When you have pets, cleaning up after them is unavoidable. Conquer the chore of cleaning up after your pet with these best tips.
Having a pet is one of the most amazing experiences in life. Some people even equate it to having a child. While there’s no doubt that we love our pets like family, cleaning up after them can become a huge chore.
There’s hair and toys and hidden treasures and possibly litter and bedding to deal with. It can become exhausting and feel overwhelming. I’ve put together some tips to help you better deal with cleaning up after your pet.
Best tips for cleaning up after your pet
1. Don’t wait to clean up after your pet
It’s tempting to relegate chores like vacuuming pet hair or cleaning up where they have been in the yard to a once-weekly chore. The problem is, if you wait that long, the chore becomes so big you don’t want to do it at all.
Instead, vacuum in small chunks every other day. Vacuum the living room one day, the hallway another day, and the bedrooms on the weekend.
Make sure that you invest in a quality vacuum. An older vacuum may not be able to keep up with a long-haired pet, or multiple pets. The Bissel Cleanview Pet Deluxe vacuum and the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum are two of the best vacuums for dealing with pet hair.
2. Stay on top of cleaning the furniture
Set aside fifteen to thirty minutes each day to remove pet hair from the furniture even if you try to keep your animals off the furniture. Let’s be serious, they probably get on the furniture when you leave.
Every time they shake, their hair goes flying through the room, landing on every surface. I promise, your couch and bed has pet hair on it. Using a pet hair remover like this one will help you do the job quickly.
3. Sweep daily
Sweeping, like vacuuming, should be done daily. You will be surprised at the places you find dog hair. Pet hair will migrate to corners of rooms with hardwood floors. It will get under your refrigerator and behind your washing machine.
If your entire house has hardwood floors, make sure to sweep behind large furniture like beds, couches, and entertainment centers weekly, so that hair doesn’t build up and cause dust bunnies!
4. Rotate the worst chores when cleaning up after your pet
No one wants to clean up the yard where your pet has been. Taking turns is only fair. Make sure that whoever has to deal with it has the right tools. A pet scoop or litter box scoop, nitrile gloves, and disposal bags.
Consider investing money, on a good litter system for your cat. Invest in the most expensive one you can afford. I’m a fan of the Breeze system. I’ve used it with multiple cats and it helped control the odor and made litter box changes less unpleasant.
5. Groom your pet regularly
If you groom your pet every few days, there’s a lot less shedding that’s going to happen on your couch or your carpet. Some animals find organized grooming stressful. If that’s the case, it may not be a good idea to sit down with a brush and a bag.
A set of grooming gloves may be a better choice. Even a good firm scratching session after a run outside may help loosen up loose hair before making the trek back indoors.
Make regular appointments with a certified groomer to keep their coat in check. If you’re finding a lot of signs of dry skin, adding a supplement like fish oil to their food, should help reduce the dander.
Cleaning up after your pet and keeping your home clean with a doesn’t have to be overwhelming or challenging. It is a job that you will have to do a small bit of every day. Make sure to enlist the help of the other members in your household to make the job go easier and faster!
More on Cleaning
- Vinegar Cleaning Hacks: Make Your Own Cleaner
- How Often You Should Clean Common Areas In Your Home
- 10 Daily Tidy Up Activities To Keep Your Home Clean
Keisha K. Page is a freelance writer, mother of five, and a grandma. She’s trying to embrace the chaos of working full time, chasing a giant dog, living in the mountains of Colorado, and supporting her two youngest children through chronic illness.
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