Pet owners’ guide to a clean home

How to avoid a hairy home

Our pets love to remind us of their presence by leaving little furry reminders all over the place! You may have become used to finding dog or cat hairs on your clothes, but having hair all over your carpets and soft furnishings gets a little awkward when guests come to visit. Here’s how to stay on top of your pets’ shedding!

Brushing

Regularly brushing your pet removes most of the excess hair from their coats – better it’s on the brush than on your cushions. This is especially important in the summer months as your dog or cat may be shedding their winter coats, and getting rid of this fur can help them stay cool.

Not only does brushing have practical uses, but it’s also a lovely bonding experience between you and your pet. Most cats and dogs absolutely love being pampered with the brush, so it’s a win-win for both of you.

Vacuuming tips

When it comes to battling with fur around your home, the vacuum cleaner is your best friend. However, hair can be pretty stubborn and can easily get embedded in carpets, rugs, and fabric sofas.

Using the brush attachment on your vacuum can help to dislodge hairs from deeper in the pile of your soft furnishings, and are also brilliant for cleaning car seats.

Don’t forget to use the thin nozzle attachment for those hard-to-reach spots where hair can easily accumulate – both animal and human! Get stuck in and vacuum between sofa cushions, around the edge of your rooms, and anywhere else that could get hairy. Trust us, it could be anywhere!

Don’t get disheartened; owning a pet comes with a certain level of acceptance that, no matter how much you vacuum, you’ll always find a pet hair somewhere. It’s a fact of life!

Lint rollers & alternatives

Unless you’re using a handheld vacuum, it can be a bit of a slog having to take the vacuum out of storage every time you find a clump of pet fur.

Lint rollers are a quick, easy, and great value alternative for spot-cleaning your home. Traditionally used for clothing, they can also do a great job of de-furring your sofas, chairs, and car seats too!

Has your lint roller lost its stick? Not to worry! Simply grab a length of tape and press it against any surfaces that are looking a little shabby to lift up the hairs.

How to battle pet odours

Having a home that smells like damp dog isn’t an ideal situation. It’s well worth spending a bit of time on un-stinking your space!

Keep bedding and toys clean

Their bed is where pets usually spend most of their time, so it’s liable to getting a little stinky if left for too long. Grabbing a pet bed which is machine washable is ideal, but if not, simply cover their bed in an old towel and replace it every so often.

Their favourite toys can also kick up a bit of a pong over time if they love using them! Fill up a bucket with hot water and use washing up liquid to help you scrub the toys clean. Give them a rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper before giving them back.

Always use separate cleaning utensils for your pet products – don’t use the same ones for general washing up.

Use eco-friendly deodorisers

There’s plenty of products out there which claim to neutralise odours and add fresh fragrance to your home. However, these normally have lots of chemicals in which may irritate your pet. Also, cats and dogs have a far more acute sense of smell than ours; what may smell lovely and fresh to you could be overwhelming for our pets!

You can save yourself the hassle, as well as time and money, by using pantry staples to clean your home with. White vinegar makes a fantastic general-purpose cleaner, and it’s so cheap to do! Mix equal parts of water and vinegar with a squirt of washing up liquid to create a surface and floor cleaner in no time at all.

That’s the hard surfaces sorted, but it’s our soft furnishings which trap most of the musty smells in our homes. For this, grab some baking soda, otherwise known as bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle some over your carpets and rugs, leave it to work for 15 minutes, and go over it with a vacuum.

The soda will absorb any grease or dirt (even the bits you can’t see), and has naturally deodorising properties for a fresher smelling home.

Top tip: the use-by date on baking soda is shorter than you may think, but it’s still perfectly good for cleaning after that point. Pop some in a bowl in the fridge to make it smell fresher, or use it to help you scrub stubborn stains off pots and pans!

Air purifiers

An air purifier does a brilliant job at clearing the air in your home. This includes tiny particles which can make the room smell, as well as pet dander which can aggravate allergies. They’re available in all kinds of sizes to suit your space, and are relatively inexpensive to run.

Combine these with a fresh-smelling diffuser or scented candle and you’ll have a perfectly inviting home in no time!

Keep a lid on the litterbox

Cats are naturally clean creatures, but when they do their ‘business’ indoors it’s inevitable to get a little stinky!

Make sure you’re emptying your cat’s litter box regularly, and use a clumping litter to help you stay on top of cleanliness.

Once every month or so, remove all the litter, clean out the tray with a pet-safe cleaner, and refill with fresh litter to avoid any smells from building up. It also keeps your cat happy!

Ideally, your cat’s litter tray should be in a well-ventilated and low-traffic area of your home to avoid stinking out the place. However, for smaller homes, a litter tray with a roof can help to keep bad smells at bay.

Grooming advice

A muddy puddle to a dog is like a red rag to a bull. If your beloved pooch has been swimming in dirty water or rolling about in something suspicious, you may need to give them a bath for the sake of the smell in your home, as well as the state of your carpets!

Use a purpose-made pet shampoo and give them a good soak in the bath with warm water, but beware: when dogs are wet, they’ll try to shake all the water out. Something to be aware of! Keep plenty of towels handy and dry them off as best you can before letting them loose in the rest of the house.

If your dog or cat is prone to bad breath, there are dental products like chews, bones, or pastes which can help them get pearly whites and a fresher smelling breath. If your pet likes to wake you up in the morning by jumping on the bed, you’ll be thankful for this!

How to deal with ‘little accidents’

It’s bound to happen eventually: no matter the age of your pet, they are prone to accidents sometimes. Finish your lunch first and read on to learn what to do in case of any sick, poop, or urine from your animal.

Prevention over cure

With proper training, you can minimise the likelihood of your pet using your home as a toilet. Use things like puppy pads to help train your dog, and always make sure they’re walked regularly to get rid of anything!

Cats learn how to use a litter box from a young age, but if the litter box is full (or stinky), it’ll be less likely to use it. Keep your litter tray in tip-top condition and empty it regularly.

If your cat is hesitant to use it for any reason, try moving it to a different location, or try it with the lid off for a while first. Cats won’t feel comfortable doing their business in high traffic areas, so keep moving the litter tray around until you find the perfect spot.

Fast cleanup tips

If your pet has had an accident, remember: don’t tell them off. They’re very unlikely to have done it on purpose.

Keep an eye on your pet afterwards to see if it’s acting strangely, and always seek veterinary advice if you’re unsure. If you have wilko pet insurance, you’ll have access to 24/7 vetphone support – perfect for queries like this!

For hardwood or laminate floors, use kitchen roll or a cleaning wipe to get rid of the ‘matter’, whatever that may be. Then use a household cleaner (or the vinegar spray we made earlier) to neutralise any odours and kill off any bacteria.

For carpets, we’d recommend using kitchen roll to pick up as much as you can before sprinkling baking soda over the area. Leave it to work for 15 minutes before wiping it up and vacuuming if necessary. This should help to absorb liquids, prevent stains, and stop any bad smells.

You can use the same techniques for mud; however, you may find it easier if you let it dry completely first. Then you can simply brush it off!

Create a cleaning schedule

Keeping your home clean can be simpler if you break it down into manageable timeframes! Here’s what we recommend for dog and cat owners:

Daily

• Spot clean accidents
• Empty the cat’s litter box

Weekly

• Deep clean pet areas, such as where they eat
• Grooming

Monthly

• Empty & replace cat litter, clean the tray
• Clean air filters in the air purifier
• Clean pet bedding