Keeping a clean house when you’ve got a dog

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Dogs don’t always do what we’d like them to do, sometimes they will roll in the mud and of course many breeds moult, unfortunately, as they say, it goes with the territory. However, there are some things that we can do to make things a little easier when it comes to keeping our homes clean and fresh.

Not everybody wants to, or has the space to, have dog free areas but it does help if you can confine your dog to a smaller area that you are more able to keep on top of, it also helps if that area has a hard wipeable floor. If that doesn’t work for you, then it’s a good idea to have a quality door mat in the entrance, whilst dogs can’t wipe their feet it will certainly trap some of the dirt and stop it transferring into the house. Wiping your dog’s feet with a cloth, particularly when they’ve been on a walk, will also help keep the dirt out.

After a long or muddy walk it’s always best to clean your dog at the door (or just outside it), a dry towel down will often do the trick. Even though it’s not always easy, especially on a wet day, as much as we love our dogs, wet dog is not a great smell to have in your lounge.

It sounds obvious but if your dog is clean then it will keep your home clean. Regular bathing and grooming are important but even then, dogs do attract dirt. On the subject of grooming, at certain times of the year, some dogs will shed a lot so a daily brush will help keep your floor and sofa hair free.

Dogs spend a good part of their day sleeping, when it’s not on a rug or sofa they are in their bed, so regular washing of their bedding will help to keep your home smelling sweeter. If possible, try to do it at the same time as they are groomed or bathed so that they are not coming home to a stinky bed and undoing all of your hard work.

House trained dogs are essential, however, we have to accept that accidents do happen when dogs are puppies. Your full-grown Great Dane or Saint Bernard relieving themselves on your kitchen floor is not going to be a pleasant experience to clean up, and the smell does have a habit of lingering. You don’t want a lingering odour to ruin that special dinner party.

If an accident does happen, and it will, make sure you have good cleaning materials to hand, including disinfectant. In the case of puppies perhaps try a puppy aid training spray which will encourage your pup to go to the place of your choosing.

Unfortunately, cleaning your house regularly, particularly in the places where your dog cohabits with you is essential. Hard uncarpeted areas are much easier to wash but even in carpeted rooms regular vacuum cleaning, with shampooing when necessary, will help to keep your home smelling fresh. Whilst not a replacement for cleaning, sprays or infusers can play a part in keeping the doggy smell to a minimum, after all you can’t clean your house constantly. You should always ensure that any cleaning materials that you use are suitable for use around animals.

To some extent perhaps, at the end of the day, remember just relax, your teenage child may not always smell as nice as you’d like them to, but, like your dog, they are a part of the family.