Keeping Your Home Clean With a Dog
Dogs are the best, right? Yeah, that is until they splash in a mud puddle and run through your freshly shampooed carpets. The suddenly your home suffers from pet odor that seemingly never leaves. It happens and though it can be hard to really blame them, there are a few ways you can make sharing a house with a dog a little less messy. Let’s take a look and what you can door to help eliminate pet odors in your home.The Infamous Dog Towel
Rain or shine, dogs have to go outside to do their business. However, rain has a way of transforming your adorable pup into a terror for your floors, walls, and even counter-tops depending on how tall they are. This is where the dog towel comes in. When your dog comes back in from a rainy romp in the yard or a wet walk, dry them off with a designated dog towel that you can hang by their preferred method of entry. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even blow dry your dog if they’re comfortable with this method. Make sure to wipe their paws as well to minimize paw prints on the couchIt’s Time to Get Brushing
Most dogs shed to some degree even if they don’t have a lot of fur to begin with, though some breeds definitely shed more than others. To cut down on doggy dust bunnies, make sure your dog is groomed regularly. A good, daily brushing will help remove a lot of the discarded hair in their coat which will help keep it off of your floor. You can also use slipcovers on your furniture that can be removed and washed if you allow your dog up on the couch.Get the Help You Need
Whether you’re a busy professional or you’re too busy running around with your dog at the park, one of the simplest ways to address the mess in your home is to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. We can address your home or apartment once or on a recurring basis. It all depends on what you need, but we can get the job done. Floors, furniture, and steps are often major targets for dog hair and messy paws, but with Immaculate Clean on your side, you can finally relax.Tired of Having Dog Hair All Over Your Home?
Dogs are wonderful family members, but their messes are anything but. If you’re looking for a helping hand in getting your home under control, call on the experts at Immaculate Clean. We can create a cleaning plan that addresses your problems and operates around your schedule. If you have questions about how we can work together, contact us today or give us a call at (410) 549-0727 to avail house cleaning services in Westminster. We look forward to serving you.Dealing With Pet Messes During the Dog Days of Summer—and Beyond
Can you believe that less than three months ago we were still shoveling the remnants of the winter of 2017-18 off of our sidewalks? It’s crazy when you think about it: snow in April, followed by two months of rainy season, and somehow we already find ourselves in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer!Dog Days Defined
So… what does that even mean, anyway? I was curious about the origin of the phrase “Dog Days,” so I looked it up. (Hey, I’m a writer, that’s what I do.) Turns out, it doesn’t actually mean that it’s so darn hot that we all just want to lie around panting like dogs. Apparently, the phrase “Dog Days” originated in ancient Greece and referred to Sirius, the dog star, which in July would appear to rise just before the sun. Those of us who have pets, however, know that the Dog Days of Summer could also refer to that time of year when our dogs or cats are just finishing up the shedding season, losing their winter coat just in time for the summer heat.Pet Hair and Other Messes
Yes, it’s pretty embarrassing to have guests come into your home, sit on your sofa, and walk away with a fresh coat of dog or cat fur sticking to their pants… Unfortunately, shedding is only one of many ways our furry friends can mess up our homes. Personally, we have a little non-shedding Havanese dog, so one might think we don’t have to worry about cleaning up after him. One would be wrong. For one thing, our dog does not like to put his precious little paws in the wet grass when he goes outside to do his business in the morning. Instead, he seems to prefer to muddy those precious little paws in the mulch—and then track his precious little footprints right across the kitchen floor. He also likes to spend a lot of time lounging on the back of the couch in the living room, waiting for all of his neighborhood dog friends to walk by so he can say hi by way of frantic barking— which he cannot do without pressing his paws and his nose all over the windows. The other thing is, even though he himself is supposedly a hypoallergenic breed, every time he goes outside, he cannot help but carry allergens like tree and grass pollen back into the house in his fur and on his feet.The Three Pet P’s
