How to Keep Your House Clean with Pets
Pets can make quite a mess.
But it doesn’t mean that your house has to be a mess.
You can have a clean home and happy pets, with just a little consistency and effort.
Okay, let me start off with a little bit of a truth bomb.
I don’t really like to do housework.
It’s way down on the list of things I like to do.
In fact, it may be one of my least favourite things to do.
If someone invented a self-cleaning house, I’d be on the waiting list to buy one.
BUT, I do love a clean house. Sadly, I’ve learned that houses just don’t clean themselves. That technology doesn’t exist.
And, as smart as my pets are, they definitely haven’t learned to clean up after themselves. I wish. Good thing they’re worth the extra effort.
Pet hair, scattered toys, smelly litter boxes, muddy paw prints, and the occasional accident or hairball don’t exactly help keep our houses clean. Go figure.
Dealing with pet mess can be a challenge. Is it even possible to keep your house clean with pets?
The good news is, YES, you can have a clean house with pets, without constantly cleaning.
There’s a lot of little things we can do to make it easier. Trust me, I’ve done the research.
Let’s talk about it...
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Tools To Use:
There are a few tools that can make your life easier when it comes to cleaning with pets in your home. And, who doesn’t want life to be easier?
Vacuums
This can include regular vacuums, cordless vacuums, robot vacuums, and even carpet cleaners. You don’t need to have fancy tools. But, sometimes, a little splurge to make life easier is a good thing. But we’ll talk about these in more detail later.
Pet hair removal broom
In 2021, I bought the FURemover, still use it regularly, and I highly recommend it. This is a broom with rubber bristles and has a squeegee edge too. It’s very effective at pulling pet hair out of your carpets. It’s also great for wood, tile, and vinyl floors and more. The rubber acts like a magnet and attracts the pet hair and dust. You can even use it as a squeegee for cleaning the nose art off windows and muddy paw prints off the floor.
Even after vacuuming, this rubber broom can pull a surprising amount of fur from this small rug.
Enzyme Cleaners
Enzyme cleaners, such as Nature’s Miracle, use natural enzymes to break down organic stains and odours. They are effective for eliminating stains and, perhaps even more importantly, odours due to vomit, urine, and other bodily fluids.
They are an eco-safe and pet-safe alternative to harsh chemicals and cleaners and will work on many surfaces and materials, including carpet, tile, blankets, and clothing.
When your pet has an accident or is ill, they can be a lifesaver for keeping your home clean and smelling fresh.
Baking Soda
You may know this compound as baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, or bicarbonate of soda. They’re all the same product and it’s an amazing and versatile product to use when you have pets.
You can deodorize carpets and furniture by sprinkling a light dusting, waiting 15-20 minutes, and then vacuuming.
You can sprinkle it in your cat’s litter box to help keep odours to a minimum.
If your pet has an accident, mix equal parts baking soda with white vinegar(which I probably should’ve also included on this list) to make a paste to apply to the spot. Leave for several minutes and then sponge it up for cleaning and deodorizing the spot.
When washing pet beds and blankets, add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda to the wash cycle to improve the clean.
You can even use it sparingly as a DIY dry shampoo when mixed with an equal portion of cornstarch. Rub into your pet’s fur, avoiding their face, eyes, nose, and ears. Then brush thoroughly to remove. Just use this sparingly. A little goes a long way and make sure your pet doesn’t ingest it.
Essential Oils?
A note about essential oils. We tend to think that, if a product is naturally sourced, it’s safe for our pets. This isn’t always true. Plants can be very toxic to both humans and animals.
If you have a bird, for instance, you should avoid essential oils in your home, altogether.
Cats are susceptible to toxicity due to the lack of an enzyme in their livers to break down the oils. Even with the use of a diffuser, cats should be kept in a separate area of your home to avoid exposure.
Some essential oils are especially dangerous such as wintergreen, citrus, clove, eucalyptus, tea tree, and cinnamon. The general rule is that essential oils and cats do not mix.
While dogs are a little less prone to toxicity, some varieties can also cause health issues, including the types listed for cats. Make sure you know what types can be used and keep their exposure to a minimum.
Never put essential oils on their skin or fur and keep well out of their reach to avoid ingestion. This includes products that have been marketed for pets, such as flea and tick products.
