For pet owners, our animals make life so much better. They bring love, joy and happiness to our lives, and certainly keep us entertained. They also make a mess with stains, dirt, dander, and balls of pet hair (cue tumbleweed of hair rolling down the hall). It can be a challenge to keep the house clean when you have pets around, but it’s still possible to keep pet dirt and smells at bay with a few simple tips and tricks. After 12+ years of pet ownership I have my fair share of strategies to have a clean home with pets. Yes it can be done! Here are some great tips for how to keep your house clean with pets.
How To Keep Your House Clean With Pets
Use an air purifier for dust and dander.
The best way we’ve found to keep our house smelling fresh and clean is with air purifiers. Of course keeping our air clean and free of dust and dander is a bonus too. We have several Dyson purifiers throughout the house and they’re a huge help with air pollution from pets. What I really like about the Dyson purifiers is they have auto mode so you can set it and forget it. They also have filters that last a long time so depending on usage you only need to change them 1-2x a year.
Put throw blankets on furniture and beds.
Some pets aren’t allowed on furniture and that’s fine, but in our house we allow our dogs and cat on the furniture and bed. The best way to help with hair, stains, dirt and pet smells is to use throw blankets. They’re much easier to clean than a stain on your couch or duvet and it means pet smells stay off the furniture. I love ChappyWrap blankets because they are such good quality, easy to wash and they have so many nice prints and designs. They’re my favorite for throw blankets on furniture and I always keep them on my couch in the living room. I have the Harborview Herringbone, Old Port, Westport Stripe and Oyster Cove.
Invest in a good cordless vacuum.
Chances are if you have pets you’re vacuuming, a lot. Make it easier on yourself with a cordless vacuum cleaner. I got the Dyson v15 as part of a partnership with them last year and it has been a total game changer. It has incredible suction and multiple attachments that make it easy to vacuum hair on hardwoods, carpet and furniture without getting tangled or clogged. The vacuum itself is also easy to take apart and clean so the machine will last longer and perform better.
Use a dog crate.
The absolute best way to prevent stains when you have a puppy is by crate training. It’s also a great training tool, and all around a good idea (I’ll get into this in a future blog post). For puppies still learning how to go potty outside, using a crate is a very good idea. We were able to house train Pepper in less than a week (seriously) by using crate training. We absolutely love the Diggs Revol crate (size medium). Dogs do not want to go to the bathroom in a confined space, so using a crate not only prevents them from getting into trouble, it helps with potty training too. Use code JESSANNKIRBY for 15% off your Diggs purchase.
Keep an enzyme based cleaning spray on hand.
Accidents can happen. If you have a pet that has an accident, an enzyme based cleaning spray is your BFF for stains. Whether you’re cleaning up after muddy paws or a pee spot, an enzyme cleaning spray will do the trick for getting stains out. This Biokleen Bac-Out Stain + Odor Remover is the best I’ve tried. It gets out really tough stains and smells from pets. Bonus, it works on laundry stains too!
Washable dog beds.
A lightweight, washable dog bed makes life so much easier. I have this donut dog bed that my dogs love. It’s really easy to remove the cushions and wash everything, and maybe more importantly, just as easy to put it all back together. For sizing, my 75 lb dog and puppy can fit in the large with room to spare. I have it inside this large basket bed.
Use baskets for toys.
Baskets are an easy clean up trick for dog toys and balls. I keep this one in our living room so there’s a dedicated spot to toss everything and it makes keeping the house tidy a lot easier.
Get a chom chom roller.
If you’re on TikTok you may have seen the chom chom during quarantine. I can assure you the chom chom went viral for good reason. This lint roller type contraption is an absolute game changer and it’s SO affordable. Especially for those of you with cats or especially furry dogs (golden retrievers we love you, but the hair), the chom chom roller is amazing for getting rid of hair on furniture. It’s also super easy to clean.
Employ a robot vacuum.
We got our first robot vacuum (iRobot Roomba) a few years ago during Black Friday. It was 100% worth it, and we have since purchased another for our house in Vermont. A robot vacuum isn’t going to keep your house immaculate but it is a huge help with dog hair and dirt on a daily basis, and you don’t have to lift a finger. It definitely cuts down on the amount of times we have to vacuum during the week and helps keep the house tidy. Robot vacuums work on hardwood floors and carpets but they can’t make it over any large steps or changes in floor height so they’re best for spaces that are all one level.
Keep old towels by the door.
We keep a pile of old towels and rags by the door so we can wipe dog paws as soon as we come in. It cuts way down on tracking dirt inside and getting stains on furniture and rugs.
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