Pet Cleaning

If you have pets living in your home, you know how much of a mess your animal friends can leave behind. Although you love your dog, cat, or other pet, you probably don't appreciate the smells, stains, and messes left for you to clean.

Cleaning up after a pet can seem like a huge chore. After all, you can probably expect that as soon as you clean up a mess, another one will show up soon afterwards. Not all pets are particularly messy, but from time to time you will probably need to do some pet-related cleaning to get your house as clean as you like it.

Dogs and cats, two of the most popular pets that people own, each have particular cleaning needs specific to them. Many people would describe a dog as having "dog smell," a scent which most of us don't like very much. Even with regular baths, you might find that parts of your home where you dog likes to hang out still smell like dog. Cats are notorious for shedding, and most homes with a cat will have many surfaces with a coating of shed cat hair on them. Removing this hair isn't always simple, and the task may require special fur-removing gloves or rollers to be successful.

One issue that you may have with cats, dogs, or other types of pets is urine or feces messes. Even a pet that is house- or litter-trained may have the occasional accident indoors, and if this happens in your home you will need to clean the mess up as soon as possible.

In order to successfully clean up after your pets, you will need to be armed with the right tools to get the job done right. There are a few basic tools that you should have on hand to clean up any messes that your pets might leave for you:

• Enzyme cleaners. You can find these at your local pet store. Enzyme cleaners are important for cleaning up after urine or feces because it helps discourage your pet from using that spot as a toilet again.
• Lint/hair roller. This can assist you in picking up a pet hair from clothes, furniture, or other surfaces.
• Vacuum cleaner. Get pet dander and hair out of your carpet easily by using a good vacuum cleaner.
• Paper towels. Soak up pet messes with thick paper towels. You can also use them to apply cleaners to a soil surface.

Keep the proper items on hand so you are ready to clean up any pet mess.