At home in London, I have four dogs. Oh, and five guinea pigs, two fish tanks, and one small but very fast tortoise. While this amounts to a considerable amount of chaos, it also means I've become incredibly adept at cleaning up after animals of all shapes and sizes.
The good news is you don't need cupboards and cupboards of cleaning supplies stashed away. In fact, just a handful of products is more than enough to ensure all surfaces remain (almost!) spotless.
Here, along with professional cleaners, I share my essential cleaning supplies for pet owners, to clean with ease and avoid irreparable or expensive damage.
Cleaning supply checklist for pet owners
1. An enzyme cleaner
At home with two 'rambunctious' Labradors, Bryan Griffin, founder at Patriot Maids Cleaning Services, describes an enzyme cleaner as a 'lifesaver,' and it's something I rely on, too, for cleaning up any little accidents.
He explains, 'It doesn't just cover up the mess it dives deep to break down the stuff causing the stink and stains, leaving your space truly clean and fresh. The Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Stain & Odor Eliminator for Strong Odor available at Amazon is a winner in my book.'
One chore pet owners will be all too familiar with is deep cleaning a carpet, which enzyme cleaner is more than suitable for. In a similar vein, Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved here at Homes & Gardens, who often has the pleasure of looking after her parent's cat, recommends the Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain remover with a cleaning applicator/brush, available at Walmart.
She says, 'It's a lifesaver for quickly cleaning up muddy paw prints from carpets when my cat comes in from exploring the garden. The built-in brush and sponge means I only need to grab one tool to treat stains before they have a chance to set,' which is the number one golden rule of stain removal.
You can also try cleaning with baking soda to soak up residue and eliminate odors, although this will work best when paired with a stronger, commercial stain remover.
All prices correct at time of publication.
This stain remover begins to break down stains immediately on contact and is suitable for use on carpets, hard floors, furniture, fabric, and more.
I've been recommended this enzyme cleaner by experts time and time again. It's powerful, yet gentle on soft surfaces, without added bleach, phthalates, sulfates, peroxide, or parabens.
Ideal for deep cleaning all carpets, including those in your car, this brush features an ergonomic handle for easy scrubbing and durable, long-lasting bristles.
2. A lint roller
Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved, has two cats at home, who love to sleep on her black velvet couches, beds, and basically 'anywhere that isn't their cat beds.'
So, to keep a home clean with cats and remove pet hair from fabric, Punteha keeps a PetLovers Extra Sticky Lint Roller available at Amazon in every room of her house, which is something that cleaning expert Bryan also recommends.
He advises, 'If you've got pets, you've got pet hair. Everywhere. Lint rollers are my quick fix to get a home guest ready in under an hour before guests arrive, or when I'm heading out.
'A few swipes and your clothes or couch are no longer fur-coated. Grab the Scotch-Brite Lint Roller Twin Pack from Walmart; they're sticky enough to pick up even the stubbornest fur.'
You can also use lint rollers to get pet hair out of laundry, a problem which quite literally plagues my household. Simply allow your washing to dry before running one over the fabric.
Without adhesive or sticky tape, this super effective pet hair remover can be used again and again, with an easy-release function to swiftly remove hair before putting it away.
3. A handheld vacuum
Another absolute essential in my household to get dog hair out of the carpets is a handheld vacuum. We use the Shark® WANDVAC™ Cordless Handheld Vacuum, available at Shark, but there are also several more affordable models available, such as the BLACK+DECKER dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum available at Amazon, which cleaning expert Bryan recommends.
He says, 'For those little messes and in-between the couch cushions, nothing beats a handheld vacuum. It’s perfect for a fast cleanup, and because it’s so handy, you’re more likely to use it regularly.' Homes & Gardens' Chiana agrees – she uses her handheld vacuum everyday, describing it as her 'best investment.'
If you prefer, or need, something a little more heavy-duty, our resident vacuum expert, Dan Fauzi, has put together a round-up of the best vacuums for pet hair.
I'm certainly not claiming this vacuum is affordable, but my parents recently invested in one, and it's genuinely amazing. With a powerful suction that powers through pet hair in just one swipe, we use ours all around the house.
4. A non-toxic household cleaner
Keeping a clean home when you have pets is undoubtedly difficult, but Kasey Norton from Hyve Clean, owner of Dodger, a three-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever, stresses the importance of eco-friendly cleaning when you have four-legged friends around.
She says, 'As a pet owner myself, one of the most important things we have in our home is a truly non-toxic household cleaner. I also have a couple two-legged children that play on the floor, but nowhere near as much as Dodger. And I'm pretty sure I don't want any of them playing a floor cleaned with toxic chemicals.
'Dodger sleeps on the floor, searches for crumbs on the floor, and breathes the air in our home – he's part of the family! And I'm fairly certain that is the case for most pet owners.'
Therefore, Kasey recommends the Hyve Overtime Multi-Surface Cleaner available at Hyve, which is a non-toxic, probiotic-powered household cleaner.
'We use it in our home on every surface you can think of,' she continues. 'There are no toxic chemicals, no artificial fragrances – just simple ingredients and powerful beneficial microbes.'
For example, Kasey uses this miracle product to clean Dodger's water and food dishes. 'Dog bowls tend to get that slimy layer of biofilm on them after a couple of days,' she adds. 'This biofilm is what harmful bacteria excrete to protect themselves from being washed away – but not when Hyve is around!
'The powerful probiotics penetrate that biofilm and get to work eradicating the harmful bacteria. Clean water bowl – happy dog.'
You can also clean with Castile soap, such as the Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap available at Amazon, when tackling pet dishes, which is also non-toxic, biodegradable, and made with natural ingredients. For a handy alternative, try cleaning with vinegar.
This all-purpose cleaning spray has a plant-based, vegan and, cruelty-free formula, suitable for use on almost all non-porous surfaces around the house.
This Castile soap is EWG Verified and Certified Palm Oil Free, with an unscented, biodegradable formula that's free of synthetic preservatives, thickeners, or foaming agents.
Vinegar is one of the most versatile non-toxic cleaning products, perfect for disinfecting and removing stains when you have pets.
5. A carpet scraper
Finally, one of the best carpet cleaning tips to quickly transform and spruce up your space is using a carpet scraper, one of the cleaning essentials that experts say are worth the spend for pet owners.
Proud cat owner Punteha uses the Pet Hair Removal Tool from Amazon every day, 'to scrape fur and dander from my carpets because, despite vacuuming daily, pet hair gets deep into the fibers,' adding that she keeps one on the ground floor, and one upstairs for easy access.
Meet the experts
One of the most annoying dilemmas as a pet owner is keeping pets off counters, particularly when trying to maintain clean countertops. To do so, use citrus based cleaning products, such as the Method Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner Spray in Citron, available at Amazon, and train your pets to stay with their paws firmly on the ground.
