Pets enrich our lives with unconditional love and companionship. They capture our hearts, so we bring them into our homes without a thought about the additional work they’ll create. It’s only later on, as we’re scrubbing the carpet stains, that the reality of living with pets hits us smack in the face.
Pets are animals. Their standards of cleanliness differ from ours. They don’t care about clean floors. We, however, do care about the mud that Fido tracks in each time he comes inside after digging in the flower beds. In fact, it gets pretty darn annoying.
Pets create a lot of extra work when it comes to house cleaning. The messes can be minimized to some degree by taking measures to reduce the tracking in of dirt, shedding of hair, and other culprits.
Here are some strategies.
Wipe Fido’s Feet
Keep old towels by the door to clean Fido’s muddy paws before he gets the chance to track mud all over the clean floors. Also use towels to dry him off on rainy days so he doesn’t leave wet puddles behind.
Brush Dogs and Cats to Minimize Shedding
Regularly brushing dogs and cats, especially the long-haired breeds, reduces the quantity of hair that ends up on your clothes, furniture, carpeting, and in the air.
Buy Pet Beds
Giving dogs and cats their own beds makes us feel less guilty about insisting they stay off ours. Isn’t it enough that we provide them with a roof and meal plan? There’s absolutely no need for dogs and cats to nap wherever they please. Teach them to use their own beds in order to avoid shedding (and leaving that doggy smell) on furniture.
Train Your Dogs
Diligence at house-breaking time pays off exponentially later on. Train Fido not to makes messes on the floor and always make sure he has ample opportunity to do his business outdoors. He can’t hold it indefinitely!
Keep Litter Boxes Clean
Cats prefer a clean environment in which to conduct their business. If their litter boxes become offensively dirty, cats may seek out alternative areas. Encourage and reinforce desirable behavior by keeping litter boxes clean.
Maintain Good Pet Health
If your dog or cat suddenly starts urinating in areas they shouldn’t, have them evaluated by your vet for health issues. This can be a sign of a health problem.
Keep Messes at Bay
Pets almost inevitably shed fur on furniture and leave drool on windows. Keep messes at bay by frequently cleaning up after them so little messes don’t become big ones.
Vacuum pet hair off upholstered furniture often.
Sweep up litter box areas daily to avoid having litter tracked all through the house.
Regularly clean nose prints, saliva, or other deposits from window surfaces.
Spot clean walls, ledges, corners, or edges that pets rub against or jump on. Use vinegar, all-purpose cleaner, or ammonia.
Use an enzyme spot cleaner specifically targeting urine stains to remove accidents on carpeting. All traces have to be eradicated in order to ward off repeat offenses.
Vacuum or sweep floors regularly to remove dirt tracked in from outside as well as pet hair.
Reduce the hassle of cleaning up after pets so that the benefits of having Fido or FiFi as a roommate outweigh the drawbacks. And don’t we owe them a clean environment in return for their unwavering affection?
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