Fill a squirt bottle halfway with water, halfway with white vinegar, and one drop of Dawn dish soap (you can use your preferred brand; however, after trying them all, Dawn is the best). Everything from floors and walls to the brand-new suede sofa you just brought home may be cleaned with this pet-safe cleaning solution.
When you have a dog, how do you keep your home tidy?
Additionally, I like to keep it tidy. Dog owners completely comprehend my battle to keep my home tidy. I’m very familiar with doggie footprints over my comforter, hair and fur everywhere, and kibble that must be moved into another room before being consumed (although I’ve yet to figure out why), as four or more fuzzy feet challenge that duty every day.
You can use a range of ways to assist you gather the dirt and debris that pets leave behind and clean your home efficiently. I’ve included my top ten favorites below.
Use an automated vacuum first.
Even with a “non-shedding pet,” you must frequently vacuum the floor. Dogs love to roll around in the yard, which brings dirt, leaves, and other debris inside the home on their paws and fur. It’s time to vacuum the house again by the time you are through. A robot vacuum is my go-to cleaning advice. At my house, it has truly made a significant difference. It is capable of operating while I am away or asleep. Some models can even be set up to operate at predetermined times.
2. Use a lint roller to clean.
Every pet owner has a collection of lint rollers. Pick one out and place it in your cleaning kit. For cleaning lamp shades, throw pillows, stuffed furniture, and pretty much wherever else Fido has been, it is the ideal tool.
3. Offer toe massages
An effective preventative measure for preventing unattractive nail damage is to regularly clip your dog’s nails. Hardwood flooring, leather, and upholstery are damaged when people prowl around with too-long nails, which also causes scratches and punctures. The Zen nail clippers are a Modern Dog favorite!
4. Always have stain remover on hand
When they have a stomach ailment or consume something they shouldn’t have eaten, even the most completely housebroken dogs might experience problems. Have a cleaner on hand that is made to remove pet stains and odors. As soon as you see a stain, apply it to it as directed by the package to increase the likelihood of removal. For both indoor and outdoor messes, try Skout’s Honor’s potent cleansers.
(5) Clean your paws
Even if you can’t teach your dog to wipe their feet, door mats are a great help with doggie paws. Outside the door, place a high-quality doormat, and inside the door, place a washable area rug. Simply by your dog crossing these two items, a lot of dirt and trash will be collected.
6. Disguise
If your best friend has selected a few places to slumber frequently, cover those. To change out the linens while you clean the house, keep a few extras on available. Not only will it shield your furniture from dog dander and any stains, but it will also lessen dog odors. When necessary, it is simple to wash the sheets.
7. Control the snarl
In a pet owner’s home, the area around the food bowls is one area that is almost never clean. It can get quite messy with water dribbles and pieces of cat food. A rimmed tray set underneath the food dishes works well to capture part of the mess and make cleanup simple.
8. Remain on course
One of the worst situations is having fleas infest your home. Tasks including spraying, combing, bombing, flea baths, and additional vacuuming are required. Make maintaining flea control a priority to stay on top of it. Set recurring reminders to use flea preventions or replace flea collars on your phone or calendar.
9. Wash the feet
One technique to reduce the amount of muck and filth tracked into your home is to be ready to wash paws on days with bad weather. By the door, install a hook to hang a towel for wiping paws. A baking sheet with a rim can be used to hold an inch of water outside the door. Following that, soak your dog’s feet in water to dry them off. Another option is to use a dog paw washer. You fill the washer with water and submerge your dog’s paws in it, using the gentle brushes to get between the pads.
10. Spend money on sturdy materials
Choose dcor made of solid, long-lasting materials to prevent a soiled couch and clawed-up carpet. Indoor/outdoor rugs feature a low pile that resists tearing easily and may be cleaned with a hose outside if spills happen. Use stain-resistant materials whenever you can in high traffic areas like the living room. Your home will look cleaner and easier to maintain with them.
