Cleaning House: How To Keep Things Spotless On A Budget When You’re A Dog Owner 

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Cleaning your home can be a challenge no matter what you have going on; you may have a busy schedule, a large family that leaves messes behind, a tight budget, or a big house that requires more time than you have to give. When you’re a pet owner, it can be even more difficult to keep things tidy. Even the most well-behaved dog can leave behind hair, dander, dirt, and saliva as he moves through the house, making your job that much harder. The good news is it doesn’t have to be a struggle to keep your home in great shape. By making a few small lifestyle changes, you can ensure that each room of your house will stay clean season after season without breaking the bank.

Some things to think about include pet grooming, lawn maintenance, and planning ahead when your dog goes outside for a walk or for an extended period of time when the weather is bad. It’s also a good idea to invest in a vacuum cleaner that includes a HEPA filter so you can keep pet hair and dander from being thrown back into the air when you clean the floors. You don’t have to spend a fortune on this essential tool; you can often find top-rated models on sale on sites like Amazon, so keep an eye on their daily Gold Box Deals.

Here are a few more things to consider when it comes to cleaning your home on a budget when you have a pet.

Get the cleaning supplies you need

Even house-trained pets can sometimes have accidents or make messes, and when this happens and you aren’t prepared with the right cleaning supplies, your home can suffer. Shop for these supplies at an already-affordable store like Target; be sure to watch out for sales and use Target in-store coupons to get the best deal on everything you need to keep your floors and furniture spotless. Having these on hand will allow you to take care of messes right away, which could mean the difference between a soiled carpet and one that just needs a bit of care.

Keep him groomed

Good grooming is essential for your pet for many reasons, one of them being that it will help you keep your home free of excess hair and damage. Well-trimmed toenails and short hair can go a long way toward making sure your floors and furniture stay in great shape, and this is often something you can do yourself. If you aren’t comfortable with cutting his nails on your own, the local pet store or your vet will do the job without breaking the bank.

Maintain your lawn

When your lawn is in good shape, it can help your pet’s feet and fur stay dry and clean. Keeping the grass cut in spring and summer, picking up waste every day, and making sure there are no muddy areas for him to roll around in will ensure that he doesn’t track in a mess on your clean floors. You can also lay out a thick-pile doormat for him to wipe his feet on (Overstock.com has lots of lovely but inexpensive options, and they offer a special discount to new customers), or keep pet wipes or a bowl of clean water by the door to give him a little foot bath before he comes in. This can be especially helpful during the rainy season.

Do a little each day

Cleaning your home can be overwhelming if you wait to do it all at once on the same day; that’s why it can be helpful to do a little bit each day. You might give everyone in the family their own section of the house to be responsible for, or write out a list of things to be done for every day of the week on a cleaning schedule. This will help break it up and make it more manageable when you don’t have a lot of time or energy to devote to cleaning.

Keeping your house clean when you have pets doesn’t have to be a stressful, costly event. With some simple changes and a little planning ahead, you can ensure that your home is spotless every day of the week, no matter how many pets you have–or what your budget is.