Spring Cleaning for Pet Parents: Tips for a Safer, Cleaner Home
Ah, spring cleaning! It's pleasant and rejuvenating to refresh your home as the days lengthen and winter’s chill becomes a memory. Cleaning can be a bigger job when you share your home with a pet, but a few simple pet-safe cleaning tips can help keep pet-related spring cleaning to a minimum.
Look for Space-Savers
When you look around the house as you spring clean, you'll notice your sizeable fleet of pet paraphernalia. Bowls, beds, pet crates, and litter boxes are necessary, yet they add to the clutter and take up space. So it’s helpful to seek out space-saving products that take advantage of unused square footage — especially in small homes or apartments. For example, the K&H EZ Mount Window Kitty Sill Single Level provides a comfy spot and a great view for your cat, attaching easily to the window with powerful suction cups to safely support your cat’s weight. Elevating your cat’s bed can help clear clutter from the floor. Plus, the kitty sill folds up when your cat isn’t using it to save space, and you can open or close your blinds or curtains.
Use Vertical Space
In a similar vein, the K&H Hangin’ Cat Condo helps control clutter by putting vertical space to good use. The condo simply hangs on the back of any interior door in the house — giving your cat multiple levels to play in. It’s easy to clean and doesn’t require any tools for setup. Plus, you have a cleaner home because it’s one less thing on the floor.
Designate a Specific Spot
If you share your space with a dog, you can point your spring cleaning efforts toward controlling clutter, loose hair, and debris. Many dogs opt to camp out all over the house — under the desk, between the chairs, on the sofa, or sprawled out on the rug.
If your dog is receptive to the idea, it can be helpful to designate one specific “hangout space” where your dog can spend the majority of this downtime. This designated area helps keep at least a percentage of the dog hair confined to one spot, which makes it a snap to vacuum.
Also, using an elevated pet bed can help to keep your dog cleaner since debris falls through the mesh base. The K&H Original Pet Cot (good for indoor and outdoor use) is super easy to clean, and you can swap out the optional covers for added cleanliness and a pop of fresh color for spring — kind of like getting a new duvet for your bed! The covers can be thrown in the washing machine for fast cleaning on your end.
If you're looking for an option that works outside all year round, check out the K&H All Season All Weather Dog Cot. Its slip-resistant rubber feet protect your floors inside, and the water-resistant mesh cover does not absorb moisture, making it ideal for outdoor use. The cover is washable and can be easily hosed off outside. And like all K&H elevated pet cots, it's easy to move inside and out.
Keep Pets Off the Furniture
Maybe your dog or cat prefers the sofa and won’t give up. Cleaning pet hair from furniture is a challenge all on its own, but you can do your best to stop the problem before it starts by giving your pet dedicated spaces of his own, like a pet bed or a kitty condo. But if your pet is already used to spending time on the sofa, you may want to establish some boundaries and do your best to be consistent in redirecting your pet to spend time in his own space. Positive reinforcement is a good way to help encourage your pet to hang out in other locations.
Making Spring Cleaning Easy
Spring cleaning your home and thinking of new ways to reduce pet-related clutter can be a fun challenge. Sometimes a few simple new tools make all the difference in your cleaning chores and give you a fresh new start for the season. Then you and your pet can set your sights on all the fun you'll have outdoors, enjoying the beauties of spring.