spelling fresh and clean.
7. Urine: Recommended as needed.
- I highly recommend Bissell® Pawsitively Clean™ Ewww™ enzyme-powered pet stain & odor remover for removal of all urine odors. This is a miracle product and is a must for anyone who has a pet. It is also great for rabbit, guinea pig and ferret cages.
8. Pet Bedding: Recommended at least two times a month.
- If washable, wash in hot water then spray for a fresh, clean scent.
The above are tried and true ways to keep your home fresh and clean. Your pets are your family and while the steps provided may seem to be a lot, but once you get into the hang of it, soon it will become second nature.
Enjoy- Life, Pets, Family
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Use Straight bleach on floors? That is not a good idea. Bleach is not only toxic, but can burn your pets paws. I worked at a kennel that used bleach to disinfect their outdoor yard (gravel) and we would always rinse the area very well with water before letting any dogs in the yard because the bleach could burn their paws if we didn't. If you are going to use bleach on any surface your pets going to be on or touch in away is to either dilute it, rinse it very well or both or use a peroxide-based bleach or another natural product that will disinfect it without the chemicals. I would recommend using a furimator, but you want to be careful with them. Make sure not to push down too hard or you can risk brush burning them - which can happen very quickly. Stay away from the backs of the legs (Lift hair up and brush it in layers (If you have a dog with a lot of hair there (Goldies, Huskies, etc) and with not much pressure brush at an angle in this area, if you need to brush there) and near thin skin/bony areas. Make sure to use a comb after brushing to make sure you have matts and knots out. Washing your dogs once a month is probably too much. It can cause dry skin. If you need to wash them that much, use a gentle/hypo shampoo or a waterless shampoo (good for in between baths). Avoid harsh shampoos (baby shampoo, deodorizing, etc). There are also some breeds that you can ruin their coats by washing them too much. Brushing your dogs and cats coat one or twice a week or more, depending on your dogs/cats coat can do wonders for your dog/cat, not to mention to your house. Dogs and cats breathe through their skin (not many people realise this), matts and knots can cause problems (including skin issues). Also, for your furniture, you could always have a slip cover on and just wash that. Takes care of the smell (if you have it) and the hair all in one go. about 1 year ago by K |
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