How Pet Parents Keep Their Homes Clean

#Pet parents know how hard it is to keep a home clean when #dogs and #cats are invited to cohabitate. While some can be relied upon to accomplish the simplest grooming tasks needed to stay clean themselves, our animal companions just don’t have the same cleanliness standards for the #home environment.

Let things go, and your home can quickly become beset with tracked-in dirt, shed hair, litter and other debris such as shredded toys. It takes a lot to stay on top of such #messes, but doing so can make everyone — #pets included — happier and heathier.

Hair is the first concern. The same thing that makes animals adorable comes loose constantly and sticks to clothing and furniture. Keep a lint roller or latex gloves handy remove it from upholstered surfaces, and be ready to sweep and vacuum frequently.

Robot vacuum cleaners are a good option for maintenance, says Kaleidoscope Living, but don’t think for a minute that they can eliminate all sweeping, vacuuming and mopping. They can cut down on these chores, however, as well as access hard-to-reach areas.

You can head off the accumulation of stray pet hair at the source by observing a good grooming schedule. Bathe and brush your pets regularly or take them to a groomer to help them shed that hair in a more manageable way.

Pets also tend to bring dirt in from the outdoors. Pet parents would be wise to keep towels at all entrances to wipe feet and coats before pets climb on the furniture or track in mud. Use washable rugs as another line of defense, MasterClass says; keep them at the door, under pets’ bowls and under litterboxes to catch debris and moisture.

Pets — like children — have occasional accidents. Have a stain and odor remover product available to clean up those messes and freshen the area. Or try what Architectural Digest calls the best pet stain-removing product for rugs and carpets: shaving cream.

You can find some items you’ll need to keep your house clean — throw rugs and used towels, for example — at the #thrift stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. And in the face of the worst messes, remember that having an animal companion is a long-term commitment that rewards your attention and work many times over.