What You Need to Look Out For as a Pet Owner

What You Need to Look Out For as a Pet Owner

 

We love our dogs and our dogs love summer time – plenty of walks, trips to the woods or the beach, and lots of rolling around in the grass! 

We won’t be getting much rain this summer, but wet, muddy paw prints aren’t the only thing you should worry about the pets dragging in! 

Allergens and bacteria

Like we said, our furry friends love to roll around and frolic – on the grass, under trees and in bushes! They have lots of fun, but they usually end up filthy, covered in muck and in need of a good bath. 

The problem with pets rolling around outside is that you don’t know what they’re bringing back inside on their coats and paws. Allergens, pollen, bacteria and other microorganisms can stick to your pet and hitch a ride into the home. 

Allergens and bacteria can become embedded in your carpet fibres and disrupt the air quality of the home. Bacteria and spores can spread and escalate to mould growth given the right conditions – moisture, food, darkness and warmth. In summer, the warm, humid air is perfect for mould waiting to grow in your carpets.

When you are a pet owner, you should ideally vacuum your carpets daily and especially after returning from a walk or trip out with your pet. You should also hoover your upholstery such as sofas and chairs regularly. Vacuuming daily will remove dust, dirt and allergens to make the home healthier and the air quality much cleaner.

Sand/Abrasive materials

As well as allergens and bacteria, our pets can drag in allsorts on the bottom of their paws. We wipe our feet when we enter the home, our pets don’t! 

If you’ve been on a trip to the seaside or a walk through the woods, your pet could have sand, rocks or other small, abrasive materials on their paws. These materials can embed themselves in your carpets, but they can also cause damage to hardstone tiles if you have them. 

Most hardstone tiles are sealed and generally resistant to scratching. Stones such as marble, however, are not as durable as some of their counterparts and can be etched very easily. 

Try wiping any dirt, rocks or sandy materials from your pets paws before they enter the home – it doesn’t need to be perfect, but just enough to remove any larger materials before they damage your carpets and tiles.

Microorganisms

Of course if you have pets, this is something you have to look out for all year round. Fleas, ticks and other unwanted house guests!  Fleas and ticks are nasty surprises. When they’re not hiding in your pets fur, they are hiding in your carpets or the fibres of your upholstery. 

Microorganisms like fleas reproduce very quickly. If you suspect fleas in the home, you should de-flea your pet and vacuum your carpets thoroughly to remove as many as you can. We would also recommend calling a professional cleaning service as they will have access to powerful steam-cleaning technology that will kill the fleas AND their eggs.

Conclusion

We all want to have a good time with our pets this summer, and nobody likes vacuuming or cleaning in this heat. 

In order to keep your pets happy and your carpets clean, try to give your dog a check over before you enter the house and give their paws a quick wipe down. Vacuum regularly to remove pet hair, dirt, dust and allergens. 

In the case of fleas or mould growth in the carpets, call a professional cleaning service like XL Cleaners! We’ll take care of your carpet, whilst you’re having fun with your four-legged friend in the sun!

Areas we cover:

We cover Liverpool and surrounding areas including Southport, The Wirral, St Helens, Widnes, Burscough, Formby, Hightown, Ormskirk, Rainford, Rufford & Skelmersdale