Does your house smell like your best friend?
If Rocky and Daisy just love to roll around all over the floor in your bedroom or living room, your carpet is going to start smelling like them! Keeping your rooms, furniture, and carpet fresh between cleaning services doesn’t have to be a big project.
House Cleaning for Pet Owners Trick #1
Simply doing a quick vacuum every couple of days will keep the hair, dirt, and dander that they shed cleaned up.
Pro Cleaning Tip: Add a drop of your favorite essential oil to the filter on your vacuum cleaner (the fiber part, not the foam). If you have an older vacuum, dab a drop of oil on the vent where the air/exhaust exits.
While many people swear by tea tree oil, at Caravel Cleaning Company, our preferred essential oils for combating pet odors are coconut and lime. After vacuuming, you’re left with a light, fresh, clean scent throughout the room. But let your nose be your guide and experiment to find your favorite!
House Cleaning for Pet Owners Trick #2
One often overlooked area is your pets’ beds. Take an extra minute to vacuum them too. Washing their bedding every week or so will also help reduce that lingering pet smell.
House Cleaning for Pet Owners Trick #3
If you allow your pets on your chairs, couches, or beds, put a blanket or throw rug on the furniture for their special place. It’s a whole lot easier to take that outside and shake it, and then throw it in the washing machine, than it is to clean the chair or sofa!
House Cleaning for Pet Owners Trick #4
Put a throw rug in front of the doggie door – and all other entrances to your home. If you’re near your darling as they come in the door, stop them on the rug, and wipe their feet! (Yep, just like you teach your kids!) Can you imagine how much time you’ll save by not having to clean up muddy paw prints all over your floors? And even if they don't learn to wipe their feet, at least a little bit of that outside dirt or mud will be caught by the throw rug!
Cleaning Up Carpet Stains - Pet Urine, Feces, or Vomit
As a pet owner, it’s inevitable that at some point in time, you’ll need to clean up an “accident” or two... Even if you discover it immediately, getting the odor out of your carpet is just part of the challenge. You also want to get any wetness cleaned up as soon as possible. If you have a cleaning product on hand that’s specifically formulated for pet stains, follow the directions included on the can or bottle. For example, with OxiClean™ Carpet & Area Rug Stain Remover, you’ll just spray, blot, and vacuum.
Pro Cleaning Tip: The general rule for any carpet stain is BLOT; don’t rub!
Catch “it” Quick!
Of course the first step is to clean up the initial mess. Whether you use a paper towel or slip on disposable gloves or use pet waste bags, just pick up the “surprise” and dispose of it.
The wet spot is the next thing to deal with. Grab some paper towels and blot the spot to absorb as much of the moisture that you can.
Next, sprinkle some baking soda over the affected area and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb more of the moisture and to neutralize the smell. If the baking soda looks really damp and clumpy, you can use paper towels to blot and remove (and maybe blot some more). Then sprinkle more baking soda. Again, let it sit so that it has time to absorb all the moisture.
Once the baking soda has dried, just vacuum it up, and the pet stain should be gone.
But if You Find “it” LATER…
If you find your beloved pet’s mess after it’s already dried, you’ll actually want to dampen it to get the best results for removing the stain. The most effective combination that we’ve found is:
1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup water, a few drops of dish washing liquid, and a tablespoon or two of baking soda
Sprinkle the area with the baking soda first. Mix the other 3 “ingredients” in a spray bottle, shake it up some, then spray on the spot. Note: when vinegar mixes with the baking soda, you’ll notice it foams up.
Allow the spray to soak into the baking soda and carpet fibers for 5-10 minutes, then blot until all moisture is absorbed.
Repeat if necessary for more stubborn stains or odors.
After carpet dries, vacuuming will help fluff up the fibers, restoring the cleaned area to as good as new.
We’d love to hear from you!
Please let us know if these House Cleaning Tips and Tricks for Pet Owners have helped you. And please comment below if you have more “cleaning up after pets” suggestions!
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Watch for more house cleaning tips & tricks from the Cleaning Crew at Caravel Cleaning Company in Oxnard, CA - We can't wait to Help You Keep Your Home Shipshape!
Give us a Call at 805-804-5454 M-F 8am-5pm or Request an Estimate online for Professional House Cleaning Services in Ventura County
Areas served: Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Santa Paula, Somis, and Moorpark
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