Neutralise odours with 'game-changing' pet-friendly cleaning products
We've spoken to home and interior experts Furniturebox who provided the low-down on the best cleaning hacks for pet owners.
Owning a pet is never easy. While of course, they are there to greet you when you come home from work and provide you plenty of affection they do love to create a mess wherever they go.
However, we’ve spoken to home and interior experts Furniturebox who provided the low-down on the best cleaning hacks for pet owners.
Laura Rich, a product development lead at Furniturebox, has shared her top budget-friendly cleaning hacks. This is what you need to know.
Hoovering
Probably one of the biggest banes for pet owners is hoovering. Rich explained: “You’re going to have to clean up fur a lot and that means a lot of hoovering!
“Regular vacuuming is essential to keeping dog and cat fur at bay, so use the upholstery attachment to clean cushions and throws. A rubber broom is also wonderful for wooden or vinyl flooring, as they are great at collecting dust and pet hair. Rubber broom heads can also easily be disinfected.”
Squeegee-Peasy
We use them for cleaning our windows or shower screens but there is another benefit to them.
The expert advised: “Use a window cleaning squeegee to scrape your carpets and drag up all the fluff and fur that the vacuum struggles to pick up. Viral tools are being sold to do this but we’ve found a regular squeegee works just as well.”
Neutralise pet odours
There’s nothing worse than your home smelling of your pet. Rich recommended creating a carpet freshener by filling an “old, clean jar with baking soda and adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil”.
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Then stir the mixture to distribute the essential oil and keep it sealed tight. Next, sprinkle the mixture on carpets or fabric furniture and let it sit for no more than half an hour.
Vacuum up the mixture to neutralise pet odours and be sure to “keep essential oils out of reach of children and cats”, as they are toxic to felines if they come into contact with a cat’s skin.
She added: “Don’t use essential oils in your baking soda mix if you have a cat with asthma.”
Dry-mop refills and air fresheners
Cleaning products can soon mount up if you follow social media trends. However, the expert said: “Tumble dryer sheets are a game changer for pet homes. They can be used to wipe down furniture, carpets and electronics.
They’re great at collecting dust as they are anti-static and leave a nice fresh scent behind. These are better than using liquid aerosols or sprays as moisture can encourage dampness and mould in fabrics. You can even tuck dryer sheets inside cushion covers for a more permanent freshener.
“For a deep clean, attach a dryer sheet to a dry-mop or rubber broom using elastic bands then run around the floors to pick up dust and add a fresh smell. Dryer sheets can be bought for as little as £2.50 for forty sheets. Biodegradable options are also available.”
Liquid stains
Finally, stains can be easily made with pets. She said: “For liquid stains on fabrics, spray with water then absorb with paper towels, blotting rather than rubbing to avoid weakening or stretching the fibres or pushing the stain further into the fabric.
“Sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and leave for half an hour to neutralise the smell, then hoover it up. Repeat as necessary until the stain and smell are gone.”
