How to keep your house clean as a pet owner

We love them, we can't deny them anything, yet we are left pulling our hair out when we come home to find torn cushions, floor scratches and fur stuck everywhere. You know it, today we’re giving you our tips to keep a house clean when living with pets.

Meal time

Animals prefer to eat in peace. To avoid distractions and accidents, remember to set up their food and water bowls in a quiet area of the house. Once mealtime is over, the easiest way to keep their bowls clean is to wash them soon after with hot water and a little dish soap before any of the food has had time to solidify and become difficult to remove. Like children, animals often end up spilling more food than they manage to eat; our little trick is to place a tray or some newspaper under their bowls to facilitate the eventual clean up.

Fur, the bane of fabrics and clothing

Animals love comfort as much as we do. They spend endless hours lounging around on our sofas, armchairs or beds, and when they are done, they go back for round 2... But even though we love watching their little routine, we can't ignore all the fur they leave behind. If your pets are fans of napping, consider investing in machine-washable fabrics. Whether it's for duvet covers or cushions, machine-washable fabrics will help get rid of the hairs and odours.

While it’s nearly impossible to resist their little faces, your clothes inevitably end up covered in hair. As far as removal methods go, lint rollers remain a tried-and-tested solution to the problem. If that isn't your style, there are also special rubber gloves that attract fur, which can even tend to heavy-duty jobs.

As with their meal, your pet needs their space to rest and relax. If you want to avoid hair on your bed or sofa, invest in a dedicated pet basket! We recommend wicker baskets with detachable liners rather than padded baskets. This system will facilitate washing out stains and hair while also eliminating any unwanted odours. Pet baskets are often amongst the things that we forget to clean, but they need to be maintained to ensure a healthy and hygienic place for your furry friend to sleep in. To learn more about other elements of the house that we forget to clean, click here.

Claws and paws, best practices

The more your pet has the opportunity to exercise regularly, the calmer it will be at home. Give your pet the attention they deserve: Go for a walk with your dog, or let your cat enjoy the fresh air! By exercising regularly, your pets will be less likely to get bored indoors and start destroying cushions, curtains or other household items that take their fancy.

When pets walk around, they routinely give their paws a good run for their money, and often come back with said paws covered in dirt. To avoid soiling your floors, prepare a bowl of water and a dry cloth. All that’s left to do is dip their paws in the water on their way back inside and dry them off with the cloth.

Animal claws can easily damage your furniture or floors. It's necessary to take care of them, just as we do with our own nails. For dogs, Batmaid has found you an explanatory video:

For cats, though you or your veterinarian can file them, it's often best to let them take care of their own. You can install a small cat scratching post so that they can sharpen them in a natural way.

Fighting bad smells

When you live with animals, you sometimes forget that they emit odours. To eliminate these, consider aerating your home by leaving your windows open if weather conditions allow. We would be remiss were we not to advise you to read our article on the subject. You’ll find our tips along with a recipe to make your own air freshener!

Although aerating or eliminating odours with your homemade deodorant are good options, it’s also important to wash your animals. For dogs, you should be looking to shower them at least once a month. Find out how to clean your dog by clicking here.

On the other hand, cat are a different story! Cats groom themselves regularly, so it isn’t necessary to wash them as you would a dog. However, if your cat comes back really dirty from their expeditions, a glove soaked in hot water and well wrung out will do the trick. Click here for the "How To Clean Stuff" Blog post that will explain in detail how to wash your feline friend!

As you will have understood, our pets are somewhat similar to us. They need space and to expend energy, but also relaxation and rest. Their activities can lead to dirt buildup and unpleasant smells in the home that can only be remedied by regular cleaning. So go for a walk and enjoy their company! Batmaid will take care of the rest.