5 ways to have a clean house with pets

Who doesn’t love pets and the joy they’re bringing? Animals are great companions and can make your life easier and happier.

However, if you have an indoor pet, you probably know the struggles of keeping the house clean. Dogs and cats shred hair throughout the year, so there’s plenty of it all over the place.

Pet owners often have to vacuum at least twice a week or more depending on how many animals they have. Of course, other accidents and incidents can occur, as well.

If this is something you continuously struggle with, you should take a moment to read the article below. We’ve shared the 5 best ways to have a clean house with pets without working too hard to achieve the results.

1. Don’t skip on grooming

If your dog is dirty, he/she will likely carry that dirt inside the house as well. For this reason, regular baths are critical to prevent that dirt from ending up inside.

This is something you should think about carefully. While you want to keep the animal as well as house clean, you don’t want to overdo it. In other words, too many baths can be bad for your pet.

Think about how often is enough. You can organize bath time to happen after long walks or play dates in the park.

However, you should also be consistent with grooming, brushing, and haircuts. Make sure to brush your pet as often as required, which can help prevent that hair from ending up on your furniture. Aside from the cleanliness, you’ll also proactively help your pet to stay healthy. In case your dog is very active and prone to accidents, consider getting dog insurance.

Both long and short hairs are tricky to clean from sofas and chairs, so getting regular haircuts and brushing can help a great deal.

2. Get a specialized vacuum

While your regular vac might be good, ask yourself is it really good enough to deal with the hairs. Some vacuums don’t have enough suction to pick up the persistent particles because they’re simply not made for the job.

Sometimes, a house tends to look messy not because the pet sheds a lot, but because the vacuum cleaner can’t clean well enough. Luckily, most major brands have specialized pet vacuums to help solve the issue.

Specialized pet vacuums have powerful suction and are rich in features that help with the dirt your pet leaves behind. According to CleanThatFloor, some models have specialized tools, small crevice attachments, strong brushrolls, and are overall more adjustable and versatile.

Still, these tend to cost more money than a regular vacuum. Nonetheless, it’s a worthy purchase because you’ll find it easier to get rid of shredded hair regardless of where you find it.

The best thing is that a pet vacuum usually works on all floors. In most cases, these vacs have height adjustment settings, which allow you to go from carpets to hard floors and the other way around.

3. Consider a handheld vac

Handheld vacuums are growing more popular by the day, and it’s mostly due to the overall convenience they bring. These handy, lightweight vacs are ideal for spot-cleaning, which is something pet owners often deal with.

Kitty litter and kibble are the two things that pets love scattering around. Now, that’s not a huge mess, but it’s still a mess that’s probably annoying you each time you see it. Plus, kibble on the floor might attract insects.

This is where a handheld vac comes to play. These lightweight vacuums are easy to use whenever there’s a small pile of something you need to pick up.

The market is packed with different models, some of which are specially made for pet owners. Some stick and upright models convert into handhelds, which is a great thing if you’re also looking to replace your full-size vac.

4. Think about the materials

If you have pets, you have to think about the things you bring inside the house. Sometimes, a certain décor isn’t a good idea because your dog or cat might break it. The same goes for pretty much anything you choose to buy.

In other words, you might want to think about the fabric you’re choosing for the new sofa. If you have a white cat that shreds, you might want to skip getting a black living room set.

You should also think about the colors and whether or not they get dirty easily. Precisely, light colors might not be the best option if you let your pets outside. It may be possible to use dog wipes to clean his paws every time he enters the house, but darker colors are always easier to maintain. Using biodegradable dog wipes, however, can prevent excess sebum and odor and keep your place clean.

Also, some materials are easier to clean than others. If you do let the animals go outside, you might want to consider faux leather or something else like that. These smooth materials are simple to wipe clean, although they’re easy to tear, so be careful.

5. Have a place for your pet

Probably the best way of preventing dirty furniture is to forbid your pet from laying on it. It may seem harsh, but you’ll notice a significant difference the moment you clean your sofa and prohibit the animal from climbing up.

Now, keep in mind that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do this if the animal is already adult. Grown cats and dogs are much more challenging to train, especially if you used to let them lounge on your furniture.

What you can do is get them cute beds and baskets so that they have a place of their own. This way, they’ll find it more bearable to stay away from the couch or chair. There’s a way to train your pet to use a bed, so that shouldn’t be too difficult with a little bit of effort.

Also, make sure to have a basket for all the toys. The last thing you want is for all the balls, squishes, and toys to be scattered around the place. Keeping them inside a cute basket is a great way of keeping the house looking neat.

Make sure to check the toys for any tears if you notice colorful shreds around the place. Also, you might want to donate some of those toys to the local shelter if your pet doesn’t play with them.