They say home is where the heart is, but for pet owners, sometimes home is where the fur is. Now that spring is here, it’s time to clean the family home, which includes everything cat, dog, and human. Spring cleaning is a great way to give your home a deeper clean after being closed up for fall and winter. So beyond hauling out the scary vacuum cleaner to get started on the great spring de-furring, Pawfit has some suggestions on areas you don’t want to forget:
Deep Cleaning
While you clean your gutters, baseboards, and windows this spring, don’t forget the “extreme pet areas” as well. We’re talking litter box locations, food bowl settings and entrance ways. A whole winter season of messy eaters and muddy paws from inclement weather is in need of a deep clean. Just rinsing water and food bowls is not enough, as invisible bacteria can build up over time. Scrubbing with hot soapy water will help keep your pets feeding dishes clean and safe to eat out of. And don’t forget the splash zones! Some pets manage to get more water and food bits on the walls and floors than in their mouths.
Toy Tidy Up
Do you even know where all these toys have been? Probably not, but we know our pets and can only guess what they have been up to with their toys. After their favorite toys are dragged in, out, and around the house, they can all use a good cleaning on occasion. Repetitive chewing from your pet’s mouth can build up dirt and bacteria over time, as well as damage the toys, which can create choking hazards for your pet or even young children in the home. For the extra spoiled pets, it’s also a good time to thin out the toy collection to make room for newer ones. Donating gently used toys to pets in need at a local shelter is a great way to purge toy bins.
Freshen Up and Odor Out
With warmer temperatures, you can now open the windows to help the air circulate and freshen up the entire home, so let the fresh air in and the pet odor out! With open windows, it’s a great time to clean carpets and fabric furniture and freshen them up. When changing bedding in the home, don’t forget to include Fido or Fifi’s dog or cat bed.
Things can get messy fast in pet areas of the home, but a little prevention can go a long way. Storing towels near entrance ways for wet days can help keep muddy paws from tracking all over the home, and can also help make post-walk clean-up less stressful with everything at your fingertips. Keeping wipes near food bowl areas for quick clean ups can help keep the build-up of dirt and food splashes down. Most importantly, remember to use pet-safe cleaning products throughout your spring clean.