Although spending time with your dog is much more essential than worrying about his or her dirty paws and shedding, you can use these tips to ease the situation a little.
Lea Schneider is a skilled organizing consultant who also enjoys dogs. She uses her organizing skills in her own home. For The Home Depot, Lea contributes her cleaning advice. You may view a large selection of vacuums here if you’re looking into buying one for your home.
What should I put on walls to keep dogs out?
The Cardinal Gates Wall Shield is a quick and inexpensive way to stop pets from pawing and scratching at your walls. The Wall Shield is a durable, plastic product made in the USA that is latex-free, non-toxic, and crystal transparent. The Wall Shield is perfect for Doggie Day Care and similar settings because it is tough but simple to cut.
How can I maintain a dust-free home when I have pets?
Most domestic issues may usually be resolved by starting at the root. Without plastic-wrapping every surface, it is impossible to address the origin of dust in the home. The best option, short of purchasing a truckload of plastic wrap, is to keep as much dust outside and routinely remove the rest. How? Read on.
Wear House-Only Shoes
Although it’s customary to take off your shoes when entering someone else’s home in various regions of the country, there are always others who object to the idea of a no-shoe policy. They would probably change their minds if they learned that up to 80% of household dust ends up on people’s shoes. (Related: How to Maintain Clean Carpets.)
This does not imply that you must tolerate a mounting pile of shoes at the entrances. Family members’ shoes can be left on a boot tray at your entryway so they know where they belong. Additionally, it will catch any drips or muck to prevent a mess from falling onto your floor. So that no one has to struggle with cold feet, you might even have a little basket of slippers nearby.
Stop Dirt at the Doors
People can wipe their feet before entering your home by placing sturdy mats at each entry. Even if people remove their shoes indoors, that behavior alone will greatly reduce the amount of dust tracked indoors. You’ll see a noticeable reduction in dust if you shake the mats outside or vacuum them every couple of days. Dust penetrates through carpeting and mats to the floor below, so while cleaning them, make sure to vacuum or rinse all sides.
By preventing dust from being pushed into gaps around your doors, weatherstripping can help lower indoor air quality. If you live in an arid or rural area or if a drought has left your lawn dry and barren, this is a particularly important step. Ensure that your windows are properly closed and that they seal tightly as well. Then, caulk any cracks along the window frames.
Don’t Blow Dust Around
The majority of manufacturers recommend changing your HVAC filter every three months, but doing so more frequently will greatly reduce the amount of dust in your house. Use disposable, low-cost filters, and change them every 30 days. Setting a recurring reminder on your phone or calendar can help you remember things. Additionally, sweep or clean the area close to your furnace. Additionally, if you have an outside condenser unit, you should thoroughly clean it every spring. Here is a YouTube video that demonstrates.
Clean the Air Ducts
When was the last time you opened your floor register’s vent cover and looked inside? You may find quite a few items in the vents if you have children or animals. You’ll notice less dust floating around if you keep the vents and ducts clean. The initial cleaning of each vent takes around five minutes, and subsequent cleanings take less than a minute each. To get you started, here’s how to clean your air ducts. Remember to wash those dirty wall vent covers and floor registers!
Control Dust Mites in Your Bed
Everybody has heard the commercials warning about the accumulation of dust mites, dander, and dead skin flakes in mattresses over time. They also accumulate in cushions and bedding. Reduce this by frequently washing your bedding and vacuuming your mattress on a seasonal basis. This entails washing your pillowcases and sheets once a week, your mattress, duvet, or uncovered comforters once a month, and the rest of your bedding once a season.
Vacuum Effectively
The number of people who live in your home will determine how frequently you should vacuum. Every room should be thoroughly vacuumed once a week, with high-traffic areas getting attention every other day. However, it involves more than just slowly moving the vacuum back and forth while using overlapping strokes. Most people vacuum too quickly, which prevents the machine from having time to collect all the debris. After cleaning the entire room from wall to wall, turn 90 degrees and repeat the process. When you vacuum your floors properly, you’ll remove a lot more dust.
