Terri Ramsey Beavers You love dogs and can have them near you across the day. You like it when they lounge with you on the couch, eat along with your family next to the dining table, or play with you on the porch and other areas within your house. What you don’t realize is that the presence of dogs in your house brings in several smells and bad odors that may leave your interiors feeling like a dog house. While these smells and other tell-tale marks of having a puppy or dog at home may not affect your senses, they may trigger problems for other family members, guests, and visitors who’re unused to pet smells, fur, hair, body odor, and other related issues.
However, living in the same place as pets does not necessarily mean that you or others have to deal with these pet issues on an everyday basis. You need not spend your valuable time cleaning up behind your pets either. Here are some effective ways of keeping pet smells and the other concerns of having a puppy or dog at bay.
Keep Fur in Control
Brushing your dog every single day goes a long way in eradicating the problems related to flying fur. This is specifically important if you have several dogs at home that are prone to leaving behind bunches full of hair on your floors, carpets, furniture, and furnishings. Just five minutes of regular brushing can make a world of difference to the amount of flaky skin or hair floating around in your rooms. Are you wondering how brushing your dogs daily can bring about this much-needed cleanliness? Do know that regular brushing activates the natural oils being secreted from the skin of your pets. This makes them shed less hair, smell better, and boast of a natural and glistening coat. There’s another good side of brushing your dogs – you get to spend quality time with them while providing the attention they seek.
Common Household Items to Keep Pet Odors Away
There are several useful products that you can find in your kitchen or pantry to take care of various pet smells. Luke Stevens from Puppy Joy () recommends using apple cider vinegar to clean up any puppy urine, as it breaks down all the odors, including ones only dogs can smell. Another useful item is baking soda that is a very useful and miraculous product when it comes to getting rid of pet odors. You may want to sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on your floors and carpet, allow the same to sit for a couple of hours, and then vacuum the area thoroughly. Once done, you’ll notice your rooms smelling fresher and better. Yet another means of preventing your home from giving out kennel like smells is by spraying vinegar with the help of a spray can. The smell of vinegar does not linger too long and takes the doggie smells away.
As per experts in pet odor management, try putting a fabric softener sheet placed in an envelope right under a chair cushion, sofa, or couch – wherever your furry friends love hanging out. Alternatively, you may want to hire their expertise to get rid of the dog odors that can make your house unhygienic and troublesome to live in.
Make the Dusty Fur Disappear
In case you’re looking for effective and quick means of getting rid of pet hair from your environment, then look for specialized brooms and cleaning objects in specialty stores. Dusters with little pieces of cloth on them are much more effective than brooms; they are capable of grabbing dirt, hair, dust, and all other kinds of disposables left behind by pets in the easiest of ways. Once the job is done, you may want to throw the cloth away. Another thing that’s helpful to the core and may be included in your pet care regime is lint rollers. You may want to invest in a couple of them and stash them at different places to get rid of hair and dirt whenever you’re in a rush.
Don’t Let Dirty Paws Come In
Last but certainly not least, an easy means of getting mud and outdoor grime brought in by pets lies in stopping them short at the door itself. Place doormats at strategic places; they catch fur and dirt and prevent them from entering your living spaces (not completely but to a large extent). However, ensure that you invest in washable mats that can be cleaned to perfection as and when required.
Remember to clean the dog mess quickly and as soon as it occurs to avoid bad smells from setting in. Keeping dust and smells away can help you enjoy the presence of your dogs, without making your home feel like a dog house.