Pets bring companionship, personality, and plenty of love into a home. They also bring something else every pet owner knows very well: hair, dander, muddy paw prints, odors, stains, and extra cleaning.
Whether you have a dog that seems to shed enough hair to create another dog, a cat that has claimed the sofa as its personal kingdom, or several pets sharing your home, keeping everything fresh can sometimes feel like a full-time job.
The good news is that a home with pets does not have to smell or look like a home with pets.
With the right cleaning routine — and a little professional help when needed — you can enjoy your pets while keeping your carpets, floors, furniture, and living spaces clean and comfortable.
At Detail Cleaning M&M, we understand the special cleaning challenges that come with being a pet owner. Here are some practical ways to stay ahead of pet hair, odors, dirt, and everyday messes.
1. Winning the Battle Against Pet Hair
Pet hair has an amazing ability to travel.
You may find it on the sofa, under furniture, along baseboards, on bedding, stuck to carpeting, and sometimes in rooms your pet rarely even enters.
Regular vacuuming is one of the most important things you can do.
For homes with shedding pets, vacuuming once a week may simply not be enough. High-traffic areas and your pet’s favorite sleeping spots may need attention several times each week.
Pay particular attention to:
- Carpeting
- Area rugs
- Upholstered furniture
- Stairs
- Baseboards
- Under sofas and chairs
- Corners of rooms
- Pet beds
- Fabric-covered dining chairs
A vacuum equipped with a pet-hair or upholstery attachment can make a considerable difference.
However, vacuuming primarily removes debris from the surface and upper portions of carpeting and fabric. Hair, dander, dirt, and other debris can eventually work their way deeper into carpet fibers and upholstered furniture.
That is where periodic professional cleaning can help.
For more information, read our article on Professional Carpet Cleaning Services in the Southwestern Suburbs of Chicago.
2. Controlling Pet Odors Instead of Covering Them Up
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with pet odors is attempting to cover them with air fresheners.
A fragrance may temporarily make a room smell different, but it does not necessarily remove the source of the odor.
Persistent pet odors may originate from:
- Carpeting
- Rugs
- Upholstered furniture
- Pet bedding
- Urine accidents
- Damp fur
- Litter boxes
- Blankets
- Fabric-covered furniture
- Dirt and oils transferred from your pet’s coat
The key is to remove the material causing the odor rather than simply masking the smell.
Wash pet bedding and blankets regularly. Vacuum furniture and carpeting frequently, and clean accidents as soon as possible.
For urine and other organic pet accidents, an appropriate enzymatic cleaner can sometimes help break down odor-producing material. Always follow product directions and test cleaning products in an inconspicuous area before applying them broadly.
If an odor continues returning after ordinary cleaning, the problem may have penetrated deeper into carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, or upholstery.
Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning can provide the deeper cleaning that normal household vacuuming may not accomplish.
You can also read our House Cleaning Tips: A Practical Guide from Detail Cleaning M&M for additional ideas for keeping your home fresh between professional cleanings.
3. Keeping Floors Clean When You Have Dogs and Cats
Your pet does not take its shoes off at the door.
Whatever is on those paws can end up on your floors.
During an Illinois spring or rainy summer day, that might be mud. During winter, pets may track in moisture, dirt, road salt, and other debris.
A few simple habits can dramatically reduce the mess.
Keep a towel near the entrance
Wiping your dog’s paws when coming inside can prevent much of the dirt from ever reaching the rest of the house.
Use good entrance mats
Place washable or easy-to-clean mats near doors your pets frequently use.
Sweep and vacuum frequently
Removing grit and dirt before it gets ground into flooring helps both cleanliness and the appearance of your floors.
Mop hard surfaces regularly
Pet paws, food spills, water bowls, drool, and everyday traffic gradually create a film that may not be obvious until the floor is thoroughly cleaned.
Remember to use cleaning products appropriate for the type of flooring in your home.
4. Don’t Forget the Baseboards and Corners
Here’s one area pet owners sometimes overlook.
Pet hair tends to migrate toward the perimeter of a room.
Air movement from heating and air-conditioning systems pushes lightweight hair and dust toward walls, underneath furniture, and into corners.
Eventually you may notice fuzzy little collections appearing along the baseboards.
Vacuuming or wiping baseboards periodically prevents this accumulation and makes the entire room look cleaner.
Professional deep cleaning services can be particularly helpful when hair, dust, grime, and buildup have accumulated in areas that are easy to miss during routine household cleaning.
5. Keeping Furniture Fresh When Pets Rule the Sofa
Let’s be realistic.
You can buy your dog the world’s most comfortable pet bed, and somehow your sofa will still be more attractive.
Cats aren’t exactly famous for respecting furniture boundaries either.
