It is no secret that, no matter how much we love our pets, they can be pretty dirty, and maintaining a clean and odor-free home while they are around is a lot of work. However, it is not impossible – as long as you take enough care to clean up after them regularly.
Find a good location for the litter box
For the majority of people, the litter box is probably the least pleasant aspect of having a cat. And if she’s a litter kicker, there will probably be more mess outside the box than inside it.
This is why, firstly, you should place the litter box on hard flooring rather than a carpet. Why? Well, it is much easier to clean a linoleum, wood or tile floor than it is to clean a ‘stained’ carpet, right? You can both sanitize and clean your hard floor in no more than a few seconds.
Some cat owners even opt to put the litter box in an infrequently used spare bathroom, or even in a bathtub. If your kitty can jump in and out of your tub with ease, this will solve a lot of litter mess, since most of it will be contained in a tub which can easily be rinsed.
Give Mr. Mittens his own blanket
If there are spaces in your home where your kitty particularly likes to snooze (because seriously, who possibly would like to play or sleep in a fort designed for cats, on which you’ve, by the way, spent your 2 month’s rent probably, when that left corner of the couch is sooo comfy?) – cover that area with one particular blanket that is ‘for the cat only’. This way you will keep your furniture safe from cat hair.
However, make sure you opt for an easy-to-clean blanket out of natural fabrics.
Comb them daily
If your pet allows it of course, but most kittens and dogs enjoy combing. Spend at least 5 to 10 minutes each day brushing their coat. Not only will you two bond and interact, but you will also insanely cut down the amount of hair around the house. Also, brushing sessions improve animals’ coat condition, and speaking of coat, cat owners can say goodbye to the hairball issue.
Invest in a pet vacuum
It is all fun and games until you find hair in your sealed holiday china set. Luckily for all of us, there is now a thing called a pet vacuum, which contains turbo tools and attached portable devices for cars and stairs. Another solution are those cute handheld vacuums – which are great for upholstered furniture, floors, walls, your life, etc. Much easier than dragging that canister vacuum out of the garage every single day.
Finally, if you don’t want to get rid of carpets and rugs, block your pet’s access to certain rooms that have carpets and rugs.
Control the odor
One way to control the pet odor is to bathe your pet at least every 2 months. However, if your pet spends a lot of time outside, or has skin issues, additional bathing is necessary. Another benefit of regular bathing is the removal of dead skin cells. Also, make sure their beds are machine-washable and wash them at least once a month.
On the other hand, you have to take care of the air as well, since their dander can still float through the air. And that dander can trigger many allergies, which is something you definitely don’t want. This is why it is very important to air out your house as much as you can. And if that isn’t enough, you can also invest in a good air purifier, which is a great solution for keeping unpleasant odors away and keeping the air in your home fresh. Currently, a mold air purifier by Oransi is among the best and most affordable air purifiers, due to its HEPA filter that cleans out mold spores from the room.
Dust as often as you can
If you develop a weekly vacuuming and dusting habit, you will turn your home into a much more welcoming place for both your guests and your pet. Not just that, spending time in a clean area is both healthier and more pleasant.
Your goal here is to both prevent any kind of illness and to improve the quality of your life and your pet’s life. Clean surroundings are a must at all costs.
