7 House & Carpet Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners

As pet owners, we treasure the unconditional love and joy that our furry companions bring into our lives. Whether we have a playful pup, a mischievous feline friend, or any other kind of cherished pet, their presence fills our homes with warmth and happiness. 

However, our beloved pets also bring a unique set of challenges, including muddy paws, odours and shedding fur. Fortunately, whether you have a cat or a dog, you can still enjoy a fresh smelling, spotless home – read on for our top house cleaning tips for pet owners. 

1. Keep your pets house-friendly

Prevention is the best cure. By keeping pets clean, owners can enjoy a fresher, healthier, and more pleasant living environment. Regular washing and grooming will minimise the amount of dirt and excess fur your pet carries around, meaning less gets onto your carpets and furniture.

With dogs in particular, it’s a good habit to wipe them down when they come back from a walk, before they come back into the house. Leave some towels by the front door or in the porch. 

2. Remove fur with a lint roller or squeegee 

Pet hair is easily the biggest pet peeve (pun intended) for those with cats and dogs. It gets everywhere and sticks to surfaces such as upholstery and carpet. If your vacuum doesn’t do the trick, here are two other ways to try:

• Lint roller – Also known as a lint remover, it can be gently rolled across the fabric to pick hair up in an instant. 
• Squeegee – While it’s designed for your windows, the rubber blade on a squeegee proves surprisingly effective at pulling hair out of carpets and furniture.

3. Leave muddy paw prints to dry

It might be tempting to try and clean up muddy paw prints from carpets and furniture straight away. But it’s often better to let them dry first. Once the mud is dry, you can use a brush and vacuum the rest away. This is a great carpet cleaning tip for pet owners that don’t want to spend hours scrubbing off wet mud. 

4. Cover the soft furnishings

If you share your home with dogs or cats, they’ll likely make their way onto the sofa or bed every now and then. By using protective covers on your soft furnishings, such as washable slipcovers or throws, pet owners can easily remove and clean them, preventing dirt and pet hair from embedding into the fabric. 

5. Don’t forget to clean your pet’s toys 

Wondering where that pet smell is coming from? Their toys could be to blame. Pet toys harbour a range of stinky bacteria and pet smells – especially soft toys. With this in mind, it’s important to pop them in the wash regularly to keep dirt and odours at bay. 

6. Prevent plugs from getting blocked 

The living areas aren’t the only spots that need cleaning – your bathroom needs some TLC after you bathe them. Pet hair can block drains and plugs, which can lead to stinky water and more severe blockages over time. To avoid this, use a pet hair catcher in the plughole. That way, you can easily remove the build-up into the bin. 

After washing your pet, the bath or shower also needs a good clean with antibacterial products to ensure optimum hygiene for the whole family. 

7. Keep on top of carpet cleaning

Pets often don’t mix well with carpets and as a carpet owner with a pet it’s recommended that you vacuum lightly soiled areas on a weekly basis, medium soiled areas twice a week, and heavily soiled areas daily. If you want to take it to the next level, a deep clean from a trusted professional will ensure your carpets look their best and smell great.

If you want to give your carpets a an expert clean, The National Carpet Cleaners Association makes it easy to find trained, insured and fully vetted cleaners near you. Simply enter the service you need along with your postcode, then hire a local cleaner without having to worry about their professionalism or quality of work.