10 Ways to Keep Your Home Fresh With a Dog

Introduction

Owning a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences any person can have in their lifetime. From the joy of watching your puppy grow into an adult, to snuggling up on the couch with them and binge-watching your favorite TV show, to simply giving them belly rubs, dog owners know that our furry companions are more than just pets—they're family members. But let's be real: having a dog also means dealing with some serious odors. While it's true that dogs give off their own special scent, it doesn't take too much work to minimize that smell and keep your home smelling fresh (and pet hair-free). Here are 10 tips for keeping your home smelling great without compromising the quality time you spend with man's best friend:

Regularly vacuum your floors and furniture

You should vacuum your floors and furniture at least once a week, preferably more often. The vacuum you use should have a HEPA filter that can capture the smallest particles, so you don't have to worry about dog hair floating around in the air. The sofa, chairs and any other upholstered furniture need to be vacuumed as well—your dog's claws can get stuck in the fabric and scratch it up over time.

You might even want to invest in a handheld vacuum cleaner specifically for pet fur if you're going through quite a lot of dog hair. Always take care not to let anything small enough for Fido or Fluffy (or whatever breed of furry friend you have) to swallow get into their mouths while vacuuming—this means putting away cords as soon as possible after use!

Designate a doggie zone

• Designate a doggie zone. Do you have a small space in your home that works well as a dog's favorite place? Maybe it's your bedroom, or the kitchen, or even the bathroom. The important thing is to figure out where the dog will be happiest and most comfortable—and make sure it includes his bed, toys and treats!

• Establish sleeping rules. Dogs need their rest just like humans do; in fact, many dogs will sleep for up to 18 hours of our day! The key is keeping them from taking over all of your space by establishing designated sleeping areas throughout the house—like on their own couch or bed. Once they've claimed this spot as theirs alone (which should happen quickly), they'll be less likely to nap on other people's beds when everyone else is asleep at night time too—saving both sides' sanity levels significantly!

Clean up any messes right away

• Don't let a mess sit for too long.

• If possible, keep your dog on a leash when it's inside (this will help prevent your dog from making a mess).

• Pick up after your dog every time it goes to the bathroom.

Keep your home smelling fresh

• Keep a dog-friendly air freshener around. Our favorite is the Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh Scented Discs, which are easy to use and can be used in any room of the house.

• Use baking soda if you have an odor problem. Baking soda is great for absorbing odors and leaves behind a light scent—and it's cheap! Simply sprinkle some on your carpet or floor, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then vacuum up the powdery results.

• Vinegar also works well as an odor remover—it's especially effective on stains caused by pet accidents (if you don't want to use vinegar as an entire carpet cleaner). To treat this kind of stain: soak up as much moisture as possible with towels or paper towels; sprinkle vinegar over area; let sit overnight; blot up excess liquid with more paper towels before vacuuming up residue left behind by the vinegar.

• Lemon juice has antibacterial properties that will help eliminate smells associated with pets easily! Just mix equal parts lemon juice and water together; apply liberally onto stained areas using a sponge applicator or cotton ball; leave on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing away completely with clean water.

Take off your shoes before entering the house

When you come home from a long day, take off your shoes at the door. Walking through the house in muddy or dirty shoes can track dirt and germs into the house and make both you and your pup sick. Keep an old pair of flip-flops by the door for this purpose, or invest in some cute doggie socks to protect their feet from cold floors if they like being barefoot as well.

Image Source: Pixabay

Open the windows

• Open the windows.

• Letting fresh air into your home is a great way to keep everything smelling fresh, as well as preventing mold from growing and dust from settling on surfaces. It also helps keep your dog cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which means they’ll be happier while they are inside.

Regularly bathe your dog

Bathe your dog regularly

Whether it's a weekly bath or a monthly one, make sure you get your pet in the tub at least once every so often. If you've only got time for a quick scrub, give them an extra-long walk before bedtime. That way they'll be tired enough to sleep through their bath!

• When bathing your dog, start by taking off any collars or jewelry they might have on—they can get caught in the soap with disastrous consequences.

• Next, fill up the sink or tub with warm water (not too hot!) and pour in some shampoo. You can use any brand of human shampoo that has oatmeal as its main ingredient—this will be soothing for sensitive skin or allergies. Use conditioner if you're worried about tangles after rinsing out all that suds!

• Gently scrub every part of your pup's body until you've lathered him all over; just make sure not to leave any areas untouched (hint: he won't appreciate that). Once everything is covered from nose down to toes up (literally), rinse him thoroughly so there aren't any leftover suds anywhere else besides his coat itself! Then pat dry using towels made especially for washing dogs instead of regular towels since those can cause irritation if not washed properly first themselves...

Change pillowcases, sheets and bedding regularly

• Change pillowcases, sheets and bedding regularly.

• Wash your sheets once a week in hot water.

• Wash your pillowcases once a week in cold water.

Use lint rollers on furniture regularly

I don't know about you, but I'm not one of those people who has a lint roller in every room of my house. If you're like me and don't want to buy new ones all the time, there are ways around it:

• Use different types of cloth on each item before using your lint roller. A dryer sheet will help get rid of any dog hair that might be stuck on your couch or blanket, while a damp baby wipe will loosen up any bigger clumps before they go through the rollers.

• If all else fails, use a more manual method by rubbing with your fingers until you've removed as much as possible (this is great if there's just one place where the dog likes to lay down).

The more you clean, the less smells accumulate in your home.

Cleaning is the best way to keep your home fresh and free of unwanted smells. With a dog in the house, it’s important to clean up after he has finished his business outside. Make sure that every time you come back inside, you pick up any “deposits” with disposable gloves or paper towels before they dry out and become harder to remove later on.

If you have hardwood floors, make sure that you check them daily for any signs of urine stains before they set into place. A good rule of thumb is if your dog has been peeing somewhere specific for over a week now – it’s time for an intervention! You can use vinegar mixed with warm water on the affected area until all stains are gone or use plain white paper towel as a last resort but make sure there aren’t any traces left behind when using either method because this will attract more dirt onto those same spots in no time at all.

Conclusion

We hope these tips have given you a better understanding of how to keep your home fresh when you share it with a dog. We know that, generally speaking, the more effort you put into something, the better results you’ll get. So if there are a few things on this list that seem like too much work for not enough payoff, don’t worry about taking them on—just make sure to keep up with the basics. Remember: The most important thing is to be consistent in whatever cleaning routine works for you and your pet. But if you find yourself getting tired of your current schedule or feel like it doesn’t do enough to keep your place smelling fresh, try adding one or two new tips from our list and see if they help. And feel free to share any other tricks we didn’t mention here!