As winter melts away and the weather warms up, the fresh smells of melting poop and wet dog are lingering throughout the air. I’m not sure if it’s the constant muddy paws or cat hair everywhere that really gets you in the mood for a good spring clean. 

As a pet owner, I feel we are constantly cleaning up after our fur children. Between the shedding, drool, destroyed objects, and toys scattered across the living room, it seems cleaning is a full-time commitment to anyone with a four-legged friend. But contrary to regular human children, my pet-kids can’t clean up after themselves and so I find it piles up over the months. For some reason, as the weather improves I love nothing more than starting the season off with a good spring clean to freshen up my home and deal with the mess left over from the mucky winter months. 

Whether it be the pet-safe products you use or even just remembering to include their belongings in your list of to-wash, taking them into consideration will make your spring clean that much more effective.

So that you can safely get your house summer ready, here is my list of tips for sprucing up your home in a pet-friendly way.

1. Start with your Pet…

Before you start your spring clean, take your fur-baby to the groomers and get them a good “deshedding”. According to Petsmart this is a process that “removes the dead undercoat that kept your pet warm all winter, protects their skin from the heat of the sun and allows it to breathe”. The process can include a brush, bath, blow-dry and brush again for dogs and a fine comb and then brush out to get rid of mats in your feline friend.

If you’re a little more money conscious like me, you might want to spend the time doing this process yourself. I recommend doing the brushing outside your home unless you want to add to the mess you already have to clean up. I personally love my FURminator that I got off Amazon, but there are a wide range of products out there. Make sure you check out our list of recommended grooming products here to get the best results.

2. Check Your Product Labels Before you Spring Clean!

Now it’s time to get to cleaning your cozy abode. You can stay organized and grab my free Pet Safe Spring-Cleaning Checklist here.

First things first, before you dive deep into your spring clean, if you haven’t already checked, look at the products you’re using. Do your research and read the labels to make sure the cleaning products you’re using don’t contain toxic ingredients that can harm your beloved fur-child.

Many products these days use harsh chemicals that can irritate the sensitive noses of and paws of your four-legged loved ones. Unlike us, pets don’t wear protective equipment and are exposed to our cleaning products 24/7 by rolling, playing or sleeping on the floor, blankets, pet beds or our own clothes. Contact with these chemicals and toxic substances can irritate their skin, increase allergies, or worse be ingested or inhaled and cause extreme damage to your pets internal systems.

It’s important to be aware of which products they might be exposed to like floor cleaners, or furniture cleansers which could cause unnecessary irritation or damage to your pet.

I like to keep a list of the most toxic items including everyday food items on my fridge for the whole house to see so that no one accidentally forgets to leave out something simple like grapes (#obsessed). You can grab a copy of my free list of Toxic household items for your Pets here.

List of Safe Products for your Spring Cleaning

You should therefore be weary when purchasing products that you expose your pets to. Many products out there will say they’re “eco-friendly” or “green-cleaning”. In most cases these products are better for the environment, but you must check the label to make sure there are no additional toxic ingredients that could harm your pet.

Some essential oils for example can be toxic to dogs and even more so to cats if inhaled.

Nowadays many household products will advertise pet safe. Always check the ingredient label, but this can go miles to help you figure out what is best to use around your house.

You can also check out my list of DIY home cleaners that are pet safe here.

Ingredients to Avoid: 

When checking labels make sure to AVOID these ingredients:

• Ammonia
• Bleach
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Formaldehyde
• Percholroethylene
• Phenols
• Phthalates
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Chlorine

3. Keep Pets Out of the Room and/or Open the Windows when doing your Spring Clean

If you’re lucky like me, once you get the vacuum out all my animals hide like I’m taking them to the vet… which in the grand scheme of things is for the best because I don’t have to worry about tripping over them.

If possible, it’s best to ensure your pets are out of the space you’re trying to clean. Firstly, so that they don’t mess it up as you’re cleaning it and secondly, so they aren’t exposed to whatever product you are using. Remember, your animal’s senses are way stronger than our human ones, so minimizing the stress on them will lead to a happier, healthier fur-baby.

If you’re not able to remove them from the space, try to keep a window cracked and keep the air as ventilated as possible.

4. Clean the Carpets

“Giant, cozy, esthetically pleasing pet beds” is what carpet and rugs should be labelled as. I don’t know about you, but any surface with carpet or a rug on it must also include a dog and/or cat… especially the extra fluffy rugs.

As such, this is one of the most important items to really clean. Pet hair, dust and dirt can get trapped in your carpet and put you and your pet’s health at risk.

Try using a lint roller, or even a squeegee to scrape some of the pet hair out of the fibers and then give it a good vacuum. Or, if you can, wash your rugs outside and hang them to dry. I highly recommend nuLOOM on Amazon for those that like to clean more often, but hate the hassle of pet hair. You can just toss these rugs in the washing machine and they’re taken care of! Plus, they have a huge selection to choose from. 

Then you want to start with deodorizing. Sprinkle some baking powder on those vacuumable surfaces which will help soak up any lingering odors.

For a deep clean, you can grab this awesome upright vacuum cleaner designed for homes with pets off Amazon. And if you’re more like me and prefers to let technology help, you can pick up this robot vacuum that also mops off Amazon so the mess is taken care of while you’re spending quality time snuggling your fur-baby.

