How Clean are your Pets? – We love our pets, we invite them into our homes, our personal space and even our beds, but how clean are they and how can we keep this in check?
As a pet owner, I have three cats to contend with, I often look at this as a full-time job, being an extension of the family members. With regards to hygiene, this does involve additional dust, pet dander, pollen, dirt particles as well as odour finding their way onto all sorts of surfaces in the household and on our clothing.
Women Talking looks at the best ways to keep this in check:
Eliminate pet odour with an air purifier – I use an Airdri Air Purifier myself and do not have a problem with pet odour in the house. Basically, the air is drawn into the machine, it breaks down the odour and pushes fresh air back into my home.
The combined technologies of specialist UV and Photocatalytic Disinfection (PCD) has been proven to continually circulate clean, purified air 24 hours a day by killing and breaking down the micro-organisms.
The air around us contains micro-organisms – viruses, bacteria, moulds, fungi and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These micro-organisms are the source of odours, that also encourage the growth of mould as well as spreading infection. The air purifier is so advanced it controls all of these household issues giving me sanitised, clean air every day.
This advanced piece of kit is low maintenance and once plugged in will only require a new bulb annually.
Sprinkle baking soda – You may have thought this was an ‘old wives’ tale but it actually works! Baking soda has natural deodorising properties by neutralising odours. Just be sprinkling on upholstery, carpets, rugs, or your animal basket and leaving for a few hours, overnight ideally and hoovering off the next day, the baking powder will absorb any nasty smells.
Vinegar – Back to basics! Another traditional natural cleaning product is vinegar, being acidic its ideal for those nasty sticky build-ups. White distilled vinegar is best for cleaning because it doesn’t contain a colouring agent, therefore it won’t stain surfaces. You can use it to wipe items down or even spray-on fabric, to freshen it up. Although the smell can be quite strong when using, it does tend to fade after a few hours.
Pet vacuum– Look for a pet appropriate vacuum cleaner with good suction to pick up pesky hairs and help banish odours. Many of the pet vacuums also include an upholstery cleaner. Pet hair doesn’t just land on the carpet; it tends to find its way in and on everything, therefore it is useful to have a multifunctioning cleaner to hand when you have pets.
Scratch post – Not only a de-stressor for your pet, but it will also clean their feet too. These are available in a number of shapes and sizes to suit your pet space.
Freshen your home by opening the windows – it is advisable to air your home as often as possible, opening your windows even on cold days for a 20-minute blast will allow fresh, clean air to circulate and help eliminate any unpleasant odours.
Get some latex gloves – Pet hair is not always visible on your furniture and soft furnishings. I even died a cushion the same colour as the cat, so I could not see the build-up of cat hair on her regular chair. However, the removal of this unwanted build-up can be time consuming and messy. A hand-held hoover works as does a lint brush, but I recently read about the latex glove trick – just pop them on, run your hands over your furniture and ‘hey presto’ the fur sticks to the gloves, which you can then run underwater and the fur drops off.
Rotate your pets’ accessories – Your pets personal belongings, like their rugs, toys, beds are notorious for harbouring unpleasant smells. If you are able to rotate and wash, this will help to keep odours at bay.
Bath time – we have always washed our cats as they do spend the majority of their time in the house. If you start this process at a young age, reluctant at first, they will get used to the idea and maybe even look forward to it! Be sure to select the correct shampoo for your pet as their skin can be sensitive
If you have any useful tips yourself, post it in the comment box below.
Poppy Watt