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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

5 ways to have a dog and a clean home

1/7/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Southwest Waukesha County is used to cleaning up after our favorite office pup Marvel.

With the large surge in new dog owners because of the quarantine I am sure everyone is starting to notice the mess that they leave behind. However, it is possible to own a dog and keep a clean house even with the hair and mud that they leave behind. 

The keys to keeping a clean house are being able to prevent them from occurring in the first place as well as have a strategy to deal with them when they inevitably happen.


1. Create an outdoor dog-cleaning station. 

How intensive your station needs to be depends on the breed of your dog and how much it enjoys rolling around in the mud. Owners of large dog breeds know firsthand that the larger the dog, the bigger the mess. But even smaller breeds can track plenty of dirt and much into the house.

Stop the mess before it goes through the door by cleaning your dog outside after it’s gotten itself dirty. Sometimes this will be as simple as dunking your dog’s paws in water; for more substantial messes, you’ll need a hose, kiddie pool, and patience.

It’s also always a good idea to have towels on hand to dry off your pup before going inside.

2. Eliminate odors at the source. At some stage in their lives, dogs will have accidents in your house. Urine, feces, or vomit on your furniture or the floor doesn’t mean you have to replace the whole carpet for it to be clean again.

If your dog has an accident inside, it’s important to eliminate the smell completely so your dog doesn’t think that your rug is it’s new toilet. There are many enzyme-based cleaners on the market to choose from.

3. Invest in hair-removal strategies. The first item you’ll need is a solid vacuum cleaner. Usually, you get what you pay for, but if your dog is a heavy shedder, you’ll need a model with strong suction and a high-quality filter. To keep your living space in tip-top shape, vacuuming will become a daily routine. And by staying on top of the fur rather than letting it accumulate, this should only take a few minutes a day.

A second tool worth keeping on hand is lint rollers. Every pet owner knows the value of these small-but-mighty sticky brushes. Lint rollers are a great way to quickly brush off your furniture and clothes to address surface-level pet hair before it becomes a bigger problem.

4. Stick to easy to clean supplies. When it comes to pet supplies like toys, leashes, beds, and other items your dog uses regularly, you should find options that are easy to clean and won’t hold onto odors or stains.

Machine-washable toys are easy to toss in the laundry, and you don’t need to deal with the hassle of washing them by hand. And water-resistant collars and leads are easy to quickly wipe down in between deeper cleanings.

5. Control the clutter. If your dog has what seems like dozens of different toys it leaves lying around the entire house, wanting to contain them is an understandable impulse. You have a few options for how to go about this.

One is to buy a basket or two for toy storage. With some practice, you can even train your dog to put it’s toys in the basket!

Another option, though not feasible for everyone, is to create a “dog room” of the house dedicated to your dog’s toys and playtime. With a separate room, you can simply close the door when play is over and let the clutter stay out of sight.

Dogs are a great addition to any family and perfect for keeping everyone happy and entertained. That being said they are a large responsibility that will require some cleaning up after. However, if you follow these steps it will make having a dog much easier and a lot cleaner.

If you ever have a need for cleaning or restoration give SERVPRO of Southwest Waukesha County at (262) 542-0900

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