If you have pets, housekeeping can seem overwhelming. Making sure your home is consistently clean, neat and tidy is akin to washing your car in the rain. So…how do you keep your home clean and fresh when you have a cat (or two!) living with you? Here are a few housekeeping tips for cat owners from pets.webmd.com to make life easier.
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Getting Rid Of Hair
Invest In A Good Vacuum
- Invest in a good vacuum cleaner. I have two, if one breaks down, I have a backup! Find one with strong suction that has a pet hair attachment. Vacuum chairs and curtains and not just the floors.
- If your house has stairs, I suggest a handheld vacuum. It’s much easier than lugging a big vacuum up and down the stairs (speaking from experience on this one!).
- For those with a busy schedule, another option to consider is a robotic vacuum like the Roborock. It handles both vacuuming (bare floors and carpet) and mopping. Roborock is wifi controlled, working with iOS, Android and Amazon Alexa. Pretty cool, priced at $299.99 on Amazon.
Flooring
- Does your home have hardwood floors? Wood floors are much easier to clean when you have pets. I use Swiffer sweepers in between vacuuming to pick up loose hair on floors. It is a big expense changing from carpet to wood floors, but if you can swing it financially, I highly recommend it!
Furniture and Clothing
- To get rid of cat hair around the house, don some wet rubber gloves and run your hands over the places your cat loves to hang out.
- Brush your cat daily to remove loose hair. This will help minimize the amount of hair that ends up on the floor, and keep his coat looking healthy and shiny.
- Brush some tape with the sticky side out over your clothes to remove hair.
- Invest in washable pet bedding. For cats that go outside, place a washable cushion where he goes in and out to tackle any muddy paws.
Flea Preventative
Do not use products intended for adult cats on kittens and never use products for dogs on cats.
- If your cat does bring in fleas, vacuum daily – including upholstered furniture, cracks in the floor and along the baseboards.
- Replace the vacuum bag after use. If it is a canister-style, wash it in warm, soapy water.
- Wash or replace your cat’s bedding and steam clean carpet.
Litter Box Maintenance
We cannot forget about litter box messes here! A little baking soda on the bottom of the box can help with unpleasant odors.
- Scoop the litter at least once a day. Empty and wash the whole box at least once a week for clay litter, or every two to three weeks for the clumping variety.
- Don’t overfill the litter box. Cats prefer a couple of inches of litter rather than filling the box almost to the top. This will minimize the amount of litter cleanup around the box.
Don’t spend all your time cleaning, take the opportunity to do what is most important in these scenarios: snuggle with him and love him!
What housekeeping tricks or supplies have you found that make life easier when sharing a home with pets? Please leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
