How to Keep a Clean House With Pets (Without Losing Your Mind)

If you share your home with pets, you already know the truth:

Your house is probably never going to be completely fur-free.

You can vacuum in the morning and find another furry tumbleweed rolling across the floor by afternoon. Add muddy paws, scattered toys, litter, food crumbs, drool, and the occasional accident, and keeping the house clean can feel like a full-time job.

But having pets doesn't mean your house has to be dirty.

The trick is realizing that clean doesn't have to mean spotless.

A few simple habits can keep your home comfortable without spending your entire life chasing pet hair.

1. Stay Ahead of the Shedding

Shedding is probably one of the biggest cleaning challenges for pet owners.

Instead of waiting until fur has taken over the house, concentrate on the areas where it collects most:

• Around pet beds

• Under furniture

• Along baseboards

• On rugs

• On couches and chairs

• In your pet's favorite sleeping spots

A quick vacuum of high-traffic areas every couple of days can be easier than doing one giant cleaning session.

And if you have a heavy shedder?

Accept that you're going to find fur five minutes after vacuuming.

That's just pet ownership.

2. Brush Your Pet Regularly

Some of the easiest pet hair to clean is the hair that never reaches the floor.

Regular brushing can remove loose fur before it ends up on your furniture, clothes and rugs.

How often your pet needs brushing depends on their coat, breed and individual grooming needs.

During heavy shedding seasons, you may need to brush more frequently.

Turn it into bonding time.

Brush, praise, treat, done.

3. Keep Old Towels Near the Door

This simple trick can save your floors.

Keep an old towel near whichever door your dog uses most.

Rain?

Wipe the paws.

Mud?

Wipe the paws.

Snow?

Wipe the paws.

Dog somehow finds the only muddy spot in the entire yard?

You know the drill.

Old towels are also great for drying wet coats before your dog shakes water across the entire living room.

4. Create a Pet Cleaning Station

Accidents are much less stressful when everything you need is already in one place.

Keep a small basket or container stocked with things such as paper towels or washable rags, poop bags, old towels and an appropriate pet-safe cleaner.

For urine and other organic accidents, an enzymatic cleaner can be especially useful because it's designed to break down the material responsible for lingering odors.

The faster you can deal with an accident, the easier cleanup usually becomes.

5. Remember That Accidents Happen

Even house-trained pets can occasionally have accidents.

Puppies are learning.

Rescue pets may still be adjusting.

Older animals can have different needs.

And sometimes pets simply get sick.

Clean the mess thoroughly and try to determine why it happened rather than treating it like a catastrophe.

If a normally house-trained pet suddenly begins having repeated accidents, especially alongside other changes in behavior, appetite, thirst or bathroom habits, contact your veterinarian. A sudden change can sometimes have a medical cause.

6. Use Washable Blankets on Furniture

If your pets sleep on your couch or bed, washable blankets can make your life considerably easier.

Cover their favorite spots.

When the blanket becomes covered in fur, dirt or drool, toss it into the laundry.

It's usually much easier than constantly cleaning the upholstery itself.

You can also rotate between two blankets so there's always a clean one available.

7. Wash Pet Bedding

Pet beds collect more than fur.

They can hold dirt, oils, saliva and all the mysterious outdoor debris your pet manages to bring inside.

Wash removable covers and blankets according to their care instructions and vacuum beds that can't easily go into the washing machine.

While you're at it, wash frequently used pet blankets too.

8. Don't Forget Food and Water Areas

The area around food and water bowls can get surprisingly messy.

Water splashes.

Kibble escapes.

Wet food somehow travels farther than physics should allow.

Wipe the area regularly and wash bowls according to your veterinarian's or the manufacturer's recommendations.

A washable mat underneath the bowls can also make everyday cleanup easier.

9. Give Pet Stuff a Home

Pets accumulate belongings too.

Toys.

Leashes.

Brushes.

Treats.

Harnesses.

Medications.

Poop bags.

Grooming supplies.

Instead of trying to perfectly organize everything, give each category a basic home.

A toy basket.

A hook for leashes.

A bin for grooming supplies.

A container for treats.

Simple organization is usually easier to maintain than an elaborate system.

10. Try a 10-Minute Pet Cleanup

You don't necessarily need an hour-long cleaning routine every night.

Try a quick reset instead.

Pick up the toys, scoop the litter box, wipe around food bowls, vacuum the furriest areas, shake out blankets and clean any obvious paw prints.

Then you're done.

Save the bigger cleaning jobs for when they actually need doing.

Your House Is Allowed to Look Like Pets Live There

This might be the most important part.

Your home doesn't have to look like you don't own animals.

There can be a dog toy on the floor.

There can be a little fur on the couch.

There can be nose prints on the window.

There can be a pet bed sitting in the middle of your otherwise perfectly nice living room.

Focus on keeping your home safe, sanitary and comfortable, not making it look untouched.

Because when you share your home with animals, a little mess comes with the territory.

You aren't maintaining a showroom.

You're creating a home where both you and your pets get to live.

And yes, sometimes that means vacuuming up enough fur to wonder how your pet isn't bald yet.