Keeping your home clean and sanitary isn't easy when you have pets.
Houses that smell or look like pets have lived in them are just harder to sell.
Below are some tips that will help you clean and freshen you and your best friends' living spaces.
#1 Soft surfaces attract and retain odors
Clean or launder anything fabric; rugs, drapes, bedding, and furniture. Suitable methods include cleaning items with steam, dry cleaning or machine washing, be sure to refer to item care instructions or test a small area that will be out of sight in the event that damage may occur.
#2 Groom Your Pet
Regular baths for your furry friends as well as regular brushing to remove loose hair and dander before it gathers on furniture and floors. There are specific brushes that can accommodate different pet hair types for the best results. Handy tricks for removing hair from furniture; use a lint roller, tape, damp washcloth, vacuum or special rubber bricks you can purchase on-line.
#3 Clean Grout on tile floors
Tile and other hard surfaces are great for pets, but grout is porous and absorbs liquids and dirt. Using steam on the surface acts as a natural disinfectant but deep cleaning grout with baking soda and vinegar is another natural and safe solution to lift out all the impurities that have accumulated in those deep crevices.
#4 Get an Air Purifier Tower
Preventing unpleasant smells is the best practice before your HVAC can circulate them. You will want to prevent the collection of dander and hair before it gets to your HVAC and is circulated through your air ducts and filter and spreads throughout your entire home, so purchase a system with a HEPA filter and change filters on HVAC systems and purifiers regularly to promote a healthy environment for both you and your pets.
#5 Use Enzymatic Cleaners
They're the special forces of odor busters. Enzymatic cleaners are made of beneficial bacteria that eat stains and odors. Enzymatic cleaners are formulated to stamp out a specific type of stain, so a cleanser that targets urine won't be the same as one for vomit.
#6 Get Rid of Scratch Marks
For walls and doors made of synthetic materials, you'll just need to paint over those marks. For a wooden door, use a wood-filler pen that will fill in the scratches. For hardwood floors, rub out small scratches with steel wool or fine sandpaper followed by mineral spirits, wood filler, and polyurethane. For major damage, refinishing the hardwood is a good investment with a stellar 100% ROI.
#7 Absorb Odors With Charcoal
Charcoal pulls moisture and odors out of the air. You can get inconspicuous little bags of it to hang in places your pets love most. Or, just strategically stash some charcoal briquettes around the house. Just be sure to get the ones that aren' t presoaked with lighter fluid.
You've scrubbed everything, and you think your house smells like a dog has never set foot in the door. Get a second opinion as to whether the odors are gone. You may be nose blind. Ask an honest friend to walk through and give you an honest opinion.