If you don’t have a pet but are considering getting one, here’s some unsolicited advice. Maybe you think you can handle a little stray fur, muddy paw-prints, nose prints on the window, etc. But if you’re extremely particular, you’d better think long and hard about whether you can handle what I call the three pet p’s: pee, poop and puke. Here’s the thing: no matter what pet you own, you are going to have to deal with the three p’s at some point. Your cat is going to puke up hairballs on your bed, and her kitty litter is going to need to be scooped every single day. Your dog is going to get into the trash someday, eat something he shouldn’t, and have diarrhea all over your guest room carpet. Even the goldfish your kid won at the carnival is going to get really smelly and gross if you don’t clean out its poop-filled bowl pretty frequently. How you handle your pet’s bodily fluids is actually really important. My husband is a Realtor, and although we both grew up owning cats, he refused to let us bring any into in our new house after seeing more than one real estate deal go sour because of the permanent odor of cat pee. Also, once your dog has an accident somewhere in your house, he’ll be drawn by the lingering scent of that as a place to pee again in the future. So, you really do need to clean up the scene of a pet accident promptly and thoroughly. The best way to do this is to use some kind of an enzymatic pet stain cleaner. There are tons of these on the market. Experts also suggest soaking the area in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water, followed by a baking soda treatment, to help completely eliminate the odor.Hiring Outside Cleaning Help
One thing you should NOT do when you need to clean up any of the three p’s is ask your Eldersburg, MD house cleaning crew to do it. They’re not equipped to handle it and it is just not a service they should be expected to provide. If you want professional help cleaning pet stains, hire a professional carpet cleaner, many of whom do have special enzymatic treatments that they use on pet stains. For all of your other pet messes, you can definitely count on Immaculate Clean! They’ll vacuum up the excess pet hair, dust away the allergens, mop up the paw prints on the floor, and wipe the nose prints from the windows. As a bonus—they love pets and will keep your furry friends company while they clean!It’s All Worth It
Animal lovers understand that dealing with the occasional mess is a small price to pay for the cuddles, the purrs, the unconditional love, the true joy and companionship that a pet brings to our lives. No matter what kind of pet you own, relax knowing Immaculate Clean can help you keep your home clean so you can enjoy the Dog Days of Summer this year!Cleaning a Pet-Friendly Home Without Losing Your Mind
If you have pets, especially the furry ones, you know that keeping a clean home is a constant struggle. You may try tricks, such as buying a carpet the same color as your pet’s hair. But those tricks won’t fool your friends and family who stop by on short notice and have to ask for a hair roller on their way out. Our Maryland home cleaning teams transform homes like yours on a daily basis. Here are some tips to help you make cleaning up after pets a bit less stressful and more efficient!
A Little Brushing Goes a Long Way
Accept that you will never be able to keep your home completely hair-free if you own pets. However, it is possible to keep the hair at bay and avoid those hairy tumbleweeds rolling around the living room floor. As soon as your pet starts shedding, get to brushing. A good brush makes a big difference for everyone. Try different brushes until you find the one that gets out the most hair with the least stress for your pet. If possible, brush your pet outside to prevent any loose hairs from sticking to your furniture. Have kids? Make brushing their responsibility if they were the ones who asked for that puppy. If your pet doesn’t like to be brushed, keep a bag of treats nearby to encourage your cat or dog to sit still.Move Anything That Could Make a Mess
Tall dogs and coffee tables don’t go well together. If you have pets that can jump or reach your tables and shelves, make sure there is nothing there they can knock down. Big dogs, even if they are well-trained, don’t have a sense of their size and often hit things with their wagging tails. And cats, no matter how well-trained, will often do their own thing anyway when you are not home. Don’t leave any temptations for them in the form of an unfinished sandwich or an open drink. Get into a habit of putting anything edible, liquid, valuable or fragile away after you are done with it.Get a Good Vacuum
Seriously, the right vacuum can make a big difference both in how fast and how well you can clean. What would take your old vacuum a few runs, would take a specialized pet vacuum half the time. Plus, when you have pets, you want to have a vacuum with a HEPA filter. This filter helps remove allergens such as pet dander, making not only your floor, but also your air cleaner.Clean Up Accidents ASAP
Of course, you are not always home to see when your pet may have an accident. But when you are, clean up the mess right away. Use paper towels to absorb as much liquid as possible, then clean up the rest with a damp washcloth. If the smell keeps lingering, get a spray or liquid enzyme cleaner and follow the instructions. Keep in mind that Febreeze and similar products only mask the smell, but don’t remove it. An enzyme-based cleaner actually brakes down the organic molecules that cause the odor, which should solve your problem.Keep Your Pets Clean
Sometimes, it’s the animal itself (rather than what they do) that is the source of dirt or a bad smell. Clean pets mean a clean home, so here are a few tips for keeping your pets clean:- Keep grooming wipes handy by the door and use them to wipe your cat’s or dog’s feet as they enter the house. This will save you from muddy footprints!
- Wash your pet as recommended for their breed. Some breeds should be bathed weekly, while for others frequent washing can cause dryness of skin.
- Wash the pet beds when you wash the pet or more frequently as needed. Pet bedding often gets packed with hair and lingering smells.