Cleaning Tips When You Have Pets
So, you have your tools ready to go. How do we make cleaning with pets around even easier?
1)REGULAR CLEANING ROUTINE
Establishing a regular routine for keeping on top of your pet and their messes is absolutely necessary. I find that if I wait to do a once a week mega clean, it can be overwhelming. This will lead me to avoid it like the plague and it just gets worse. Vicious cycle, right?
So, I do a little cleaning each day. Just a few minutes a day dedicated to staying on top of things makes all the difference.
You don’t always have to be thorough. Consistent is better. Pet hair, especially, can get out of control very, very quickly, especially during shedding seasons.
You can share your chores with your whole family. A chore checklist that is specific for pet tasks or one that just combines these tasks with other cleaning tasks can be useful.
You can do general quick cleans daily and then choose one room a day to deep clean. If that doesn’t work for your schedule(it doesn’t for me), then pick one day to do the whole house more thoroughly. When you do the short daily cleans, this isn’t nearly as overwhelming.
Personally, I do daily short cleans and then clean more thoroughly twice a week. One day is for upstairs rooms and I add on my basement laundry room, and one day is for main level rooms that we spend a lot more time using.
But, even on a heavy clean day, I don’t spend more than an hour or so cleaning. Because, as I mentioned, I’m not a fan of it.
2)START AT THE SOURCE
Get your pets used to regular brushing and cleaning. Treat it as an enrichment for your pet. They get to spend quality time with you, getting your undivided attention and lots of loving. They may even get a treat or two for good behaviour.
Dogs, especially, will need occasional bathing, and maybe even a trip to the groomer, depending on their grooming needs.
Cats are more self-sufficient but a regular brushing, especially for long-haired cats, is necessary.
When your pets come in with wet or muddy paws or fur, be ready with an old towel or paw cleaner to catch them right at the door. A mess caught before it spreads to your floor or furniture is way easier to deal with.
Cats tend to track litter around so a mat by their litter box could help catch the mess before it gets away.
3)PET-FRIENDLY ENTRYWAY
As mentioned in this last tip, be ready to handle those messes right at your entryway. There’s nothing like a freshly cleaned floor to attract a dog’s muddy, dusty, or slushy paw print. Ya, we’ve all been there.
An indoor/outdoor rug, or a washable rug at the door for your pet to sit on while getting cleaned up is an easy way to keep muddy paw prints from your living space.
Along with leashes and other walking supplies, have an old towel, a lint brush, and paw wipes or paw-cleaning tool ready to go. There’s nothing like scrambling for supplies while your dog is trying to follow you through your house, muddy paws and all.
If you’d like to read more about setting up a pet friendly home, read Pet Friendly Home Decor Ideas
Click the photo to read more about setting up pet friendly spaces in your home
4)LITTER BOX
Scoop those litter boxes daily. I love my Litter Locker. Think of it like a diaper genie for cat waste. I have even retrofitted it by using a compostable plastic bag inside to catch the litter. That can then be removed and placed in my green bin waste for weekly pick-up. The Litter Locker still catches the waste and holds back the odour.
There are many options for kitty litter. I have been using a lightweight clumping cat litter. It works well but does still get tracked through my laundry room. A cat litter mat placed adjacent to the litter box can collect bits of litter.
The Petinstinct litter mat has a honeycomb top layer and solid bottom layer to trap litter that can be poured out and recycled. It comes in several different sizes and colours too, just for fun.
My mom uses pine pellets with her cat and it seems to be a great option. I’m curious how well Hunter would adjust to it. I know I would need to slowly add the pellets to the litter so he could make that adjustment. I may just try it out as an experiment and let everyone know how that goes.
5)PET FOOD BOWLS
Pet food and water bowls should be cleaned daily. Use mats under the bowls to catch spills and clean the feeding area often to get rid of any accumulated mess.
Hunter likes to hook his food out of his bowl with his paw occasionally. It’s not so bad when it’s his kibble but he makes quite the mess with his wet food. He’ll even flick it off his paw onto the wall so I have to keep cleaning the wall too. It’s a good thing he’s so cute!
6)PET TOYS
Your pet’s toys will need to be cleaned regularly. Between slobber and grimy build-up, they can get stinky and gross in short order.
