Have you wondered how friends and family members keep the house clean, even when they have a dog? We’re sharing the tricks that help them keep a spotless home.
There’s much to love about having a pet dog in your life. All those snuggling sessions on the couch, the long walks in the sunshine, the knowledge that there’s always a creature in your life who will be happy to see you — they’re all good things. However, it’d be wrong to suggest that having a pet dog was nothing but good things. There are some downsides! For example, let’s think about your home.
Whereas it might have been forever spotlessly clean in the old days, that’ll just be a thing of the past once there’s a canine in your life. However, a dog doesn’t have to mean that you’re living in a pigsty. It might not be spotless, but there are things you can do to to keep your pet’s dirty influence at bay. We take a look at a few examples how below.
A Clean Pet Equals a Clean House!
The cleaner your pooch is, the less opportunity they’ll have to make your home a mess. Pretty simple! Now, spending a Sunday afternoon washing down your pet isn’t most people’s idea of fun, but it is important, or at least it is if you’re trying to keep your home as clean as possible.
The issue with an unclean dog is that they can take their dirt with them wherever they go. If they jump up on your bed when they’re dirty, then your bed will be dirty afterward.
If you stay on top of their cleanliness, however, there’ll only be so much dirt that they’re able to spread throughout your property. Oh, and when we say cleaning, we mean really cleaning, not just giving a surface soak. Get some shampoo, and go deep.
Deep Cleanin Your House Periodically
Of course, even if you do commit to washing your pet every week, they’re still going to find ways to bring dirt and germs and scents into your home. They’ll always find a way!
To prevent your home from having a permanent thin layer of dog dirt and grime, make sure you’re giving your property a thoroughly deep clean on a regular basis. Those surface tidy ups are all well and good, but they don’t get rid of as much dirt as you’d like. A deep clean means pulling back the furniture, and going to town with a mop and bucket. You’ll feel the difference afterward.
Daily Vacuum
A deep clean will prevent your dog’s presence from sinking into your home at its core. But there’s still the surface level of dirt that you’ll need to handle, too. Most of your dog’s influence will be on the surface, in fact. They’ll be shedding, spilling some dog food onto the floor, and bringing leaves and other small debris into the home.
To keep the general quality of your property intact, commit to a quick vacuuming each day. It’ll take all of five minutes just to quickly go over your dog’s main hangout spots, yet will make a big difference.
Handle Issues
You’re the one who sets the rules in your house. Alas, your dog doesn’t always understand the rules. They disobey them, or sometimes involuntarily break them. The two biggest examples of standard dog behavior that can compromise the quality of a clean house are peeing on the floor and chewing your goods.
Sound toilet training is key to ensuring that your dog waits until they’re outside before going to the bathroom, but sometimes this isn’t always enough, such as when they’re incontinent.
In this case, take a look at buying some dog diapers from Pet Parents. Your dog chewing everything in sight is something you may have to deal with for a brief period in the early stages of their life, but you can limit how much damage they do by ensuring that they have enough chew toys to keep their mouth satisfied.
Wash and Prune Toys
And talking of toys, keep in mind that they’ll be a big source of the uncleanliness in your home. They spend a lot of time in the mouth of your dog, which means they’re going to have plenty of germs, and won’t be the best smelling item in your home.
Eventually, they’ll begin to radiate their scents and germs across the room. One simple trick is to soak your dog’s toys in warm water — they’ll be much more agreeable once they’re clean. Sometimes, however, even this approach won’t save your home.
There’ll come the point when it’s time to throw away your pet’s toy away for good. Make sure you’ve bought a new toy to distract your dog, and then quietly remove the old item from the property.
The Right Materials
You’ll find it much easier to keep your home clean and tidy if you’ve got materials that are easy to keep clean. You could end up barely noticing your dog’s presence, or you could make yourself go crazy — it all depends on the materials that you choose.
The best fabrics to have in your home include leather, microfiber, materials used on outdoor furniture, and canvas furniture covers. These are all either easy to clean, or strong enough to resist scratches and the like. Furniture covers are particularly recommended because they can just be slipped off and washed if they begin to feel a little dog dirty.
Scents for the Desired Clean House Smell
You love your pet, sure, but there’s sometimes no getting around the fact that they can be a little, well, smelly. It’s not their fault! But that doesn’t mean you want to live with it.
As such, make sure you’re taking the time to load up your home with fresh scents. Plug in diffusers, incense, and sweet-smelling reeds will all do their part to keep your home smelling clean. On a warm spring day, open those windows wide and let the fresh air do it’s magic, too.
Finally, remember to embrace a little mess. You’ll only lose your mind if you’re trying to fight every spot of dirt. A dog gives you plenty of love, you can live with some of their presence in your property. A clean house might just be overrated, anyway!
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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