Cleaning a Home With Dogs: A Practical Guide

If you have a dog, your home will never be perfectly clean. That is just the truth. Hair on the couch, nose prints on the sliding door, muddy paw prints in the front hall every spring. The goal is not perfection. The goal is a home that is clean enough to feel good in and that does not smell like wet dog when guests walk in.

Here is how to manage it, room by room.

The entryway

This is where the mess starts. Every walk ends with your dog tracking in whatever is on the ground outside.

Set up a paw station: Keep a towel and a shallow container of water by the door as part of your mudroom and entryway routine. Wipe each paw when you come in. It takes 30 seconds and saves you 30 minutes of floor cleaning later. In spring, when Toronto's snow melts and every park from High Park to Trinity Bellwoods is a mud pit, this is not optional.

Use a washable mat: Put a big, absorbent, machine-washable mat inside the door. Dark colours hide the dirt between washes. Throw it in the washing machine every week.

Boot tray for leashes and gear: Keep leashes, harnesses, and poop bag holders on a tray or hooks by the door so they are not dropping onto the floor.

Floors

Dog hair and dirt end up on your floors more than anywhere else.

Hardwood: Vacuum or sweep every two to three days. Dog hair collects in corners and along baseboards fast. A microfibre dust mop works better than a broom because it actually picks up hair instead of pushing it around. Wet mop once a week with a gentle cleaner.

Carpet: Vacuum twice a week minimum. Once a week if you have a short-haired dog. Three times if you have a Golden Retriever. Use a vacuum with strong suction and a beater bar. A rubber squeegee or rubber glove rubbed across carpet pulls up embedded hair that the vacuum misses.

Area rugs: Washable area rugs are your best friend. Throw them in the wash every couple of weeks. They catch a lot of hair and dirt before it gets ground into the floor underneath.

Furniture

You have two choices with dogs and furniture: keep them off it or accept what happens.

If they are on the furniture: Use washable covers on couches and chairs. Wash them every week or two. A lint roller on the cushions between washes keeps things presentable. Keep a lint roller in the living room where you can grab it before guests arrive.

Leather and vinyl: These are easier to clean than fabric. Dog hair wipes right off. Scratches show more, though. A good leather conditioner a few times a year helps.

The favourite spot: Every dog has one. The corner of the couch, the end of the bed, the spot by the window. Put a washable blanket or cover on that specific spot and wash it weekly. It protects the furniture underneath and contains the hair to one removable layer.

The dog bed

Most people do not wash dog beds often enough. If it smells, it is overdue.

Wash the cover every week if your dog sleeps on it nightly. Every two weeks at minimum. Most dog bed covers are machine washable. The insert can go in the wash once a month or be aired outside on a dry day.

If your dog bed does not have a removable cover, it is worth replacing with one that does. It makes a big difference in keeping the smell under control.

The car

This is technically not your home, but the car is where a lot of the mess starts. A dog that rolls in something at the park brings that into the car, then into the house.

Use a seat cover for the back seat. Keep a towel in the car for post-park wipe-downs. Vacuum the back seat weekly during spring and fall when it is muddy season.

Spring in Toronto

March and April are the worst months for dog owners. The snow melts. Every sidewalk, off-leash park, and backyard turns into a muddy mess. The trails along the Don Valley and the Bluffs are especially bad during spring thaw. Salt residue mixes with the mud. Your dog walks through all of it.

During spring melt, the paw station at the door goes from helpful to essential. Wipe paws every single time you come inside. Keep an extra towel by the door for belly wipes if your dog is low to the ground. Mop the entryway daily if you need to.

It lasts about six weeks. Then the ground dries out and life gets easier.

Keeping the smell in check

Dog smell comes from three places: the dog bed, the couch or favourite spot, and the dog itself.

Wash bedding and covers weekly. This alone makes the biggest difference.

Baking soda on carpet: Sprinkle it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, vacuum it up. It absorbs odours without adding a fragrance. For stronger odours that baking soda alone will not fix, see our guide to pet smell removal.

Bathe your dog regularly: Every 4 to 6 weeks for most breeds. More if they are swimming in Lake Ontario or rolling in things at the park.

A clean dog in a home with washable surfaces and regular vacuuming does not smell. It really is that simple.

If you want a deep clean to reset things, especially after a long winter, give us a call. We are dog people. We get it.