How To Keep a House Clean With Dogs: Ways To Stay on Top of Your Furry Friends’ Messes
We love our furry friends. Their companionship, love, and affection make us happier, better people.
But as much as we love my dogs, we also love a clean house.
As pet owners, keeping up with the mess can feel impossible — paw prints all over the floor, the smell of wet dogs after the rain, the pet hair that never ends — but we’ve got this. Keep reading, and we will have your house clean and organized in no time!
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Can You Keep a Clean House With a Dog?
If your dog is following you everywhere you go, tracking dirt and hair into every room of the house, it might feel impossible, but we promise it’s not.
You can do this!
Let’s look at some of our best cleaning tips and tricks, set up a routine, and remember you’re not alone. If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, help is always a click away from Tidy Up Portland!.
10 Ways To Keep a House Clean With a Dog
#1: Groom Your Dog Regularly
Clean dog, clean(er) house.
Most dogs benefit from baths at least once a month to keep them clean and smelling their best. Breeds with longer hair may require bathing as often as weekly.
To take things a step further, consider brushing their fur while bathing them. Brushing their fur while you bathe them may help reduce the amount of fur flying around your house. On non-bathing days, brush them outside. This will keep the fur out of your home. (If you leave it outside, birds will even collect it and use it in their nests.)
Groom your pets regularly, and remember to trim their nails so they don't ruin your hardwood floors!
#2: Use an Air Purifier
We love it when our home both feels and smells fresh! Air purifiers are designed to remove airborne contaminants, like pet dander, from your home.
If you're struggling with pet odors, look for air purifiers with activated carbon filters. These filter gasses and are excellent at capturing pet odors from the air, which helps to reduce unpleasant smells.
If you or someone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, the EPA recommends an air purifier with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter.
HEPA filters can trap pet hair and dander, preventing them from settling on surfaces and making cleaning tasks more manageable.
With monthly filter changes, this is one of the lowest maintenance ways to keep your house clean and fresh!
#3: Decorate With Washable or Indoor/Outdoor Rugs
Washable rugs are increasingly popular these days, and for good reason. Not only are they available in a wide variety of patterns and colors to suit any room, but they're also much easier to clean than traditional carpets. Just toss them in the wash, and voila!
Indoor/outdoor rugs are another fantastic option. Since they're made of non-absorbing materials, just wipe them down with a damp cloth, and you're good to go.
Placing rugs inside all your entryways is a smart move to collect the dirt and water your furry friend brings in from outside and minimize how much of it spreads to the rest of the house.
If your dog has a favorite resting spot, consider putting down an easy-to-clean rug there, too. It provides a soft and cozy place to land and helps trap fur and dander, just like doormats do.
#4: Put Throw Blankets on the Furniture
Every pet owner makes a personal choice about whether to allow pets on furniture. If you let your furry friends snuggle up on the sofa with you, we highly recommend covering your upholstery with a cozy throw blanket first.
Like washable rugs, throw blankets are great at gathering and containing any fur, dander, and dirt your pup might leave behind. They will also keep stains off your furniture and are much easier to clean than your upholstery.
This simple trick can help keep your furniture clean and your pets snuggly at the same time!
#5: Invest in a Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum cleaner may be the best investment a dog owner can make!
It cleans even you don't feel like it — effortlessly sucking up dog hair and dirt right under your feet.
Even if you have a dog that is short-haired or doesn't shed much, you'd be surprised how much dirt they can track in.
While it may not pick up absolutely everything (and won't vacuum the stairs), running a robot vacuum daily can significantly reduce the deeper cleaning you'd otherwise have to do yourself.
It's a game-changer for keeping your floors clean and your home looking great!
#6: Crate Train Your Dog
Crate training your dog can help you keep a clean house, especially if you have a puppy still in the potty training phase.
Providing your puppy with a designated, confined space can prevent unwanted accidents and stains in other parts of the house.
Dogs naturally avoid soiling their living space, so the crate can encourage them to hold their bladder or wait until they're taken outside. This can significantly reduce the chances of accidents and make maintaining a clean living environment easier while your puppy is still learning.
If you are still experiencing accidents or just regular puppy messes, we can help with house cleaning in Portland.
#7: Keep Stain Removers on Hand
It's always a good idea to have some effective stain removers ready.
Dr. Lauren Jones, VMD, recommends enzyme-based cleaning products because they are non-toxic and biodegradable. The enzymes in these cleaners speed up the breakdown of biological substances such as urine and feces. They even work on deep-seated stains that may have reached subflooring.
A reliable carpet spot remover is also essential for pups who rush in without wiping their feet. Keeping a cleaner on hand is a good idea for all pet and human carpet mishaps.
Laminate mimics hardwood in its look but it is composed of melamine resin and fiberboard materials. It is cheaper, easier to install, comfortable on your feet, and extremely durable.
#8: Use Baskets for Toys
Keeping a designated basket for your dog's toys is a great way to maintain a clean and organized home. Providing a specific spot for your dog's toys reduces clutter and creates a visually appealing and tidy living space.
Additionally, having a designated basket makes it easy to find and put away your pet's toys, keeping them from being scattered throughout the house.
It also helps organize the space where your dogs play, making it safer and more enjoyable for you and your pets.
#9: Wipe Your Dog’s Paws After Coming Inside
After your dog comes inside, remember to wipe their paws!
Choose one entrance to your home and designate a cleaning area near the door. Keep baby wipes or an old towel in a basket by the door to make this easy.
For those extra messy excursions, use a mixture of warm water and dish soap with a soft cloth to get between the pads of their feet and dry thoroughly to keep that mud from tracking through the house.
This tip is also handy for removing salt and harsh chemicals from your dog's paws during winter months.
#10: Wash Beds and Food/Water Bowls Often
Keeping your dog's eating and sleeping areas clean is important for your furry friend's health and the cleanliness of your home.
Bacteria can collect in your dog's blankets or crate pad, so washing them regularly is essential to keeping our pets healthy and preventing excess bacteria from spreading throughout the rest of the house.
Placing your dog's water and food bowls on hard surfaces makes for easy clean-up. A placemat under the bowls will help protect your floor from spills and crumbs. It can also help keep food from being tracked into other parts of the house.
Let the Pros at Tidy Up Portland! Keep Your Pet-Friendly House Clean
These tips are handy for keeping your home clean with a pet, but we know we can all use a little extra help sometimes.
Whether you need a one-time deep clean or regular home cleaning services, Tidy Up Portland! is here to help. We get it – life's busy, and that's why we've made it a breeze to book our services through our online portal. In just a few clicks, you'll be all set!
Goodbye, furry mess, hello, clean and cozy home!
