• Home
  • About
    • Meet Christie
    • Privacy Policy and Disclosure
  • Blogging
    • Blogging Resources
    • Blogging Tips
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Sparkles of Sunshine

Inspiration for a joy filled life.

  • DIY & Crafts
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Faith and Inspirational
    • Family and Relationships
    • Holidays and Important Causes
  • Home
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
    • Decorating
    • Budgeting
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Entertaining
  • Free Printables
  • Essential Oils
    • Where do I start? Learn more about essential oils!
    • Projects using essential oils
    • Essential Oils Uses & Guides

Cleaning Home

Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners


As much as I love my pets, I hate a dirty home. I confess I’m a neat-freak at heart, so adjusting to having a pet in my home wasn’t easy. I had to learn what worked for me and what didn’t. Today I’m sharing cleaning tips for pet owners based on my experience of having two dogs running around my home, jumping on my furniture and lying anywhere they desire other than the kitchen table. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Just because you have pets doesn't mean you can't have a clean home. Check out these cleaning tips for pet owners.

Do you have trouble keeping your home clean thanks to your four-legged friends? If you’re a pet owner, chance are you’re nodding your head in agreement right now. It’s true – pets can be a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong because my two little fur babies are worth it all to me. The love and joy they give me definitely outweighs the extra housework. Over the years I’ve acquired some tips that help me keep my home clean, and I’m happy to share them with you today. Check out these cleaning tips for pet owners:

Keep Paws Clean.

The easiest way to keep the floors and furniture in your home clean is to wipe your pet’s paws clean when they enter the home. You can keep a shallow container of water near the door to dip your pet’s paws in when they enter the home. Wipe paws clean with a towel and set your pet free to jump on your couch without any worries. If you don’t want to do this daily, that’s OK. You can opt to do it only on rainy/muddy days when you know your pet’s paws will be dirty.

Embrace Slipcovers and Throws.

When you have pets, slipcovers and throws will become your best friends. Seriously…they’ll hang out with you in every room of your house. Who wants to think of all the grime hidden in the layers of your sofa and chairs? Yuck! Instead, you can remove any dirt, hair and who knows what else your pet brings to your couch easily by simply running your slipcovers and throws through a laundry cycle. 

When I first bought white slipcovers for my furniture, people thought I was crazy. I admit even I was a little skeptical, but they saved my life. I remember a friend coming over and saying, “Wow! You are brave to have white slipcovers when you have two dogs!” I replied, “No, I’m not. I simply throw these bad boys in the wash with some bleach and they come out looking brand new. It’s easy!”

Folex…just buy it.

Yes, Folex is another best friend of mine. Once you discover the power of Folex, you’ll never look back! This powerful stuff takes literally ANY stain out of your carpet or rug. All you have to do is spray it on your carpet, rub it in, then blot it with a paper towel. Your stain will be gone in just minutes… it’s like magic! Trust me, anyone I’ve recommended this product to has loved it, too. 

Use Pet Place mats under food and water bowls.

For years I never used place mats under my dog’s food bowl. But once I discovered how much easier it makes clean up, I’ll never go back. You can purchase one at the pet store or make your own if you’re feeling creative.

Invest in a good vacuum with brush attachments for pets.

When you own pets, it’s important to have a good vacuum to suck up the pet hair that you’ll find everywhere. Invest in a vacuum with a pet upholstery tool. If you don’t have the money to upgrade now, try purchasing a universal one that will fit your vacuum. I decided to upgrade my vacuum and purchased the Shark Rotator TruePet a few months ago. I’m so glad I did! It easily gets under furniture with the lift-away feature and I love the motorized pet upholstery tool. I use it to suck up pet hair from my furniture, upholstered headboard, anywhere I find it! If you’re a Dyson owner, you may want to check out the Dyson Groom. You use it to groom your pet and get rid of the hair before it makes it to your floors or couch. Genius!

Keep pet beds and crates clean.

