I have two dogs. They are not the doodle non-shedding type of dogs. They are french bulldogs and they may be small, but they sure can dirty our home. Like many families, our dogs are part of the family meaning that they are free to roam anywhere in the house and sleep on the sofa or bed. They are so cute and cuddly that the messes they make are worth it, but it does take some work to keep our home clean. Here are 5 ways to keep your home clean with dogs.
1) Vacuum regularly to keep your floors clean
I don’t know about your pets, but my dogs shed a TON of fur. They are short haired, but that short hair sheds so easily on anything and everything. All my dogs have to do is walk and it’s snowing fur. With all that fur on the floor, vacuuming every other day is a necessity. Before you even suggest it, I have tried a robot vacuum, but I didn’t find it very effective. More importantly, my dogs wanted to kill it so the robot had to go.
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Since I have to vacuum so often, I knew I needed something lightweight and portable. Several years ago I fell in love with the ease of a cordless vacuum. Yet, I found that many cordless vacuums would die on me or stop working effectively after several months of use. Then I discovered the Tineco Cordless Vacuum and it was a game changer.
This vacuum is easy to move around and picks up all the hair and dust so thoroughly. I love that it has a light at the base so you can easily see all the dirt on the floor. If you haven’t tried this, I recommend vacuuming with the lights off and blinds closed. When it’s dark, the vacuum light shows all the floor debris just like one of those blue lights that shows you things you don’t want to know about. This vacuum is not as cheap as many others, but I’ve owned it for almost 2 years and it’s still going strong. It picks up dirt and dog hair much better than the other cordless vacuums I’ve owned so I can confidently say that it was a wise purchase.
shop Tineco cordless vacuum, $290
2) More about floors – steam clean them
Dogs are also very good at getting the hardwoods dirty with their muddy little paws. I remember Martha Stewart once said that she wiped her dogs paws before they came in the house. That’s just not realistic for me and most other people. I accept that dogs are just going to track in a bit of dirt in my home so I mop my floors once a week. Traditional mops are tedious and really not that effective. To repeatedly dip the mop in dirty water with cleaner isn’t really that clean so I much prefer a steam cleaning mop. I use the Bissell Steam Mop and love it.
If you haven’t used one before, a steam mop basically involves cleaning your floors with just steam rather than floor cleaner and water. The mop is corded and you simply fill the tank with water, turn on the steam mop, and begin mopping away with steam. It’s really easy to use and much quicker than a mop and a bucket. It’s also better for your home–no harsh chemicals on the floor. I use the steam cleaner on both my hardwoods and tile. It glides easily on the floor with the swivel head and cleans my floors so thoroughly. The microfiber pad can be removed, tossed in the wash, and reused.
3) Cover your sofas and chairs to prevent pet stains
If you like to cuddle with your pets and keep you home clean, then protecting your furniture is essential. Dogs will dirty up sofas and chairs over time. These furniture covers for our sofa and chairs were a great find that are a must for our furniture.
They covers come in multiple colors and sizes and are reversible. I have the light and dark beige cover and I think it coordinates well with my neutral home. The covers are soft and comfortable and stay on the furniture well. They are machine washable and hold up well. The best part about these furniture covers are that they’re waterproof. My dog peed on the sofa one time (eek!) and the pee did not soak through. How fortunate that I had the covers on the furniture!
shop waterproof furniture cover, $14-$50
4) Have pet stain spray handy for accidents
It’s a pretty sure bet that your pet will have an accident from time to time. To remove pet stains and odors, I like to use Biokleen Pet Stain Remover. BioKleen uses bio-enzymatic cleaning to safely eliminate stains and odors. It’s more economical to buy the large liquid and apply it using spray bottles. I admit that my dogs have been naughty before and they actually peed on our floor length custom curtains. I was horrified! Believe it or not, the Biokleen removed the odor and stains. Phew! I always have this pet cleaner handy for unfortunate times like this.
shop spray bottles | shop Biokleen
5) Use a pet placemat for dog bowls
Dogs can make a big mess with their water and food bowls. One of my dogs is much messier than the other when he eats and drinks. I don’t know how he spills so much food and water. To contain the mess and protect my floors, I use a silicone pet placemat for the dog bowls. The raised edges contain all the spilled water so it doesn’t leak onto the floor. The mat comes in various colors and sizes. I have the grey one that’s 16×24″ and it fits a large bowl and two small bowls.
You can keep your home clean with dogs
You can have a nice clean home with dogs. It just takes a little more care and effort to safeguard your home and furnishings. I hope you find these products helpful for your home. Remember, our fur babies are sweet and loving and cleaning up after them is well worth it.
