Pets Don’t have to Put an End to Your Carpet
With 36% of US families with dogs and 30% with cats, the joy of having a furry creature at home is indisputable. And while some are prepared for the inevitable mess animals create, others struggle endlessly to keep their homes clean and free of damage.
We’ll be honest. Pet ownership means more cleaning. There’s no way around it. The hope, however, is that the joy of snuggling and playing outweighs the sorrow of scrubbing and vacuuming. Unless, like us, you actually enjoy cleaning! Then it’s a win-win.
Either way, keeping your floors, furniture, and carpets clean is essential. Here are some good habits to get into if you’re a pet owner.
Keeping Carpets and Everything Else Clean in a Pet-Friendly Home
Over the course of a week, even a single cat can leave tufts of hair all over the furniture, in dark corners behind desks and chairs, and stuck to carpets. And if you don’t have a separate room for the litter box, it’s likely those little tufts are also adorned with a million tiny granules of litter.
If messes don’t bother you, it’s entirely possible to let the debris build up for months and then do a deep clean. The problem with waiting this long to clean up after your pets, however, is the job will be significantly more difficult. It may even be futile at that point because fur, dirt, dander, litter, pet food, and splashes from the water bowl have become permanently embedded.
Not all hope is lost, though. If you’ve put cleaning off for too long, you may just need to call in a cleaning service to help with the tough stuff. As far as carpet goes, here’s what you can do to prevent the need for any major cleanups or repairs.
Protecting your carpet: For dog owners
- Clean it up – Keep a spot cleaner and a cloth on-hand to wipe up spills and accidents as they happen. Paper towels are convenient, but they’re wasteful and can tear easily if used on rugs or carpet. Use super-absorbant cotton cloths with a little water or a pet stain removal solution to clean up stains before they become permanent. Keep a collection of “oops” cloths in a drawer or basket in each room of the house, or wherever your pet spends the most time. Keep another basket near the laundry area to collect throughout the week. Rinsing the cloths out with a little water will help with any residual smells while they wait to be washed.
- Pet-friendly carpet choices – Did you know that some carpets have moisture barriers above the backing/cushion? If you’re shopping for new carpet or swapping out the old stuff, ask about carpets that are good for homes with pets. This will help with pet accidents as well as moisture from cleaning products.
- A little respect – Dogs need to be on their best behavior indoors. If you’re having trouble training your dog to do his or her business outdoors, you may want to look into doggy training schools in the Maricopa County area.
Protecting you carpet: For cat owners
-
- A little goes a long way – Cleaning a little bit every day will prevent major fur disasters. Keep a small vacuum with a handheld attachment for easy once-overs of your kitty’s favorite snoozing areas. Do a quick vacuum of high-traffic floors, rugs, and stairs, but don’t spend more than ten minutes scrutinizing every last corner of the house. Making it an easy daily task will keep you motivated to do it again tomorrow!
- Keep the litter in check – Litter can be more trouble than it’s worth if you let your cat track it all over the house. Fortunately, there are lots of options besides the standard clumping kind. You just have to do some clever shopping. Amazon has exclusive brands only available online, and some emerging companies are trying to find better ways to minimize odor without using strong perfumes and questionable chemicals. Try wood or newspaper pellet litter to keep the tracking to a minimum or keep a small broom and dustpan by the litter box for easy daily cleanup.
- All of the above– If kitty has trouble using the litter box and is leaving messes on the carpet, follow the same tips we suggest for dog owners. Clean up messes as soon as they occur if possible and look into pet-friendly carpet choices. Either way, having your carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis is the absolute best way to protect your carpet, your sanity, and your furry friend from scorn.