My pets add so much love and comfort to my life, and I’d take any mess that came my way to have them. However, if you’re new to having a pet or having a pet that lives indoors then you’ll need some help adjusting. Having animals means sharing your space and sacrificing that spic and span dream you may have had for your home. But depending on how much time and effort you’re willing to dedicate to the process, you can still have a pretty clean home, too! 

Tips in the home:

• The best place to start is with a schedule. Likely, you’ll want to maintain your floors at least once a week, with a deep clean every two weeks. It also depends on if you have hardwood or carpet or a mix. If you have carpet, you may want to maintain it more frequently.
• I recommend getting a flat, mop-like tool with dry and wet attachment pads for your in between cleans and invest in a good vacuum. Do your research, not everything that claims to be ‘for pets’ works well. I started with a cordless stick vacuum meant for pet hair and it didn’t work well at all. I now have a corded, super powerful vacuum that picks up even the clingiest fur!
• When it comes to furniture, it’s your preference. With our first couch, we let our two dogs lay on it and didn’t keep great maintenance of it. It quickly became their couch (we still sit on it, but not without being covered in hair). Now, it’s upstairs and the new couch downstairs is dog free. One of my dogs sheds terribly and other moderately, so together it was bad.
  • If you’re having a hard time deciding if you want them on the couch you might try an old chair or piece of furniture that they can strictly lay on or just put their bed in your shared space so they can rest, too. You can also try using a sheet or cover if you have a well-trained dog that will only lie in that spot and just put it in the laundry every couple of weeks.

• Another great tool to have in your home is a hair removal tool. Tape or sticky rollers really aren’t powerful enough, so I’d get a silicone or fabric-based one. Some people use squeegee tools. The goal is to scrape off the hair instead of sticking to it like tape, which usually works much better.  
• Make sure you also have an odor eliminating cleaner for those bathroom messes in the house. This is a must for puppies! They smell that spot and think it’s okay to pee there again, grab an odor eliminating clearer to take out the confusion and help them learn to go outside.
• Keep a few towels you don’t care about to wipe your pets’ paws if they go in and out of your home. This will save your floors, blankets, and furniture.
• Launder your pets’ fabric items or set them outside and spray them with an odor eliminator from time to time to keep them fresh.
• Make an organization station Whether you purchase bins or shelving, or a bag that you can wash – having a place for toys, your pets medications, and accessories keeps everything tidy and makes for a tidier home!

A few tips for the car:

• Use a seat cover this will protect your seat from tears and block a good amount of hair from getting on your vehicle. Plus, if your dog drools in the car or throws up it much easier to clean up.
• Bring wipes/small towel for messes. Keeping wipes in your car or bag will help with any muddy paws or mishaps that may need a quick clean in the car while traveling.

We hope that whether you’re a new pet owner, or a seasoned one looking for cleaning inspiration – that this gave you a few ideas. Having pets in your home is such a gift, but it can be messy and unpredictable. However, you can still have comfort in your home and a clean place! You just might need some training and to set yourself up for success.

Here are a few more tips to take with you!