This comprehensive list is full of tips to help you keep your house clean and hair-free, even if you share your space with several dogs (or cats… or ferrets. We don’t judge.) There are about 16 main tips, but we’ve broken them down into greater deal (with several more tips and hacks) to help you easily keep a super-clean home, even with pets.
If you’re new to dog ownership
Welcome to The Life of Dog, starring YOU! And, of course, the thief that stole your heart, [insert your new bestie’s name here.]
Pet ownership is an honor- nay, a privilege- nay, a gift, NAY- it is ALL of these things! An honorprivilegegift bestowed on the lucky few. Your four-legged friend has chosen you for forever pets. It’s a good day. Perhaps they chose you years ago, and you’ve just now realized your house has become a bit… unruly.
Either way, this is your lucky day! It’s the day you make a list, check it twice, and find out who’s naughty…
Oops, wrong plan.
Or is it? Now, we’re not saying your new housemate isn’t a very good boy (or girl) but let’s be honest for a moment, you’re looking for how to clean a house with a pet. So really, we should probably speak to the one who’s making most of the mess.
At this moment, please pass your laptop to your four-legged bestie, so we can go over a few things with them.
Hello dog, cat, or other equally-loved friend.
This is a list of things that will help keep pet hair, dander, and dirt out of homes with pets. It’s basically a checklist for how to keep a home with pets sparkling clean.
Now, I realize that sounds a little insulting, but we assure you, it’s not meant to be. Just because people want to get rid of dog hair in their house, doesn’t mean they don’t want to have a dog. In fact, one of the reasons people even look for tips to get rid of pet hair is because they’re ready to do some extra work for the sake of having their beloved pet around. It’s a good thing, we promise.
The fact is that humans are relatively sensitive creatures.
They wash the dirt off of themselves far too often, don’t really appreciate the smell of rolling on dead things, hardly ever taste-test items they’ve found on the ground, they clip their own nails BY CHOICE (I know, it’s awful, but you love them still), and quite frankly can be a little stuck-up about hair on their furniture and clothing.
The exception, of course, is the small humans.
They are much more open-minded on all of these things, and generally far superior to their larger counterparts. I do hope you are able to spend some time with them on occasion. Do, however, be wary of their small, fur-grabbing, clamp-like hands.
This certainly isn’t meant to be an accusatory list, but it is made to help you and your chosen human, to live happily ever after. I’m sure, knowing how much you care about your two-legged friend, you will be happy to help your person keep a clean home, even if you don’t quite understand them all the time.
In this list of cleaning tips we’ll be covering things like:
- How to quickly clean a dog collar
- How to keep floors clean with dogs in the house
- The best housekeeping items for homes with pets
- How to get rid of pet hair in the home, on furniture, and clothes
- How to get rid of pet odors
…And lots of other info like this!
You might also want to check out this list of 15 Ways Pet Owners Can Keep A Home Clean & Organized!
How to keep homes with pets clean
1. Choose pet items wisely
There are so many cool things to get for our favorite companions, sometimes us humans buy things that a) aren’t good quality, or b) end up being more of a headache than they’re worth. Pet accessories can be quite pricey, but sometimes it’s worth it to spend a little more if you’ll get better quality, longer-lasting items. For example:
Get a practical pet bed
Pet beds that will make life easier include features like:
- Chew-resistant fabric
- Water-resistant fabric
- Removable/washable covers
- Simple inserts (so pet-owners don’t have to fight to put the bed back together after washing)
Tough dog beds
Puppies tend to chew and pee on lots of stuff, so new dog owners might prefer to do without a dog bed until the puppy has some manners. However, there are options for dog bed eaters and super-soakers.
This is a great option for a starter bed because of the metal-rimmed edges that discourage chewing on the areas puppies tend to chew the most. It’s also made to be a crate-friendly dog bed.
More robust dog beds will hold up and look nicer longer and will be easier to clean when they do inevitably get dirty.
Avoid fabric toys
This might not apply to all pets or even all dogs, but if a dog is inclined to eviscerate fabric toys or rope toys, they might also be inclined to eat the remnants. This can mean a potential trip to the vet, and possibly even surgery if the item gets stuck in their stomach or intestines. Not a good time for anyone.
In terms of keeping a house with pets clean day in and day out, fabric or stuffed toys tend to leave more of a mess behind. As they get demolished they’ll often fill the house with stuffing or litter it with spare bits of torn-up toy.
Alternatives may be hard or rubber toys that aren’t so easy to tear apart or eat.