Soft plushy toys can often be washed in the washing machine while hard toys can be cleaned with vinegar and water and then well-rinsed. If they can’t be cleaned with either method(for instance, catnip mice), you may just have to replace them as they get yucky.
Toys like Kongs can be hand-washed in the sink or even run through the dishwasher. I like to do a separate cycle in the dishwasher with Kongs, lick mats, pet dishes, and any other dishwasher safe pet items.
You know how good it feels to climb into a bed with fresh, clean sheets?
Your pets will feel the same when you clean their favourite sleeping spot and bedding.
7)PET BEDS AND CRATES
The places where your pet sleeps can quickly accumulate dirt, grime, pet fur, and stinky odours. Keep crates and enclosures scrubbed with pet-friendly cleaners and make sure your pet’s bedding is washable and durable to withstand regularly cleanings.
8) WINDOWS AND WALLS
Walls and windows can accumulate dirt from your pets too. Nose art on your windows and patio doors is hard to miss. What we don’t often notice is the gradual build-up of dirt and grime caused by your pets as they rub against walls and door frames. When you clean it, it’s hard to imagine how you missed it.
The edges of curtains can get furry and a little dirty too as curious pets poke their heads through the curtains to see the big world outside. Choose curtain materials that can be washed regularly to keep them looking and smelling fresh and clean.
9)AIR PURIFIERS
An air purifier might just be my next big investment. A good air purifier with a HEPA filter can help remove pet dander and odours from the air. I really want a decent one but need to decide which one will our best option. Any suggestions? Comment below and let me know!
Your HVAC system will also do a lot of work to clean your air as it heats and cools your home. Change your filters regularly to keep your system working efficiently.
10) CLEANING CADDY
Keep a cleaning caddy with supplies ready to go for pet cleaning emergencies. I have a plastic bucket that came with kitty litter in it that I now use to hold gloves, enzyme cleaner, garbage bags, paper towels, and disinfecting wipes. I keep it ready to go in case one of my pets coughs up a hairball, vomits, or has an accident. I rarely have to use it but it’s so handy to have on hand when I need it.
Hunter is usually afraid of vacuums
But this quiet little robot vacuum is more of a curiousity than an object to be feared.
11)Vacuums
Okay, remember how I said I would get to this part?
I have several vacuums. No, really. I have a Dyson upright vacuum that does the heavy duty cleanings. I also have a Shark Rocket vacuum for quick cleanings and smaller area like rugs or the stairs.
I have a Bissell Little Green Pet Pro for spot cleaning carpets and upholstery(and cleaning my truck interior). This little cleaner is amazing and I love it.
The newest addition to my vacuum family is a Lefant M210P Robot vacuum. It was on sale for a super price and I decided that I finally needed to treat myself.
I’ve only used it 3 times and I already adore it. It’s quiet so I can still watch TV or listen to music without it being a bother. In fact, I’m running it right now as I’m writing this blog.
How cool is that?? This is the closest thing to a self-cleaning house that I’ve experienced. I could get used to this.
It does a great job of picking up pet hair and dust on carpet, tile, and hardwood.
It’s a great little vacuum for daily general cleaning. I will use my other vacuums for the deep cleanings but this little machine is going to make the deep cleans faster and easier.
As for my pets’ reactions, Lucy is mildly curious but not bothered by it. It takes a lot to bother her so I’m not surprised.
Hunter stays out of it’s way but will also follow it around to watch it and gets quite close. He’s terrified of the other vacuums, and the mop and broom, for that matter. So, this is a step in the right direction for him.
SET HEALTHY EXPECTATIONS
Okay, so this all seems like a lot to stay on top of sometimes.
But let’s be real. Your home is not going to be perfect all the time.
There will be messes. There will be times that you’re just too busy to pay attention to every detail. That’s the way it is with pets, just like with kids(and, let’s face it, grown-ups, too).
And that’s okay. Just keep picking away at it, don’t stress about it, and definitely don’t let it keep you from enjoying your pets.
With a bit of effort and consistency, you can have a clean home and happy pets. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Do you have any ideas that help make cleaning easier in your house of pets?
If so, drop me a comment. I’m always looking for new ways to make cleaning my house more efficient and easier. And I’m always willing to learn!
