Maid Service for Pet Owners: Fur, Paw Prints and Red-Clay Mud

That Cleaning Girl · Weekly & Bi-Weekly Maid Service

Pets make a house a home. They also make it dirtier. If you are thinking about cleaning for an older parent instead, see Maid Service for Seniors: Help That Keeps Home Comfortable. This guide is all about the cleaning side of living with pets: the fur, the nose prints, the muddy paws and how recurring service keeps up with it.

The pet mess is real

Pet owners know the list by heart:

• Hair on the couch, the rugs, the stairs and somehow the ceiling fan.
• Nose prints on every glass door and low window.
• Muddy paw prints across the kitchen floor after every storm.
• Drool on the floor by the water bowl and kibble that rolled under the fridge.
• That faint dog smell that you stop noticing but guests do not.
• Litter scattered around the box.

Here in North Texas, add red-clay mud to the list. After a good spring rain, dogs come in with paws the color of a terracotta pot, and it gets into grout, rugs and baseboards fast.

Why pet homes need more frequent cleaning

Pet hair and dander build up faster than regular dust. A dog that sheds sheds every day, not just on cleaning day. Two weeks of fur on hardwood floors turns into drifts in the corners. A month of it works its way into carpets and couches.

That is why pet owners usually do best with more frequent service:

• Weekly: multiple pets, heavy shedders like huskies, labs and German shepherds, or anyone with allergies in the house.
• Every two weeks: one or two moderate shedders, especially if you vacuum a little in between.
• Every three weeks or monthly: usually only works for a single low-shed pet or an indoor cat in a tidy home.

Shedding season makes a difference too. Many dogs blow their coats in spring and fall, and some families bump up to weekly during those stretches.

What a recurring visit covers in a pet home

A regular visit already includes the jobs that matter most in a pet home:

• Floors vacuumed and mopped throughout, with attention to corners, edges and under furniture we can reach.
• Pet hair removed from upholstery where we can reach it.
• Nose prints and smudges cleaned off glass doors and windows at pet height.
• Kitchen floors mopped, including around food and water bowls.
• Surfaces dusted, since dander settles everywhere.
• Trash emptied.

If you want extras, interior windows, baseboards, and walls and doors are popular with pet owners. Baseboards especially, because that is where hair and mud collect.

Tips between visits

A little upkeep between visits goes a long way in a pet home:

• Wipe paws at the door. Keep a towel and a shallow tub of water by the back door on rainy days.
• Brush outside. Brushing your dog on the patio keeps a lot of hair out of the house.
• Wash pet bedding. Regularly washing dog beds and blankets cuts down on odor and hair.
• Use washable throws. Cover the couch spot your dog loves with a blanket you can toss in the wash.
• Run a quick vacuum. A cordless stick vacuum makes it easy to grab the worst of the hair between visits.

Pets on cleaning day

Let us know about your pets in your entry notes: names, temperament and whether they will be loose, crated or in a closed room. Many dogs learn to love their regular cleaner. Some prefer to nap through it in a quiet room. If your pet is anxious about the vacuum, a crate or closed room with a chew toy helps.

Odor control

Lingering pet smell usually comes from fabric — dog beds, rugs, couch cushions and curtains. A regular clean helps a lot by removing hair and dander from floors and surfaces, but washing pet bedding and blankets is the other half of the equation. If odor is a concern, let us know and we can suggest where to focus.

Allergies and pets

If someone in your home is allergic to the pet they love, more frequent cleaning can make a real difference in comfort. Regular dusting and vacuuming remove the dander that builds up on floors and surfaces. Pair it with washing pet bedding often and keeping pets off beds, and the house becomes a lot more comfortable.

Pet-friendly and clean

You do not have to choose between having pets and having a clean house. With the right schedule and a little upkeep, recurring cleaning keeps up with the fur, the drool and the red-clay paws. Pet owners across Midlothian, Mansfield and south DFW rely on it. See how it works on our weekly and bi-weekly maid service page.