Thursday, January 28, 2010

Housecleaning 101: Tips on Maintaining a Clean Dog Loving Home

Keeping a clean house can be a challenge & struggle especially when you have pets roaming around and a long cleaning to do list. But with a little elbow grease and some daily tiding up with the Swiffer, pets and a clean house can co-exist. So, don't let housecleaning steal the joy of having the unconditional love that comes from owning a pet. Here are a few tips to help keep your house staying clean and not smelling of a barnyard.

1. Get a welcome doormat. Doormats placed at the entry way helps to remove dirt, grime and debris from your shoes & dogs paws that would otherwise dirty up your spotless floors.

2. Keep entry ways tidy & swept to decrease the amount of dirt being tracked in doors.

3. Take off your dirty shoes upon entering the home. I guess Fido you are off the hook!

4. Wipe down your dogs pads after a long day of play in the yard or at the park before they enter the home. Keeping a basket of towels in arms reach is great if you have a dog that loves to get his or her paws dirty, muddy or wet.

5. Vacuum on a weekly basis to keep home dust, dander, fur & dirt free. Use a HEPA filter system which is more energy efficient & effective.

6. Let Fido do his or her part, bathe your pup on monthly basis to minimize the amount of cleaning you have to do. Brushing your dog on a regular basis will keep tumbleweed size furballs off the floor & couch. However, it is not advise to give your dogs a bath everyday, unless your pup has decided to roll in a muddy puddle or something dead & stinky. Frequent bathing, although good intentions, can dry out dogs natural oils in their coat. Dogs naturally love to get dirty so suds them up with an all natural shampoo & conditioner, harmless on your dog & the environment.

7. Keep your dogs water & food bowl clean as a whistle. Making sure to refresh your dogs water bowl several times of day w/ filtered water.

8. Keep your home squeaky green by opting for commercial eco-friendly cleaning products. If you are lucky enough to be a Mrs. Suzy homemaker or DIYer then use lemons, baking soda & vinegar to make your very own homemade cleaning products. Not only are homemade cleaners less toxic but economical. Martha Stewart would be so proud!

9. Breath in a breath of fresh of air. Make sure your home is well ventilated to reduce indoor air pollution, use air filters. Check your filters every 2-4 weeks for proper cleaning and to make sure they don't need changed. Which means less work for your heating & cooling system and more cost savings for you.

10. House-train your pet so they know where the bathroom is, outside and not on your well cleaned floors.

11. Make sure to choose a pet-friendly flooring that can stand the test of time and are easy to clean. Pets are known to make messes in the home and sadly even the most beautiful carpeting can become saturated with pet odor & stains. So for those high pet traffic areas here are some easy cleaning, green, renewable, non-toxic & eco-friendly flooring options: hardwood (keep pets toe nails trimmed), natural laminate, cork or bamboo.





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1 comment:

Jenna Culbertson said...

I had a friend who had a dog that was trained to wipe his paws on the matt before he came all the into the house.