I’ve always lived in a family with lots of pets, which means a lot of mess. We have had dogs, cats, rodents and fish… though to be fair, the only time the fish ever really caused any mess is when he jumped out of the fish bowl and down the back of the filing cabinet, and the predominant mess was me pooping myself because I have a phobia of fish. Weird, I know.
Anyway, if there has been one thing that I’ve always been conscious of, it’s the smells, the stains, the fur… it’s never ending. We’ve noticed it more in lockdown to be honest, there has been a constant mess, perhaps thanks to the kids being at home as well, constantly playing and scruffing up the pets, but they are messier than ever. Even if they weren’t I’m tidying more than ever because, we we’re always at home so why the devil not.
With that in mind I thought I would share with you my tops tips for cleaning with pets.
Get yourself a good multi-purpose cleaner like the BISSELL Cordless Crosswave.
We have tried out a few different multi-cleaner products over the years, and I think I can say that the BISSELL Cordless Crosswave 3 IN 1 is my favourite multi-purpose cleaner for pets, it simultaneously vacuums, washes and dries your hard surfaces. I was sent one to test out and what really set it apart for me was the fact that I could not only clean all my hard floor surfaces downstairs efficiently and quickly because the brush roll has been designed to work on multiple surfaces (and I could do the whole ground floor with one battery life too – it lasts for up to 25mins) but I could also clean my rugs using the “area rug” mode, something I haven’t discovered with similar models. I also feel like it collected pet hair better than previous counterparts that I have tested out – and whilst these were in no way lacking, BISSELL just seemed to specifically lift pet hair from the most difficult places – and it was ridiculously simple and easy to empty the debris and clean the dirty water away. It’s also lighter, easier to manoeuvre around smaller spaces and smaller to store. It’s the one for pet owners – also, I noted that their spring scented cleaning fluid left a really light smell behind and totally lifted the smell of damp dog… looking at you Yoda! Fancy winning one of these awesome machines for yourself? Keep reading…
Hack for getting out urine smells and stains!
Bizarrely, the most effective tool for soaking up urine and removing the smell is baking powder and vinegar.
- Using some kitchen roll, soak up as much urine as you can.
- Mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda with 8oz distilled white vinegar.
- Spray the stain with the vinegar-baking soda solution.
- Let it soak for 10 minutes.
- Use a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the area to pull out any additional moisture. Let it sit there for around 30 minutes to an hour.
- Vacuum the baking soda using your BISSELL crosswave, and afterwards give it a little going over with the area rug function!
Deodorise your house with … plants?!
Yes, plants. Plants act as a natural deodoriser around your home, so if you are keeping everything clean, those lingering smells will be held at bay with something as simple as a few house plants.
Removing pet vomit
Now the recommendation I see for this all of the time is “let it dry” but in my experience that leaves a stain, so I would recommend cleaning up the “vomit” and then using the same hack that you would use for urine. This time, cover the baking powder immediately with a towel.
Muddy paws… Muddy house
These are the easiest thing in the world to clean up if you have a wooden floor, but I can’t tell you how annoying it is when your over excited dog runs in to the house, and you have carpets that are now covered in mud. This is one occasion where the VERY best thing to do is to allow the stain to dry, then hoover over it. It will lift up!
What other hacks do you have for looking after your home with pets?
WIN A BISSELL CORDLESS CROSSWAVE 3 IN 1 CLEANER FOR YOURSELF! ENTER VIA MY INSTAGRAM – GOOD LUCK!
