Having a pet in your home is great – they provide us with emotional support, they are playful and generally enrich our lives in more ways than one. That being said, they are a whole another person in your home that you have to clean up after.

And they do require a lot of cleaning up after, especially during the shedding season which is just around the corner. Keeping your home clean can be a difficult task in of itself, but when our furry friends are thrown in the mix, it can be a real challenge. That is why we talked to home cleaning experts at Sunflower Maids who shared some tips on how to make your home cleaning easier if you have pets.

Regular Grooming Is a Big Deal

If you have pets, you probably know that the biggest problem you will have to deal with is hair. Animals shed their fur naturally just as we do. Except they have a whole lot more hair than we do and it can really add up quickly. This is especially true during the shedding season – and spring is just about to start.

In order to minimize the amount of hair that you will have to vacuum and collect every day or week, you need to make sure that your pet gets regular grooming done. No matter if you do it yourself, or if you visit a professional groomer, regular treatments are key. Not only will they shed less randomly, their hair will be shinier and they will be healthier.

Introduce Paw Hygiene After Walks

The most popular pets in the US (and worldwide) are dogs, so we will dedicate this tip to dog owners (and owners of more adventurous cats). No matter if your dog gets to play in your backyard all day, or if they only go outside for regular walks, their paws will get dirty. In fact, what we consider dirty and unhygienic, for dogs and other animals is perfectly normal.

However, while you want your dog to be happy and enjoy their natural behavior, they will eventually want to go in your house. And that is where you need to act. Dirt is fine outside, but bringing it in is not only, well, dirty – it can also be potentially hazardous with countless pathogens lurking outside.

So, make sure to wipe their paw when they are coming back inside. Sure, at first, it might be a bit of a drag, but once you see the results, you will want to keep doing it. And your dog will get used to it, too.

Sanitize Their Eating Area

If you don’t have a dog, you can’t really comprehend how messy they can be when they eat. This holds doubly true if you have more than one dog. Cats, too, can be messy, especially if they take their food out of the bowl and eat it nearby. This means that you’re left with quite a mess after each meal.

Still, there is an easy workaround – put a placemat under their bowls. It can either be a plastic that you can clean easily, or a cloth which can be washed in the washing machine. This simple solution will ensure that your home not only looks better, but also smells it, too.

Keeping your pets happy is one of your tasks as a pet owner. At the same time, you have a responsibility towards yourself and your family to keep your home clean. With these easy pet ownership tips, you can achieve both.