May 06, 2019
Maid Advice: Pet Edition
Keep Your House Clean, Even With Pets!
Your furry friends can be one of the best parts of your life, but cleaning up after them can be quite frustrating.
We here at Maid Bright have cleaned so many houses in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC that we have picked up a trick or two when it comes to cleaning all kinds of things. Want help maintaining a clean home, even with pets? Then read on; we’ve got you covered!
Basic Maintenance
If you need help getting stains out of your carpets then you can read more about that in the next section. For now, however, it is important to stress the regular maintenance of your pets!
Managing Hair and Fur
Depending on how much your pet sheds you will need to figure out a strategy that works for you.
You could make sure to brush out your pet outside on a porch or in the backyard regularly to keep indoor shedding to a minimum; you could vacuum once a week to help take care of potential allergins, etc.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution! Just whatever is best for you and your home.
Keeping Paws Clean
You can use a wet towelette after going on walks to make sure that your pup isn’t tracking in dirt from outside (make sure to get in between the claws!)
Check out this article for more information about ways to keep your pet’s paws clean!
Quickly Cleaning Accidents
If your pet has an accident make sure to clean it up as soon as possible! If you get home from work and see that there is pet urine on the floor — clean it as soon as you can! It will warp hardwood if left untouched for too long!
Animal-Free Zones
Make sure your animals are trained to stay off of important furniture like beds or nice couches. If you have a guest bedroom then consider making that a pet-free zone so that any future guests with pet allergies can have a refuge!
Removing Pet Stains
Maid Bright only uses organic cleaning solutions that are free of harmful chemicals! However, these are some removal methods that you can do on your own.
Remember to use rubber gloves while cleaning anything that your pets left behind for you!
Removal Method: Oxiclean
The Oxiclean method consists of using two cups of warm water, two tables of OxiClean, and tsp. of dish soap. Mix these ingredients in a bowl and then, once the foaming has stopped, transfer it to a spray bottle.
Do a quick test spray in a different area to make sure that the carpet won’t fade or be negatively affected by your mixture.
Removal Method: DIY
For this method you will again need to mix all ingredients in a bowl and transfer them to a spray bottle when they have stopped foaming.
You will need to mix: 2 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of washing soda, 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, and 1 tsp of dish soap.
As with the last method, test it on an inconspicuous spot and then once you can tell it’s safe, go at the stain with your spray bottle and a good scrub brush, alternating between scrubbing and dabbing at it with a wet cloth until it’s gone.
Last Step: Scent Removal
No matter which method you go with, it is important to make sure the scent is gone. This is so that your pet won’t smell it and think it’s okay to keep leaving you surprises in “their” territory, but also for you and your guests, of course.
To neutralize the smell you need to mix up an even amount of warm water and white vinegar, put it in a spray bottle, spray it on the stain, and let it dry for 24 hours before vacuuming the spot. If you notice the stain is still there then repeat all steps again until it’s gone.
Pro Tip:
If you are tempted to use a steam cleaner to clean up a pet urine stain then know this: the heat generated by the cleaner is likely to bind the proteins from the urine to your carpet!
Reduce Allergic Reactions
Do you have friends, loved ones, or frequent visitors who are negatively affected by the presence of pets in your home? Need to offer them some relief? We have a few strategies under our belt for helping you out with that.
Keep your cat’s litter box out of the way so that the main areas of your house that receive the most traffic are less likely to activate the allergies of a guest!
HEPA
High-efficiency particulate air, that’s what HEPA stands for. A HEPA air filter is one that has a fine enough filtration system that it traps
This is hands-down one of the most important things, if not THE most important thing you can put in your home to make the air safer and cleaner for everyone, not just those with allergies. But it really helps for those with allergies.
To check out some best-selling HEPA cleaners click here.
Have Allergy Relief Medicine On Hand
Don’t be emptyhanded when a friend is experiencing nasty pet allergy symptoms!
Make sure you have Zyrtec, Claritin, Benadryl, or other over-the-counter brands of allergy relief medicine to offer to them when you need it. All responsible pet owners should make sure to have this covered!
Bathe and Groom Your Pets Frequently!
Dog baths don’t have to be a chore! There are all kinds of simple solutions – you can use baby shampoo, nontoxic dish soap, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, to quickly and efficiently clean your dog in the tub our outside with a hose!
However, we recommend that you talk to your vet about what regimen will work best with your pet’s skin and fur type. They can recommend or prescribe a great shampoo, flea treatment plan, or other useful solution just for your pet.
Hire Professionals
While Maid Bright does not specifically specialize in pets cleaning (and we are not responsible for cleaning up after pet accidents!) we do take great pride in keeping the homes of plenty of pet owners clean and sparkling!
The best way to keep your house clean is to make sure it gets serviced regularly — and we are here for you! Live in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC? Call for a free cleaning consultation today!
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