Ways to Keep Floors Clean Longer with Kids and Pets

Keeping your floors clean is a never-ending battle, and this is especially true when your kids’ and pets’ feet track in dirt. Of course, dirt from the outdoors is only part of the problem.

Pet hair, food crumbs, and drink spills are a few of the other challenges you face on a daily basis. You might be ready to throw your hands up in defeat, but rest assured you can enjoy cleaner floors. Let’s look at how to keep floors clean longer with kids and pets.

Create a No-Shoes Rule Indoors

One of the biggest culprits of messy floors is tracked-in dirt. Small pieces of dirt, bits of leaves and grass, and other matter cling to pet fur, shoes, and even bare feet. Paws and feet then deposit the mess on your floor.

The mess isn’t contained to your entryways. Instead, it is tracked throughout the house during the week. If you don’t already have one, create a no-shoes rule for your home. Get everyone in the habit of parking shoes at the door. For the best results, sweep these shoe zones daily.

Clean Pet Paws and Handle Accidents Quickly

You might only think about dirty pet paws on a rainy, muddy day, but even dry debris clings to paws and fur. Make a habit of wiping pet paws at the door after each outing. Simply keep a clean rag by the door to serve as a reminder until it becomes a part of your routine.

Pets also create bigger messes from time to time. Whether your pup or kitty is sick or still house-training, it’s important to clean accidents and mishaps right away. In addition to eliminating unsightly and stinky messes, prompt attention minimizes the spread of illness-causing germs.

Use Rugs and Mats in High-Traffic Areas

If you don’t already have mats at all of your home’s entry points, it’s time to buy these decorative and functional flooring essentials. While minimizing the amount of dirt that enters your home at the door is critical, rugs and mats are also helpful throughout your home.

High-traffic areas, such as family rooms, hallways, and the kitchen, are among the most important areas to have rugs and mats. These floor coverings will get dirty quickly, so launder small rugs weekly. Larger rugs should be vacuumed.

Make Quick Daily Floor Cleaning Part of the Routine

Dirt, hair, and other messes build up quickly on the floor. If you want to enjoy cleaner floors, you’ll need to make a daily effort. This doesn’t mean that you need to haul out the vacuum and spend time pushing a mop across the floor.

Something as simple as sweeping the high-traffic areas of your home each morning or evening will do wonders for keeping your floors cleaner between deeper cleaning sessions.

Choose Kid- and Pet-Friendly Cleaning Products

Your pets likely spend most of their days on the floor. Likewise, kids sit and play on the floor, and their toys come in frequent contact with tile, carpet, and rugs.

Many common household floor cleaners contain toxic chemicals that can cause breathing issues, skin irritation, and more. While you want your floor as clean as possible, you don’t have to rely on these chemical-laden products to get results.

Numerous homemade cleaning products are available that are completely safe for kids and pets. Recipes often include natural ingredients like distilled white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, and enzymes. Before using any new store-bought or homemade cleaning products on your floor, research the suitability for your home’s specific type of flooring materials.

Cleaning your floors is a big chore, so you understandably want to make each cleaning session last. Unfortunately, with kids and pets in your home, floor cleaning is a never-ending chore.

At Cleanzen, we know how frustrating it is to spend hours cleaning only to find your home growing dirty again soon after all the effort. We offer a full range of cleaning services in Boston, which allows you to enjoy the benefits of a perfectly clean home without the effort. Learn more about our recurring and one-time services today.