5. When Doing Your Spring Clean, Don’t Forget Beds and Toys!

Beds and soft toys can become some of the germiest, bacteria-ridden objects circulating in your home. As part of your spring clean, check the labels and try to vacuum or lint-roll the pet hair off the toys first and then toss those objects in the washing machine on hot. Use a mild detergent or better-yet a pet friendly detergent.

Plastic Toys

Most plastic toys these days are dishwasher safe and if you’re hesitant then just toss them in the sink or bathtub with a mild dish soap.

Toss Out Broken or Old Toys

My fur-kids like to bring their balls and some toys outside, so usually I use the spring to collect all the forgotten or lost toys. It’s like Christmas in April because when I get to re-give them back, the dogs get so excited… plus it helps save the bank because I’m not splurging on new toys

Speaking of lost or forgotten toys, sometimes the toys are just too gross to re-use. I always find spring cleaning is a great time to declutter. I mean how many catnip-mouse toys does the cat really need? I really like to go through and get rid of the toys that have seen better days, and donate those that the pets just don’t seem to care about.

There are usually shelters in your area that accept gently used or unopened toys.

You can also check out some cheap and easy DIY Dog Toys here or grab some of my favourite Kong Toys off Amazon, if you want to replace some of the old and broken ones.

6. Food and Water Dishes

Even beyond your spring cleaning routine, food and water dishes also require a good scrub down. These bacteria infested objects are listed as one of the top 10 germiest spots in your home. Ideally, you’d throw these in the dishwasher daily or weekly, but no judgement here. I think I went years without washing my golden retrievers’ dishes!

If you’re cleaning up though, you should definitely give these a good scrub. Especially if your pet eats raw food, best to make this one part of the regular cleaning routine. You can check out Amazon for these food and water dishes that are dishwasher safe if you’re unsure or are looking for something easily maintained.

7. Food Storage Containers

Now if you’re like me you might clean out the old dog kibble container every now and again, but you’ve never thought twice about dumping the kibble in with a scoop to make feeding time a simple and easy chore.

But did you know, storing your pet’s kibble in a plastic container could actually be poisoning your pet.

According to planetpaws.com “When the fats and oils of kibble hit the walls of pet food containers they begin to oxidize… [they then get trapped in the] tiny little microscopic pores [of the plastic]… and over time, they grow rancid and contaminate each new batch of food poured into the containers.

Long story short, if you don’t want to be feeding your pets mouldy rotten kibble, either keep the food in the bag and store it in the plastic container or look into alternatives such as a glass container. Here are a few super classy kibble containers available on Amazon.

Spring cleaning is a great time to review what you’re using and make adjustments where necessary.

8. Wash Collars and Leashes

Collars and leashes can get super grimy so I’m definitely one of those pet parents who washes them every couple of weeks depending on the weather. I also own dachshunds, so their little bodies are constantly getting covered in dust and dirt not to mention the digging and/or rolling. However, if you haven’t washed your pet’s collar and leash, when you do your spring clean, it’s a great time to remember!

Depending on the brand or type of collar (leather – should have specific care instructions) you could probably just toss them into your washing machine and then hang to dry.

But if you have a little bit of time, the best way to scrub your pet’s accessories are to soak them in hot soapy water with a little bit of pet shampoo. This can prevent skin irritation. After about 15 – 20 minutes you can rinse and then air dry.

9. Cleaning out Litter Box/Pens/Kennels

One of the best times of year to do a full clean of the kitty’s poop house is the spring. I usually like being able to empty the litter and take it outside to do a full spring clean of the outside and inside and then let it air dry. Make sure to wear gloves and use a pet friendly detergent or mild soap and rinse super thoroughly.

Whatever your circumstances make sure you include the scooper and the lid if it has one, and let it dry completely before adding new litter. I personally like this Kitty Litter because it’s so lightweight and I can subscribe to regular deliveries from Amazon so I never have to worry or think about it! #winning!

How to Not get Overwhelmed With Spring Cleaning

I know as busy pet parents it’s hard to keep on top of all the household chores as well as work full-time to support our fur-children, play with them, walk them and take care of ourselves and the rest of the people in our lives.

Here are some suggestions if your list is feeling super overwhelming:

• Set a timer:

  • 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 1 hour … whatever floats your boat.

• Start with one thing:

  • could be your wallet, the kitchen sink or vacuuming… sometimes the hardest thing is just getting started.

• Prioritize:

  •  complete things that really need to be done. Maybe you have guests coming over and your backyard is full of dog poop. Or the bunny’s cage is super stinky. Start with the more pressing tasks and let the momentum take you.

• Make a Playlist:

  • Picture little Matilda waving her finger around to Send me on my Way by Rusted Roots. Or whatever your jam might be, maybe listen to an ebook or podcast. Pump up the volume and time will fly by!

• Get Help:

  • Sometimes it really is just too much for one person. You could ask your friend or partner to share in the chores, or you could even hire a service. Many cleaning services these days even have pet cleaning as part of their packages.

Sometimes the thought of cleaning our pet’s items can come last or even get forgotten. And that’s okay.

As humans we can get overwhelmed. I personally enjoy lists. I often find it way easier to use them as a guide and find it incredibly satisfying to check items off once I’ve completed them. You can find my Free Pet Spring Cleaning Checklist here if you need some help.

Once you’ve completed all your tasks remember to replace your air filters and remove any built-up dust, dander and allergens to keep your home feeling and smelling fresh. The payoff will lead to more cuddles and snuggles with your beloved and you’ll all be happier because of it!

Happy Spring and Happy Cleaning!