Dog hair! Muddy paws! Water bowl sloshes! All that drool…. right now you might be asking, c’mon Liz, how much home cleaning am I going to have to do after my dog, and how often?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. We’ve all got other things to do and want to make cleaning easy so we can get to the fun – like hiking with your dog or going for a drive. Make cleaning quick and easy with this list of what to clean and when:
Daily Home Cleaning:
- Wash and scrub food and water bowls (hello, dishwasher!)
- Sweep up any crumbs around the bowls (crumbs? all licked up.)
- Quick wipe the floor around food and water bowls.
- Quick wipe the crate or baby gates.
- Clean up pet accidents around the house when they happen.
- Spot vacuum or spot clean all dog hair (sticky rollers really help!)
- Pick up all dog poop from your yard (and always on walks, right?) and put in trash container.
- Brush your dog (it WILL help reduce dog hair on the floor, I promise.)
- Put all toys away before going to bed.
Weekly Cleaning Tasks:
- Wash and scrub food mats and the floor under the bowls.
- Wipe baseboards and walls around the dog bowls.
- Wash the throws and blankets your dog uses.
- Shake out the doormats and entry rugs.
- Sprinkle baking soda (or pet carpet powder) onto carpets and rugs, then thoroughly vacuum upholstered furniture, floors, and corners.
- Dust other furniture, mirrors, and light fixtures.
- Spot clean carpets to get rid of pet stains.
Monthly Clean Up:
- Wash collars, bandanas, and other dog “clothing” items.
- Mop floors around your the food station.
- Deep clean carpets and curtains (steam clean, ahhhh).
- Purge chewed, broken, or dangerous toys. Toss out anything that’s a hazard.
- Rotate toys into a drawer and pull something “new” from the drawer rotation.
- Wash (and air dry) any toys that need refreshing.
- Wash the dog (for high-maintenance coats, make that professional groomer appointment).
- Check the freezer for dog treats or puppy pops (they need eating, of course! don’t let them age…) and buy new ones.
Quarterly Home Cleaning Tasks:
- Steam clean upholstered furniture.
- Wash out storage containers for food and treats.
- Replace heavily worn collars, bandannas, and “clothing” items.
- Wash and put away seasonal items or seasonal dog clothing for next year.
- Do a thorough dusting of all surfaces in every room.
- Wash and sanitize any washable rugs.
- Deep clean area around dog beds: sweep, mop, wipe baseboards.
- Spot clean pet beds and hiding nooks; check for repair or replacement.
Recap:
There you go! Now that’s not so bad, huh? And I guarantee you that if you keep up with daily and weekly cleaning tasks, then the monthly and quarterly chores will not be a huge hassle. That’s the list for any pet owner’s home cleaning schedule. If you have additional hints and regular cleaning tasks that I didn’t include, please shout out in the comments below!