Inspiration

Handy home hacks for people with pets

Article by Homes to Love

While living with pets has many benefits, it also means mess. These handy home hacks will help with that.

Our pets are our best friends; they turn our houses into homes and are proven to have hugely-positive effects on our physical and mental wellbeing. However, and we’re sure most pet owners will agree, this all goes out the window when you discover your beloved furry friend has covered your couch in dirt and fur or perhaps pee’d on your new rug.

As cute and cuddly as your pet may be, they’re also naturally inclined to dig, chew, shed and – well you get the gist – making it hard to keep your home clean and odour-free. To make things a little easier, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite cleaning hacks for pet owners, so you can live harmoniously with your four-legged friend and still have nice things.

1. Shedding Hair 

Are you constantly trying to remove pet hair from your couch, cushions and clothes? Protecting your couch with a blanket is the easiest way to prevent this but won’t be totally effective in stopping sticky fur from taking over. Lint brushes, tape rollers and rubber gloves are great for removing hair when your vacuum can’t quite get it all.

2. Prevent Chewing 

Like all babies, puppies will go through a teething stage and will be happy chewing on whatever they can get their teeth into – literally! The upside is that they will eventually grow out of this but, in order to protect your furniture, there are a few tricks you can try in the meantime.

  • Essentials oils like citrus or clove rubbed onto chewing ‘hot spots’ like table legs and skirting boards should put a bad taste in your pup’s mouth.
  • Make sure you have plenty of exciting chew toys on hand to prevent your puppy from seeking out things they shouldn’t

3. Remove Urine Stains 

Even if your pet is toilet trained, accidents can happen. If your cat or dog has mistaken your favourite rug for a patch of grass or their kitty litter tray, don’t despair, this natural cleaning method will banish stains and odours in a jiffy! First, soak up as much of the mess as you can with an absorbent paper towel. Next, create a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water and pour or spray onto the stain and scrub with a soft brush. Finish by sprinkling over some bicarb soda and let it absorb, before wiping over with a damp cloth and vacuuming up any residue. Bicarb and vinegar are effective at removing stains and neutralising ammonia.

4. Keep the kitty litter smell at bay 

Changing your kitty litter every day is the best way to combat bad smells but adding a layer of bicarb soda underneath your kitty litter will also help to neutralise odours.

5. Keep cats off your benchtop 

Does your cat love getting up on your kitchen benchtop, especially when there’s food being prepped? Keep cats out of the kitchen and away from your dinner by placing aluminium foil along the edges of your benches. Cats hate the touch of foil and it will also cause them to slip (ever so slightly!) so they will quickly learn to stop.

6. Wet dog smell 

Get rid of that wet dog smell in between washes by spraying or dotting diluted lavender oil on the middle of your dog’s back where they won’t be able to lick it off. Not only will this naturally eliminate odours but it will also help to keep fleas and ticks away and reduce anxiety.

7. Muddy Paws 

Stop muddy paws in their tracks by always keeping an old towel at your door or in your car and wipe your dog dry after a particularly messy outing. This will save you trying to get mud out of the carpet or off the couch later.

This article originally appeared on Homes to Love Australia.

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