Dogs are great, aren’t they? With their cute little faces and big soppy eyes, dogs are also really good fun to have around – they make a great playmate for your kids, keeping them out of your hair, and they give you company when you’re alone at home or out on a long walk. Of course, the downside of owning a dog is that it can make for quite a lot of extra cleaning. Even compared to kids, dogs are pretty messy – whether it is accidents on the carpet or rug when they are puppies, or the seemingly endless amounts of hair they shed. If you own a dog, here are some tips to keep your home clean, free of fur, and smelling great (instead of like the indescribable smell of wet dog!).
Floors
The easiest way to keep your floors clean when you have a dog is to go for laminate flooring or tiles, because unlike carpet or even wood they won’t soak up any house training accidents and leave a hard to remove smell behind. Of course, many people prefer the warmth, comfort and look of carpets, so if you are going to go for a carpet instead, make sure you choose a dark color or a pattern that will hide stains or areas that have been cleaned more regularly due to being a puppy’s favorite spot to ‘go’. Use a good carpet cleaning service like progreencarpetnc.com a couple of times a year (or more if you need to) and in between, make sure you hoover very thoroughly to pick up hair. You can buy pet resistant carpets too, which will still need cleaning but release hair more easily and don’t allow liquid to soak through to underlying layers or floor materials.
Sofas
Whether you want them to or not, dogs will sometimes find their way onto your sofas. This can be a big problem with some kinds of upholstery as fur will cling to it, ready to transfer itself onto your clothes when you sit down! To avoid this problem, go for leather furniture (or faux leather if you are vegan or just don’t like the price tag). This is much easier to wipe down when dirty paws have been on the sofa, will not let hair stick to it, and is also more resistant to claws.
A Place for Doggy Things
To avoid the house looking cluttered as your dog roams around with his favorite toys, seeming to drop them at almost completely arbitrary points all over the home, have a ‘toy box’ for your dog next to his bed (which he can get into). You may not be able to train him to put his toys away, but at least you will have somewhere to quickly gather them up and put them when you are tidying up that won’t look messy and will be accessible for the dog next time he wants his toy.
Keeping the home clean when you have a dog is not easy, but by choosing the right materials and avoiding clutter, you can still have a chic, tidy home while allowing your pet to live in comfort!