Use the Right Equipment to Clean Dust
Although feather dusters are adorable and vintage, they are terrible at cleaning dust. The dust will escape the feathers as you move around the room, even if you heed the advice to stroke the surfaces rather than “tickle” them. The soft-bristled dusting attachment on your vacuum can be used to clean baseboards, mini-blinds, and drapes or curtains. Use a damp microfiber cloth and dust properly for anything else, including hard surfaces like tabletops and shelves.
Use the Dryer Sheet Trick
Even when the furniture in the immediate vicinity remains largely dust-free, some hard surfaces operate as dust magnets. Particularly Rubberwood does this. Run a dryer sheet across the top of tables and shelves after wiping with a moist towel; the anti-static coating will help keep them dust-free for longer.
Humidify Your Home’s Air
You’ll notice more dust in your home the dryer the air inside is. This is because dry skin releases flakes as a result of dry air. In addition to evaporating moisture from your furnishings, dry indoor air can also cause paint to start to peel and crack. If you have a whole-home humidifier, make sure it’s in good operating order and use it frequently as the weather becomes chilly. If necessary, cool mist room diffusers can replace or supplement a whole-home humidifier by adding humidity. Diffusers and humidifiers can also aid in reducing static electricity in your house.
Minimize Clutter
You’ll notice less dust in your home the less stuff you have lying around accumulating it. Therefore, address the clutter issues first in order to control the dust issue in your home. Clear your counters of anything you don’t use every day. Give things you no longer want or that don’t fit your style or personality away or donate them. Maintain your closet floors clean so that you can vacuum them by hanging up any clothing you are not wearing. The floor directly under your bed is also a terrible dust magnet. (Need more direction? The Golden Rules of Decluttering are listed below.)
Tumble the Dust Out
Dust tends to accumulate on soft furnishings. Cleaning your curtains on a regular basis with a vacuum cleaner or washing them is an excellent method to cut down on dust. But another quick method to remove dust is to run it through your dryer. This method also works on textiles like silk that cannot be washed. Put the garment in your dryer after removing any curtain rings, zippers, or other hardware. Select a fluff or no-heat setting, then let the piece tumble for a while. While the dryer vent removes the dust from your home, the tumbling movement of the fabric releases it. So simple!
Replace Your Old Carpets
Even the greatest vacuums can’t completely eliminate the dirt that carpets collect beneath the pad over time. While properly shampooing or steam cleaning your carpet is beneficial, doing so too frequently will hasten the wear and tear on your carpet. The dust in your house is then supplemented by glue and pieces of carpet fiber. Replace your carpets with hard flooring if you can. Cleaning up is so much simpler.
Groom Pets Outdoors
Dogs and cats lose fur and dead skin flakes, which produces a tremendous amount of dust. Regular grooming reduces the amount of pet hair, particularly if you brush your pet outside, when any dandruff or other fluff will stay outside of your home. Brush them on top of an old towel spread out on the bathroom floor if you are unable to do it outside. The towel should be collected, shaken outside, and then cleaned.
Clean Your Air on Cleaning Day
Ironically, cleaning your home makes the air in your house more dustier. Put your home’s HVAC to work to prevent it from settling back down on your furnishings and floors. You can accomplish this at any time of year by just turning on your system’s fan while you clean. Once you’re finished, leave it running for another 15 minutes. The enthusiast “Any dust you stirred up while cleaning will be removed if you blow the air through your home’s filter. Your furniture will remain dust-free for longer if you turn it off.
It takes time to control the dust issue in your home, but if you persevere, it is feasible. To eliminate dust in your home, start by using one or two of these strategies. Then, as time and money permit, add more.
These quick, daily emails highlight quick housekeeping tasks that may be completed in a matter of minutes each day. It’s they who “The trick to making your house properly clean or finding your cleaning motivation again if you’ve lost it amid the chaos.