2. Get furniture covers
A couch cuddle sesh might be your favorite pastime, but unfortunately, it can lead to furniture getting dirty, hair embedding in fabrics, and sometimes, can even cause permanent damage. Once way to make furniture last longer and stay in good, presentable shape is to invest in some covers for chairs and couches.
This helps keep homes with pets clean in a couple ways:
- It keeps pet hairs from burrowing into the nooks and crevices of the seating or the fabrics.
- It limits dirt build-up to a removable cover that can simply be tossed into the washing machine every now and then.
- It prolongs the life of the furniture by keeping any accidental damage (such as scratches) to a minimum.
There are different types of furniture covers, ranging from fairly light, stretchy versions, to thicker, more robust options.
The stretchy furniture covers offer a way to quickly wash away dirt and hair. Heavier covers offer more protection against damage.
Heavy couch covers for homes with pets
Light, stretchy couch covers for homes with pets
3. Clean your pet toys regularly
Dog toys can get pretty gross, there’s no denying it. They spend a lot of time on the ground whether it’s inside or outside, and the dirt that collects on dog toys can end up rubbing off all over the house – including on couches, blankets, and pillows. No thank you!
A quick and easy way to clean dog toys
Vinegar and Dishwasher
Run hard toys, [non-leather] leashes and collars, dog bowls, and other durable pet items through a cycle in the dishwasher. Rather than using the typical dishwashing liquids, try using vinegar instead. Vinegar is acidic, which helps it breakdown built-up grime and dirt on many types of material.
Keep in mind that dishwashers can get quite warm, so don’t put anything in them that will be easily harmed by heat. On the plus side, dishwashers will also help to sanitize pet toys in part due to the heat.
A word of caution for pet-owners that don’t use vinegar often: Be careful how you use it. Because of the acidity it can breakdown, dull, or wear-away certain materials. Chances are you won’t see much effect from one use, but if you plan to use it over and over again, just be aware that it can have a chemical reaction with other materials.
How to get rid of (and prevent) dog hair in the house
1. Get a pair of dish gloves
Some materials are really good at attracting hair, and make it easy for people to pick up or clean up pet hairs. Latex or rubber is perfect for attracting hair, particularly something like dish gloves that have small bumps on them. The bumps will help “grab” loose hairs on furniture, rugs, or even straight off of dogs and cats!
Convince your person to grab some gloves like this to use as a great excuse for more belly rubs!
2. Keep a damp cloth ready to collect extra dog hair
Dogs shed a lot. Everyday. It’s not the animal’s fault, and of course isn’t exclusive to dogs, but there it is. People who are worried about keeping a house as hair-free as possible should be made aware of the magic that is the damp towel.
A paper towel is plenty sufficient for a quick wipe-down, but a cheap pack of dish towels or hand towels are also a good idea. Either way, a quick wipe down with a damp cloth every now and then will do wonders for keeping the hair in the home to a minimum. This applies both to cleaning surfaces in the home and wiping down pets directly.
3. Stash lint rollers around the house and car
Keep a pack of lint rollers handy, or distribute rollers to each room and the car to be able to do a quick cleanup at the drop of a hat.
Note: Don’t worry, your person doesn’t actually need a hat for this, we know sometimes animals do not like hats and quite frankly, we can hardly blame you. Some of them are downright ugly.
Lint rollers have layers of sticky paper that are amazing at picking up stray hairs from furniture, blankets, countertops, and clothing. Keeping a lint roller stashed in the car makes it easy to remove hair from clothing on the go. Once a layer gets full of hair, they simply pull-away revealing a new clean sheet, and the process begins again. These are extremely useful if you need get rid of hair quickly.
4. Get a set of pet hair removal tools
There are lots of humans on this planet that love their pets but need to limit the amount of pet hair in their homes. Somewhere along the way some of those humans came up with a few really useful tools to get rid of pet hair. Here are 3 excellent tools to get rid of dog hair from surfaces in your home.
This thing basically looks like a rock. That’s because it’s basically a rock. This will work well to remove pet hair on most surfaces, but beware, because it’s very rough it could scratch or tear some materials.
Reusable Pet Hair Remover Roller
This roller is a really nice alternative to the sticky lint rollers. It’s a little bulkier, and better suited for cleaning pet hair off of surfaces at home, rather than on-the-go. After you roll it over the fur-covered areas, it collected the hair in a pocket that can be easily emptied into the trash.
The Lily Brush is a small, spatula-type tool that uses a rubber rim to scrap up pet hair. It’s a happy-medium between the other 2 pet hair tools on this list because it is soft enough to avoid scratching anything, but also can be used with more force to help grab stubborn hair than the roller.