Cleaning your pet’s bed regularly will rid your home of dirt, pet hair, pests, and smells! Wash your dog’s bedding/crate every week or two to keep your home clean. Wipe down crates with a sponge or cleaning wipe and wash bedding according to the care instructions. Think ahead when shopping for pet beds and check the labels to make sure they are washable before purchasing them to make this process easier.

Don’t forget to wash pet toys!

Does your pet love toys? My doggies love to lick, bite, chew, and drag their toys all over the floors. Who knows what kind of germs they’re carrying around with them? You can easily throw fabric toys in the washer and dryer. If it’s a delicate toy, you may want to put it in a mesh laundry bag before throwing it in the washer then hang dry afterwards. Toys made of rubber, plastic and nylon can be washed with soap and water or run through the dishwasher.

Use an air purifier to remove smells and air particles.

Using a pet air cleaner/purifier can eliminate smells, pet hair, dander and allergens from the air. You’ll find the air in your home fresher and if you have allergies, chances are you’ll find yourself healthier, too. I don’t have one of these yet, but it’s something I’m looking into with allergy season upon us. If you have one to recommend, please do tell!

Other posts you may enjoy:

Pamper your pooch today! Learn how to make a reversible over the collar dog bandana at Sparkles of Sunshine.
Have an old chair seeking a new purpose? Check out this easy Upcycled DIY Pet Bed at Sparkles of Sunshine!
3 Lessons I've Learned from my Dogs at Sparkles of Sunshine. What can your pets teach you?

Faithbox - Embrace Your Faith Today!

Related Posts

  • Using a smart strategy to keep your home clean means working smarter, not harder. Check out these tips on creating a weekly cleaning schedule for your home.
    A Smart Strategy to Keep Your Home Clean

    I've always been an organized person.  Sometimes too organized...just ask someone who knows me!  Since…

  • 5 Tips to Keep Your Home Visitor Ready

    Imagine you're sitting around your home, enjoying the afternoon flipping through the latest magazines when…

  • Check out this list of 10 Overlooked Spring Cleaning Tasks at Sparkles of Sunshine! Think your Spring cleaning is done? Maybe not!
    10 Overlooked Spring Cleaning Tasks

    Spring is here, the trees are blooming, and you've been busy with your annual Spring…


Leave a Comment

« Easter Basket Ideas for Him
Sweet Carrot Souffle »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




looking for something?

Oh, hi there!

Hi! I’m Christie...Jesus follower, wife, pet lover, avid crafter and DIY addict. I believe in spending time doing whatever brings sunshine into your life. Welcome to my blog where you will find inspirational tips for DIY projects, crafts, recipes, organizing, household tips and much more. Let’s create some sunshine for your life! Read More…

Popular Recipes

njoy the fall season with apple spice oatmeal cookies, the perfect treat to enjoy with apple cider on cool, crisp days.

Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies

30+ Grilling Recipes to Impress Your Guests

Become a VIP insider today

Sign up to receive my latest posts, inspirational emails and get access to our FREE PRINTABLE library, exclusive for newsletter subscribers!

AMAZON AFFILIATE

Sparkles of Sunshine is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

you may also like

Free Printable 2020 Calendar With Weekly Planner

Stay organized in 2019 with the free printable 2019 calendar with weekly planner at Sparkles of Sunshine.

Free Printable 2019 Calendar With Weekly Planner

Want to keep the bugs at bay while moisturizing your skin? These bug repellent lotion bars are simple to make and use and will the bugs away this summer.

How to Make Bug Repellent Lotion Bars at Home

Moving day can be hectic. You've got a lot on your mind and it's easy to get stressed out. Learn 9 ways you can make moving day less stressful for you and your family.

9 Ways You Can Make Moving Day Less Stressful

Moving soon? It's never too early to get prepared for a smooth move from one home to another. Find out 9 ways you can prepare for a move at Sparkles of Sunshine today.

9 Ways You Can Prepare for a Move

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT