Fight the fur, oust the odours!

A couple of weeks ago, we gave you some tips on keeping your house in order, with young children gallivanting around the place. Now we’re going to tell you how to do the same with that other enemy of cleanliness – the pet. We very much hope that after taking our advice here, your home will be that little bit cleaner and better-smelling too! 

Fight the fur

Any kind of furry friend you have is going to shed said fur over the carpet, furniture, and pretty much everywhere else. It might sound obvious, but a good quality vacuum cleaner is an essential tool in dealing with it. Also consider getting a smaller, handheld vacuum, which will help you tackle fur and hair that gets stuck in various crevices. Instead of buying roller adhesives, save money by rolling thick masking tape around your hand and picking up fur and hair that way. As a further deterrent, make sure that your pet (however much you adore them) is banned from going into certain areas of the house. And when it comes to things like grooming, do it outside!

Kicking the stink

Whether it’s that damp fusty smell, or an altogether unwelcome little ‘present’ that’s been left behind, pets invade the house with their various odours. Activated carbon is a highly-porous material that’s hugely effective in getting rid of smells. Any pet-inhabited household should have some of this dotted about the place. Give dogs and other furry creatures (though not the cat!) regular baths, and find a shampoo that smells good. With any kind of pet food you use, keep it well out of the kitchen (well away from your own stuff), and never leave half-finished cans of it lying around. Not only will it smell, it’ll attract flies and maybe even rodents.

Location, location, location

Though you can’t confine a dog or cat, you do have more options when it comes to housing pets like hamsters, reptiles, fish and the like. It might be nice to have Hammy working away on his wheel next to the TV, but consider putting him somewhere else. The garage or utility room can be a good place to put your pet, as long as it’s warm and light enough in there. You can visit your pal any time you like, but at the same time, their odour and mess will be out of sight when it suits you.

Other good housekeeping tips

With an animal around the house, your work is never going to be fully done. The best thing you can do is to keep on top of it. Write a schedule of what to do when (grooming, de-furring the sofa, changing bedding) and stick to it. It’s also an idea to wipe surfaces clean on a regular basis, and always if your pet has just been walking or sleeping on it. Finally, make sure you’re always stocked with the equipment to deal with any kind of mess quickly. There’s nothing worse than having cat vomit on the kitchen floor, and nothing to clean it up with!

How do you manage to keep clean and tidy with your pets? We want to know!