Easy ways to get rid of pet odors and stains
Now we’re not saying that you, the bestest boy in the whole world would ever intentionally leave a mess around for your people to clean up, but accidents do happen, and even more often in a home with pets, odors happen.
The good news is that cleaning up pet stains and odors really isn’t that hard, and doesn’t require any extra-special chemicals.
How to get rid of pet stains quickly: There are a couple of methods you can try for dealing with fresh stains. Depending on what you want to try, you’ll need:
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
OR
- Dish Soap
- Rubbing Alcohol
Please check out this list of chemicals to avoid mixing (some in the same container, some at all EVER) in order to be extra safe when working with household chemicals.
When using a combination of water and vinegar use at least 50% vinegar, but more if it’s a particularly stubborn mess – and soak the area. Wait a little while so it can do its thing, then soak up the liquid with a towel or vacuum.
How to get rid of pet odors and stains
Vinegar is great for breaking down stains and helps with odors, but if you also need some extra help with the smell, add baking soda to the process.
To clean up pet stains:
- Use the water/vinegar mixture and wet the stained area.
- Sprinkle it with baking soda, and feel free to scrub it into the stain a bit. It’ll be fizzy when it comes in contact with the vinegar mixture.
- Once the baking soda is dry (which can take a while) vacuum it up.
Quick note: There’s some debate about the effectiveness of putting baking soda down with vinegar, so you may also want to try putting the baking soda down on its own, after soaking up the vinegar mixture.
To get rid of more extreme pet stains try this:
- Mix a cup of water, a teaspoon of dish soap, and a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol.
- Soak the stain with your mixture, let it rest for a couple of minutes, then vacuum it up.
Keep in mind if you’re using this method it’s important to get all the alcohol vacuumed up so it doesn’t harm the carpet and anytime you’re cleaning up water make sure you have a vacuum that is meant to be used for water.
With either of these methods be sure to spot-test first to be sure you accidentally ruin the fabric.
How to keep a home from smelling like dogs (or other pets)
Sometimes there’s no stain. Items like dog and cat beds can just start to have a smell after a while, and there’s an easy way to address it.
Method 1) Sprinkle the smelly area with baking soda, let it sit for while to soak up the odor, then vacuum it up. Easy peasy.
Method 2) Sprinkle the area with baking soda, wait a while, then if the item is washable, throw it in the washer with a little apple cider vinegar. Also pretty easy peasy.
None of these things are going to be good for dogs to eat, so please just take our word for it and don’t taste-test the cleaning spots.
How to keep floors clean with dogs
1. Use a pet vacuum
A vacuum built for pet hair can be very effective for keeping floors pet hair-free. Here’s a list of some excellent pet vacuums and what they do best. There are vacuum attachments made for grooming, there are also vacuums made for ridding homes of pet hair. We suggest looking into both to create a true deep-clean, pet-friendly (and people-friendly) environment. Here’s a list of some very useful pet vacuum attachments.
Vacuums can be loud and scary, so if you’re not down with a vacuum grooming attachment (again, try it before saying no, and also TREATS!) be sure to let your person know. Humans don’t like having their hair pulled, so they should understand that their dog doesn’t like it either.
2. Use a robo vac for pet hair on the regular
It’s handy to have a robot vacuum running in-between regular vacuuming sessions.
- It’ll mean you have to break out the big vac less often, less work for you!
- It keeps the amount of fur clumps to a minimum by reducing the amount of time hair has to build up. This means that whether you’re using a standard vacuum or a botvac you’ll see less clogging.
Here are 3 great robot vacuums for pet owners that you probably haven’t heard of.
3. Save wood floors with puppy pedicures
Yes, the dreaded nail-trim. We’re sorry to say, it’s rather important. Many homes these days have wooden floors, and with pets spending more time inside on couches than the olden days of wilderness roaming, pet nails/claws can get a little long, potentially scratching up the floor.
Your person might be good at clipping nails (it’s not very hard with the right tools – this nail “grinder” is a great option) but they might also want to take you to a groomer or vet to quickly get them clipped. If the nail clipping is going to happen at home, it’s important to be careful not to cut too far, because this can cause quite a bit of bleeding, not to mention, it hurts!
How to trim dog nails at home
4. Limit dirt and mud at the door
Remember the damp towel we keep talking about? This is just one more way to use it to keep the floors dirt-free.
Before going inside
When you go outside, no matter how near or far, you’re going to grab some dirt and bring it home with you. If a damp cloth is left at the ready for your return, all paws and feet can be quickly wiped down so most dirt and mud doesn’t make it past the threshold. You can achieve this by leaving a small bucket of water (or maybe a decorative water feature) outside the front entryway, and stashing a small cloth nearby, so that it’s easy to dip the towel in water and wipe down dirty paws before stepping inside.
