Simple Carpet Cleaning Tips for Dog Owners

We love our dogs, but they can be trying on our home’s surfaces, especially carpets. Luckily, as long as you stay on top of things and clean regularly, it isn’t too hard to keep your carpets looking fresh. Dogs are generally clean animals, as long as you bathe them regularly.

When you have dogs, it’s important to be proactive. Above all else, this means cleaning your animals – bathing them regularly, brushing their coats, and keeping them groomed. The cleaner your dogs are, the cleaner your carpets will be!

Set up mats or small rugs near your home’s entrances, so the dogs have a barrier to step on between the outdoors and your carpet. Keep a towel by the door and make it a routine – especially on rainy and snowy days – to gently wipe down your dog’s paws each time he enters the house. Keeping a spray bottle filled with water nearby can come in handy on days where your pups are extra dirty and might drag mud (or worse) inside your home. Keep a mat or towel under their food bowls, to avoid little bits of food falling into the carpet.

This next tip is very important. Vacuum. Vacuum regularly. Vacuum a lot. And invest in a top-rated vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Dogs shed and carpets suffer because of it. Vacuuming regularly and properly is the best way to keep hair and dirt from building up in your carpets. To vacuum properly, make sure you start with a clean bag or freshly cleaned filter. When you vacuum a row of carpet, make sure you overlap it a second time, more slowly. In high-traffic areas of your home (such as which rooms the dogs frequent most, entrances, communal rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms), vacuum over the carpet three to four times. Don’t be shy – use the vacuum’s attachments to get hard-to-reach spots like corners, crevices and air ducts. Use the vacuum’s upholstery tool to get your dog’s hair off the couches.

Be prepared for accidents. Work quickly to combat stains when accidents happen. Keep a simple pet stain remover and spare washcloths accessible in your home. If you wish, invest in a hand-held steam cleaner. It can make your life a lot easier. Keep a spray bottle of pet odor neutralizer in your home, or use baking soda to eliminate odor. (Simply pour baking soda liberally over the stain, let it sit and vacuum it later).

No matter how careful and proactive you are concerning your carpets, it’s suggested that, to keep your carpets looking their freshest, you invest in a professional steam carpet cleaning such as this one at least once per year. 

Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.