When pets spend significant time on furniture, upholstery collects:
- Hair
- Dander
- Dust
- Body oils
- Dirt
- Food particles
- Moisture
- Odors
Vacuum upholstered furniture regularly using the appropriate attachment, including underneath removable cushions whenever possible.
Wash removable covers and pet blankets according to manufacturer recommendations.
For furniture that has accumulated significant dirt or odors, professional upholstery cleaning can provide a deeper cleaning than vacuuming alone.
Our article Is Your Carpet Hiding Secrets? Why It’s Time for a Professional Clean explains how dirt and debris can accumulate inside soft surfaces throughout the home.
6. Clean the Places Your Pet Uses Most
Sometimes the fastest way to make the entire house smell fresher is to concentrate on a relatively small number of areas.
Think about where your pet spends most of the day.
That might include:
- A favorite section of carpeting
- A particular couch
- A dog bed
- A cat tree
- A window ledge
- A bedroom
- The area surrounding food and water bowls
- The hallway leading to the backyard
- The area surrounding a litter box
These locations generally require more frequent cleaning than the rest of the house.
Food and water bowls should also be cleaned regularly, particularly when water or wet food ends up on surrounding flooring.
7. Stay Ahead of Dirt With Recurring Cleaning
Pet-related cleaning becomes much easier when dirt, hair, and dust never have an opportunity to build up significantly.
That’s one reason recurring professional cleaning can be so helpful for households with pets.
Instead of waiting until the house needs a major rescue operation, regularly scheduled cleaning helps maintain the home on an ongoing basis.
Detail Cleaning M&M offers customizable Recurring Cleaning Services with weekly, biweekly, and monthly cleaning options.
A recurring schedule can be particularly convenient for:
- Busy families
- Multiple-pet households
- Heavy-shedding dogs
- Seniors
- Professionals working long hours
- Families with children and pets
- Homeowners who simply don’t want to spend their weekends cleaning
It is often much easier to maintain a clean home than repeatedly restore a dirty one.
8. Occasionally Give the House a Deep Clean
Even a home that receives regular cleaning can benefit from an occasional deeper cleaning.
Pet owners especially may notice gradual buildup in areas such as:
- Baseboards
- Behind furniture
- Under beds
- Corners
- Cabinet surfaces
- Doors
- Trim
- Carpet edges
- Upholstery
- Hard-to-reach areas
A professional deep cleaning provides an opportunity to tackle the areas that are frequently skipped during everyday cleaning.
If you’d like to learn more about the difference between routine maintenance and more extensive cleaning, check out The “Deep Clean” Difference: Why Plainfield Homes Need More Than Just a Surface Wipe-Down.
9. Pay Special Attention to Carpets and Rugs
Carpeting is comfortable for people and pets, but it can also hold an impressive amount of material.
Over time, carpets may collect:
- Pet hair
- Dander
- Soil
- Dust
- Pollen
- Food crumbs
- Paw debris
- Odor-producing material
Routine vacuuming is essential, but periodic professional carpet cleaning provides another level of cleaning for carpeting and rugs that receive constant traffic.
This can be particularly valuable around your pet’s favorite areas and the paths between entrances, food bowls, sleeping areas, and living spaces.
Detail Cleaning M&M provides professional carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning along with our residential cleaning services.
10. A Clean Home and Pets Can Absolutely Coexist
Having pets does not mean accepting a permanently messy home.
The secret is consistency.
Vacuum before hair becomes deeply embedded. Wipe paws before dirt travels through the house. Clean accidents quickly. Wash pet bedding regularly. Pay attention to carpeting and upholstery, and periodically tackle the deeper cleaning jobs that routine maintenance doesn’t reach.
Most importantly, don’t feel as though you have to do everything yourself.
Your free time should include enjoying your family and your pets — not spending every available hour chasing fur around the house with a vacuum cleaner.
Let Detail Cleaning M&M Help Keep Your Pet-Friendly Home Clean
If pet hair, muddy paws, dirty floors, carpet odors, dusty furniture, and everyday household messes are becoming too much to keep up with, Detail Cleaning M&M is ready to help.
We provide professional house cleaning, deep cleaning, recurring cleaning, carpet cleaning, rug cleaning, and upholstery cleaning for homeowners throughout Plainfield and Chicago’s southwestern suburbs.
Whether you need a one-time deep cleaning or want reliable weekly, biweekly, or monthly cleaning, we can customize a cleaning plan for your home and lifestyle.
And yes — we’re pet friendly!
Request Your Free Estimate Today
Call Detail Cleaning M&M at (312) 730-6552
Email Michelle at michelle@detailcleaningmm.com
Or visit DetailCleaningMM.com to learn more about our professional residential and commercial cleaning services.
Let Detail Cleaning M&M handle the cleaning so you can spend more time enjoying the pets who made the mess in the first place.