Sharing space with a four-legged friend can be a great experience for you and your pet by following some very simple steps that will benefit everyone involved!
You don’t have to sacrifice a beautiful home just because your family has pets.
With these easy tips you can keep your home clean without having to banish your furry friends to the outside of the house.
If you share your digs with a pet you’ll be pleased to find out that an animal friendly house works better with kids and guests as well! Here are some tips to help you create a space that works for you and your four-legged friends as well.
1. Vacuum regularly.
Vacuum pet hair off the furniture at least twice a week. You may need to vacuum daily when your pet is shedding.
Remember, pet hair has an odor, and it contains an oil that will attract dirt to the fabric on which it sits. The investment for fixing this is a little pricey at the onset but investing in a Dyson DC14 Animal, (around $550) will make you wonder how you ever lived without it. And Dyson has a lifetime warranty so you can look at this as an investment toward a much cleaner–and healthier–home environment for everyone.
2. Bathe and groom your pet often.
Grooming your pet on a regular basis is a guaranteed way to keep the house and your pet a lot cleaner for a lot longer. Trim their nails to keep the floor scratches and pulls to upholstery down. Regular brushing will keep the hair where you want it–in a garbage bag a opposed to all over the floor, couch, bed–you get the picture.
3. Use stain-resistant fabrics.
Forget fabrics that act as pet-hair magnets. Discover Crypton, a nearly indestructible, synthetic fabric which readily resists stains, smells, bacteria and muddy paws. It’s available in many outlets, or you can find it online at www.cryptonfabric.com.
Leather is a good choice, easy to clean and durable. You may have to deal with a few scratches but scratches on leather equal character.
Ultrasuede, a machine-washable microfiber, is another option that is as smooth and subtle as real suede. It stays cool and comfortable.
4. Put washable fabrics on your bed.
If you are one of the millions of pet owners who say their pets will never cross the line into their bed–stop kidding yourself. Those puppy eyes or that purring combined with a nuzzle will part those bedroom doors faster than the Red Sea. Invariably there will be accidents, the consequences of which can be head off by using washable fabrics on your bed.
Cotton bed sheets are great–and in a medium color pattern, they also help to hide any hair that may be lurking around in between washing.
Duvet covers are a great fix–you can take them off and wash them regularly. Delicate-looking matelasse coverlets are surprisingly durable; their tight quilting resists pet toenail snags and repeated washings.
5. Skip wall-to-wall carpet.
Hey, this is not news–FORGET THE CARPET. It absorbs odors, traps pet hair and soaks up inevitable pet-related stains like a sponge. For those who absolutely have to have carpet, choose a low pile, as it’s much easier to clean. Also avoid the bad combination of pet toenails and continuous loop carpet–one catch and your world can unwind very quickly.
6. Choose hard surface floors.
Bare floors are the way to go, but don’t think they have to be boring. Painted concrete is lovely and durable, as are terrazzo and brick. Hardwood floors are simple to mop or vacuum and add a warm glow to a room, but remember, dogs can scratch wood.
The best floor is ceramic tile. It’s easy to clean and resistant to stains. It’s also toenail-proof and gives the room a sleek and elegant look. By the way, it also gives your furry friend a cool place to rest in hot weather. Keep in mind that marble and other natural stone is not a good way to go because they are porus and no matter how much you keep on top of them, your going to have a build up of any “accidents” which will and do occur.
7. Set up an animal room near an entry.
One of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself is to make sure the area where your pet enters the house after being outside is equipped to deal with the re-entry by having enough space to remove anything that clings to your pet after they have been out for a romp. Keep towels around to wipe the dirt off the dogs when they came inside from the yard.
8. Give your pet tidy, attractive treats and toys.
Remember that even if we assimilate our pets into the decorating scheme–they might still not understand that a chair or table leg is not for chewing. Combating this is simple–provide them with things you want them to chew on. Leave out the pigs ears and rawhide bones. They smell and leave a disgusting residue behind. Rubber toys for dogs and attractive scratching posts for kitty are just perfect.
9. Match colors to your pet’s fur.
Let your pet can be a source of inspiration when choosing colors for your room. Paint a concrete floor the same shade of gray as your cat. Cover your sofa in a honey microfiber that matches your golden retriever. This isn’t just an aesthetic shout-out to your pet; it’s also a practical choice because the hair they leave behind won’t be as visible. Painting walls white is a bad idea as they will go grey in a minute with a dog around. Letting your pet have access to the living space is a wonderful prompter to be bold and work with color!
