13 Cleaning Tips For Pet Owners

Having a pet and a clean house may seem impossible, the endless pet hairs, toys and muddy paws throughout your home. So instead of the constant hoovering and moping why not check out these handy tips to get your house clean and sparkling just in time for spring.

For Pet Hair:
Carpets use Fabric softener spray:
Mix 1 part fabric softener and 7 parts water and spray onto the whole carpet. Leave for a few minutes. This will leave your carpet smelling great and also make the next step easier. If you prefer a fragrance free alternative try using baking soda.

Use a Squeegee or Rubber Brush on the carpet:
Scrape a squeegee across the carpet, and this will take out all hairs that your hoover has missed. You will be surprised at the results – I know we were.

Use A Pumice stone/ Chom Chom Roller or Wet Rubber Gloves For Small Areas:
For small areas like sofa's or the back of the car try rubbing a pumice stone or wet rubber gloves on the area. This will take up the hair in no time.
If you don't mind spending a little money, you can use a Chom Chom Roller this little guy works wonders on blankets,  etc.
It's so easy to use roll it over the surface and empty the hair at the back. It can be found on Amazon for £15. I prefer to use these as they are a lot more eco-friendly and cheaper than using the adhesive rollers.

Using The Right Cloths For The Right Jobs Is Extremely Important:
Using microfibre clothes on dry surfaces picks up the hair but don't use it on wet surfaces as you will spread the hair around. Instead, use kitchen paper this will remove the hair and also leave your surface sparkling.

Bonus Tips:

Using the "Thunder Paws" at least one time each week (depending on how much your pet sheds)will reduce the amount of hair in your home. As you can see in the picture in just one brush, it takes over double the amount of hair that the regular brush does.

If you have a garden, you will be pleased to learn that pet hair can be used to make your flowers look great, just in time for spring. This is because hair has a high nitrogen content which breaks down quickly. Also, it helps with the water retention in the soil - in clay soil, it helps with drainage and with sandy soil, it helps retain the water.

Put your dirty clothes in the dryer before washing

If you find your clothes come out your washing machine with balls of fur embedded, you should try this tip. Place your dirty clothes into the tumble dryer for 10 minutes to remove the hair before placing it in the washing machine.

Smelly litter trays

If you have a cat, you will know the difficulty with dealing with a smelly litter try.
We tried many different types of litter, and after 2-3 days we would have to change it entirely as it would smell awful.
We eventually decided wooden pellets, and we saw the difference immediately.
They naturally have a slight smell which masks some of the unpleasant odor.
It's a plus that it is natural, biodegradable and cheaper!

Luckily for us, Theo had no issue adapting to the different litters. However, if your cat does you can slowly introduce the new with the old (like with changing the food).
If that does not work and your beloved furry friend has no interest in using it then try using baking soda to remove the smell. It works better than buying the fragranced ones as many cats dislike strong smells.

For smelly pet beds use essential oils

Place a colour catcher sheet with lavender oil in a bag or envelope underneath the bed or inside the cover.

Warning: Please check that the essential oil you have chosen oils safe for your pet. To get rid of any unpleasant smells from your pet place vanilla extract in the oven. 
You can place vanilla extracts and other essential oils in an oven proof container. Place this in the oven at 150 degrees Celcius and sit back and relax and the fragrant aroma evaporates throughout your home 
For accidents on the carpet use Dr. Beckmann carpet stain remover.  This works well; however, the only downside is that if your carpet is a bit dirty, then it will leave a slightly lightened patch. 

Warning: If using chemicals make sure you check the label for ammonia. If it does contain ammonia, it can encourage your pet to urinate on and around the same spot especially if you are house training.
However, if you would like a more natural alternative, you can put vinegar and water into a spray bottle  and spray it onto the area. Leave for about five min to be absorbed by the carpet fibers.
Then sprinkle baking soda onto the area and rub it in. (Most people say don't rub a stain in however I have found that this works best for me)  To finish this process, you can hoover to remove the remainder of the baking soda.

For Messy food, areas place a plastic mat under the bowls

Using a mat makes it easy to clean and leave your floors squeaky clean. To keep your pet food fresh and avoid messes place the food in an airtight box.  To prevent your sneaky pup/kitten from getting at their food and making a mess put the food in an airtight container. This will prevent the food from spoiling and prevent pests from accessing it.

Thanks for reading, I hope some of these tips are useful for more cleaning tips and other cleaning related articles check out our blog each Monday.