Cleaning with pets: how to keep your home clean with a dog or cat

Why does a home with pets need a different cleaning routine?

In a home with pets, the dirt often concentrates around a few areas: the hallway and the door to the garden, the animal's basket or blanket, the sofa and other upholstered furniture, the floor around the food and water bowls, and rugs and the spots where the animal sleeps.

Hair and dander from pets tend to gather in rugs, furniture and clothes in particular. How much cleaning is needed depends among other things on the animal's size, coat type, the season, the home's materials and how much time the animal spends indoors.

A long-haired dog in a house with a garden typically brings different challenges from an indoor cat in a smaller flat. That's why a single universal cleaning plan rarely works for everyone.

• The hallway and the door to the garden
• The animal's basket or blanket
• The sofa and other upholstered furniture
• The floor around the food and water bowls
• Rugs and the spots where the animal sleeps

Start at the entrance

The easiest cleaning is often the cleaning you avoid. When a dog comes in after a wet walk, a few seconds of wiping can save a much bigger floor wash later.

It's worth setting up a small cleaning station by the entrance you use most. A washable mat, an old towel for paws, a cloth for quick spots and a small brush or handheld vacuum for grit can make a big difference.

Wipe wet or muddy paws before the animal moves further into the home. Also clear grit and dirt from the mat regularly, so it isn't tracked through to the rest of the home. If you have a cat, a mat in front of the litter tray can help catch some of the grit that otherwise follows on the paws.

How to remove pet hair from the floor

On hard floors, hair often gathers along skirting boards, under furniture and around chair legs.

It's usually easier to vacuum up hair and loose dirt before you wash the floor. Otherwise wet hair can clump together and get pushed around.

Check the vacuum's brush and nozzle at regular intervals. Long hairs can wrap around rotating parts and impair how it works. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when you clean or take apart the equipment.

• Remove loose items from the floor.
• Vacuum along skirting boards and in corners.
• Vacuum the rest of the floor in calm, steady passes.
• Only wash the floor when it's necessary.
• Use a product suited to the floor type.

How often should you vacuum with a dog or cat?

There's no single correct interval. A home with a lot of shedding may need the most-used areas vacuumed several times a week. In other homes, one thorough weekly vacuum supplemented by quick cleaning around the hallway, sofa and food bowls is enough.

Astma-Allergi Danmark writes generally that one thorough weekly clean can be a sensible starting point when the aim is to reduce dust and irritating particles. It isn't a pet-specific rule, though, and the need should be adapted to the home.

How to get hair off the sofa

Pet hair can be more visible on the sofa than on the floor, because it lodges between the textile fibres.

First vacuum the sofa with a nozzle meant for furniture, working in short passes. Lift loose cushions and vacuum between them, in the seams and in the crevices.

On some textiles, a lightly dampened rubber glove or a suitable furniture brush can gather hair the vacuum doesn't pick up. The method should first be tested on a discreet spot. Don't rub hard on delicate textiles.

Never use a cleaning product on a sofa before you've checked the manufacturer's care instructions. Natural materials, microfibre, wool, velour and leather can call for different methods.

Don't forget the animal's own things

The animal's basket, blanket and toys can be among the biggest collecting points for hair and dirt.

Where possible, choose covers and blankets that can be taken off and washed. It makes the ongoing cleaning simpler. Electrolux highlights, among other things, regularly washing the pet's blanket and basket as a way to limit the spread of hair from the animal's regular spot.

• Shake out or vacuum blankets outdoors where possible.
• Wash washable covers according to the label's instructions.
• Wipe baskets and carriers with a suitable method.
• Wash food and water bowls regularly.
• Remove old food residue around the bowls.
• Check toys for dirt and damage.

Paw prints and smells

Paw prints should be treated according to the surface material. On a floor, a well-wrung cloth is often enough for a fresh mark. Only use more cleaning product when it's necessary, and follow the dosage on the product.

On glass doors, nose and paw prints can be removed with a clean cloth and a method meant for glass. Wipe it dry afterwards, so no streaks or residue are left. Avoid using the same cloth on the floor, food bowls, kitchen surfaces and glass.

A strong scent of cleaning product doesn't necessarily remove the cause of the smell. First find the source: a damp rug, old food, a litter tray, a stain in a piece of furniture or a full vacuum filter.

For urine, vomit or other organic stains, follow the material's care instructions and the guidance on the chosen product. Never mix different cleaning products in the hope of achieving a stronger effect.

Cleaning is not a treatment for pet allergy

It's important to distinguish between visible pet hair and the allergens a person with a pet allergy can react to.

Allergens don't only come from the coat. They can also come from, among other things, skin cells, saliva and urine. The particles can be very small and get spread through the home. Thorough cleaning therefore can't promise to make a home safe or symptom-free for a person with a pet allergy.

If an allergy is suspected, you should contact your doctor and have the symptoms assessed. Cleaning help should not be marketed as treatment for allergy or as a guarantee of an allergen-free home.

A simple cleaning plan for homes with animals

Here's a practical starting point that can be adapted to your home. The plan is not a professional health standard, but a practical way to divide the work that can make the task more manageable.

The frequency depends on shedding, weather, type of home and your own expectations.

• Every day or as needed: wipe wet paws, remove visible grit, wipe up around the bowls, remove fresh stains and gather visible hair from the sofa's most-used spot.
• One or more times a week: vacuum the rooms the animal uses most, the sofa and loose cushions, the area around the basket and the surroundings of the litter tray.
• At longer intervals: wash the animal's blankets and covers, vacuum under sofas and larger furniture, clean skirting boards and radiator areas, and go over the carrier and the car.

Private cleaning help in a home with pets

A home with animals can suit a regular cleaning arrangement well, because the same areas often need attention from one time to the next.

Through Hilfr, the customer books a specific person for the cleaning. That makes it possible to explain the home, the animal and the most important tasks before the visit.

Always write which animal is in the home, whether it will be present during the visit, whether certain doors must not be opened, and which areas have the highest priority.

Even a friendly animal can be startled by a vacuum cleaner, an open front door or an unfamiliar person. So agree in advance whether the animal should be in a separate room, looked after outside the home or free to move around.

The cleaner should not be expected to look after, feed, walk or keep an eye on the animal, unless such a service is explicitly part of the agreed work. As a rule, the customer is responsible for making sure the animal is placed safely.

Should you choose regular cleaning or a single booking?

Regular cleaning can be relevant when the animal sheds a lot, the hallway and floors quickly get dirty, or you want a familiar routine.

A single booking can be relevant after a period of heavy shedding, before or after guests, or when the overlooked areas need catching up.

The need depends more on the home and everyday life than on the number of animals alone. The best routine isn't necessarily the most extensive one. It's the one that actually works in everyday life.