How To Keep Your Home Clean When You Have a Pet

Pets are a great addition to our lives. From companionship and comfort to improved mental and physical health, our furry friends can significantly impact our overall happiness. However, pet owners also know how messy they can make a home.

If you like to keep things tidy while enjoying the company of a dog, cat, or other animal friend, then following a few cleaning best practices can help. In this post, Gem City Cleaning Solutions, a premier residential and commercial cleaning company, offers five tips for keeping a clean, pet-friendly home.

Groom Your Pets

Grooming not only keeps your cat or dog healthy, but it keeps your home clean. Regular bathing and brushing help remove dirt and debris from your pet’s skin and fur, which not only helps prevent skin conditions from developing, but it also minimizes the amount of hair and dander that wind up on your furniture and floor.

While every furry friend is different, a best practice is to bathe your dog or cat every four weeks and get them groomed every eight weeks. If you're curious about your pet's optimum bathing and grooming schedule, ask your veterinarian or a professional at a local pet store.

Keep their Eating Space Clean

Dogs and cats can make a mess when they’re eating. You’re likely to find crumbs and drips all around where their food and water bowls. For that reason, we recommend having them eat in a room without carpets. Tile, hardwood, and linoleum floors are typically easier to clean.

To further streamline the process, invest in a plastic placemat and place it under their food and water bowls. It'll help contain the drips and drops during their feeding frenzies. When their area gets messy, you can simply bring the placemat over to the sink and give it a scrub.

We also recommend giving the room where they eat a deep clean each week. Sweep, mop floors, and wipe down the wall behind their food and water bowls. If you need an extra set of hands to make it happen, get on a regular schedule with a house cleaning company.

Regularly Clean Your Pet’s Belongings

From toys and food dishes to collars and beds, your pet has probably accumulated a fair number of possessions. But, your beloved pet's favorite belongings can get smelly if you're not careful. Avoid unwanted odors in your home by regularly cleaning anything your pet uses frequently.

Be sure to buy machine-washable beds to avoid an expensive trip to the cleaners. Alternatively, decorate their bedding with throws that can be laundered in a pinch. If you have a bird, reptile, or other caged animal, be sure you’re cleaning their enclosures weekly, but every 2-3 days is best to keep your home smelling fresh.

Read the care labels on your pet's toys, and wash or soak them as indicated. If they start to pile up and are burdensome to clean, consider donating a few to your local animal shelter. Soak collars and leashes in warm water, and put them in the sun to dry. Doing so will help eliminate odors and avoid any tangled messes in the drier.

Keep in mind that pet ownership (especially if your pet is a shedder) will require some extra cleaning and a few more armfuls of laundry than you might be used to. If your home care routine becomes too tough to handle, contact a professional cleaning service to help keep your home fresh and clean.

Clean Up Accidents ASAP

Even the best-trained pets have accidents sometimes. When it happens, try your best to clean it up as soon as possible. Getting the accident out of the carpet or off your floors quickly can eliminate permanent stains and help avoid lingering odors. This expeditiousness is particularly important if you have cats, as they are more likely to have repeat accidents in the same places.

You can help prevent accidents by ensuring your dogs are let outside throughout the day and that they don't have access to foods that will make them sick. Cats like clean spaces, so cleaning the litter box regularly helps ensure they keep doing their business where they're supposed to.

If you’re having trouble removing stains, contact a professional for a thorough home clean. They’ll bring the necessary equipment to lift stains and eliminate odors, helping bring you a greater peace of mind.

Keep Pet-Cleaning Kits Handy

Small messes can quickly get out of hand, so you'll want to be sure you can clean them up quickly. Consider putting together cleaning kits and keeping them in specific places throughout your home.

Pet wipes and an old towel by the back door allow you to quickly clean your pup's paws so they don't track mud throughout the house. A broom and your favorite deodorizer by the litter box are perfect for a quick refresh. Regardless of what kind of pet you have, a few cleaning supplies kept handy in the spaces you need them can make it much easier to keep your area clean.

Get Help When You Need It

Pets can offer us a lot of joy, but if you don't stay on top of the messes they make in the home, your four-legged friend can quickly become one massive headache. Before things get out of hand, you'll want to work with an experienced cleaning service so you can keep enjoying all your furry friend has to offer. 

Contact Gem City today to learn more about our services and how we can help keep your pet-friendly home clean.