A soft-bristled brush of some sort can also be used to gently wipe away dried dust and dirt from paw pads.
In the entryway
Once you step inside, have a small rug by the front door – like this one – to catch excess dirt or water from people and pets alike. You want a relatively small rug so that it can be easily thrown in the washer when it gets dirty.
5. Pet shoes
People wear shoes when they go outside to protect their feet from lots of stuff – dirt, sharp objects, the heat, the cold – and pets (dogs in particular) can also wear shoes specially made just for four paws. It can take some getting used to, and we think you’ll find it’s best to start by just wearing pet shoes around the house, perhaps with a treat for each shoe as they’re put on.
Pet tip: Demand extra treats if your person posts a video of you walking funny online.
How to keep a dog clean
1. Regular dog baths (at least once a week)
It’s true, this will help to keep the house clean and up to human standards. It’s why people bathe so often. They know we all get dirty throughout the day, and this is how you keep the dirt from getting all over the house. We never said it would be easy, but letting your people give you regular dog baths, or a quick wipe down with a damp cloth, will make everyone happier in the long run.
This means each time you come back from the park or a walk, or anywhere else dirt might be, it’ll be time to wash up! Fear not, this doesn’t require a full-on human-level bath every time. A simple water rinse should do the trick most times, with a quick towel dry and maybe a few minutes to dry off in one area of the home, so as not to drip water everywhere.
Pet tip: You may even be able to talk your person into just doing a paw wipe-down instead of the full bath. Humans are notoriously lazy, so they’ll likely be glad to get out of doing more work than they have to.
2. Frequent grooming
Now, this doesn’t mean a trip to the groomers, no worries. People are a little finicky about having pet hair all over the floors, beds, couches, chairs, clothes, etc. A quick brushing a couple times a week will help cut down on the amount of pet hair in the house.
Brushing should be gentle, and your human should experiment a little with different pet brushes to make sure they have one that a) works on your particular coat, and b) doesn’t hurt pets while brushing. For example, there are different types of brush “teeth” that are made for specific grooming jobs. Using the wrong one might not do a very good job of picking up loose hair, or could be uncomfortable for the pet.
Pet Tip: Tell your chosen human that treats are quite helpful and will make grooming a more positive experience if you’re nervous. Likewise, be sure they know that if they get frustrated, you probably won’t like being brushed by them anytime soon.
3. Clean a dog collar easily with household ingredients
Collars are a must for dogs. They help make sure that if you ever get lost, you’ll be promptly reunited with your people. They can also be quite stylish. That being said, they can also get very dirty, and sometimes absolutely covered in hair if a pet has longer fur.
How to clean a dog collar: To clean a dog collar first use a pair of scissors to cut through any hair that’s wrapped itself around the collar. After that, to clean off dirt and grime, try soaking the color in water with a few drops of shampoo or dish soap. Youc can also try adding a couple of tablespoons of baking soda instead of soap. Soak for 10-20 minutes then rub the collar against itself to rub off extra stubborn dirt.
If you’re looking to really freshen up your pet’s collar after the heavy-duty cleaning process, get a fresh bowl of water and add a few drops of lavender oil to the water. Let the collar soak for a couple of minutes. The lavender helps the collar smell better, and also helps repel insects like fleas or ticks.
Let it dry in the sun before putting it back on.
4. Set Up A Dedicated Dog Cleaning Station
If at all possible, pet owners should try to create a space in the home (often times in the laundry or mud rooms) specifically set up to clean and groom pets.
A bathroom can also work, espcially if there can be a dedicated drawer or cabinet for pet grooming supplies like:
- A grooming brush
- Cheap hand towels that are only used for pets and pet messes
- Doggy shampoo
- Grooming shears/clippers
- Nail clippers for pets
- Rubber gloves
- A Large towel that can sit on the floor under the dog for traction and to catch any water/extra fur
Ideally the pet cleaning station in your home will have a hard floor (so as not to be damaged by water/mud and is easy to clean) and an outside door for easy access. Of course, not every home will have these things, but using a combination of other tips from this list of keeping a home with pets clean (such as making sure to wipe paws before coming inside if you need to travel through the house to get to the actual cleaning station) can still help simplify the whole cleaning process.
Clean home = happy human
We know, humans are a little pickier about dirt, mud, hair, and all that other good stuff than you, but with this list of cleaning tips we hope you and your human will have a very happy home. Your human might want you on the couch with them, but may not really want dirt and hair too. With your help and a little patience, both person and pup can live happily ever after!
