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Cleaning With Pets: How Prescott Homeowners Can Stay Ahead of Hair, Dust & Odors
Updated: Oct 2
Pets make a house feel like home.
They also have an impressive ability to distribute hair, dust, dirt, and the occasional mystery mess throughout nearly every room.
If you share your Prescott home with dogs or cats, you've probably experienced it:
you vacuum the floors, everything looks great, and somehow there's another tumbleweed of pet hair rolling across the hallway the next morning.
Keeping a home clean with pets isn't about trying to eliminate every trace that an animal lives there.
It's about staying ahead of the accumulation.
Fortunately, a few simple habits can make a surprisingly big difference.
Why Do Homes With Pets Get Dirty Faster?
Pet hair is the obvious answer, but it's only part of the story.
Dogs and cats can contribute to household cleaning needs in several ways:
Shed hair and dander
Dirt tracked in on paws
Dust carried on fur
Food and water spills
Nose prints on glass and doors
Hair accumulating along baseboards
Dirt around entrances
Odors in fabrics and pet bedding
Dogs that regularly travel between the house and yard can bring in even more.
And in Northern Arizona, our dry conditions mean dust is already something homeowners contend with.
Add a couple of four-legged residents to the equation and that dust can move around the house remarkably quickly.
1. Don't Wait Until You Can See the Pet Hair
One of the easiest ways to control pet hair is to remove it before there's enough to become noticeable.
Frequent vacuuming helps prevent loose hair from accumulating along walls, underneath furniture, and in carpeted areas.
Hard-surface floors can be deceptive.
You may not see much hair in the middle of the room because normal foot traffic pushes it toward edges and corners.
Look closely along:
Baseboards
Under cabinets
Furniture legs
Doorways
Behind doors
Under beds
Around pet beds
That's often where the real collection is hiding.
2. Pay Extra Attention to Entry Areas
Every trip outside is an opportunity for your dog to bring a little bit of Prescott back inside.
Dust, soil, small debris, and moisture can all hitch a ride on paws.
Entryways therefore deserve more frequent attention than many other areas of the home.
A quality washable mat at frequently used doors can capture a surprising amount of dirt before it travels farther into the house.
Keeping a towel near the door during wet or muddy weather can also help.
It takes considerably less time to wipe four paws than to clean paw prints from an entire floor.
3. Wash Pet Bedding Regularly
Pet beds and blankets can hold hair, dander, dirt, and odors even when the surrounding room looks perfectly clean.
Check the manufacturer's instructions and wash removable covers and bedding as appropriate.
Also remember the floor underneath the pet bed.
It's one of those places that's easy to overlook because the bed itself hides what's accumulating below it.
4. Don't Forget Upholstered Furniture
If your pets are allowed on furniture, sofas and chairs can become major collection points for hair and dander.
Regular vacuuming with an upholstery attachment can help prevent buildup.
Pay particular attention to:
Cushion seams
Between cushions
Chair backs
Furniture arms
The area underneath removable cushions
Even if your pet isn't technically allowed on the sofa, you may discover the sofa didn't receive that memo.
5. Baseboards Are Pet-Hair Magnets
This is something we see frequently in homes.
Air movement and normal household activity push pet hair and dust toward the perimeter of rooms, where it collects along baseboards.
Over time, that combination can form a visible layer that's harder to remove than ordinary loose dust.
Regular vacuuming around the edges of rooms can dramatically reduce the buildup.
Once baseboards become heavily soiled, however, they may require more detailed cleaning to restore them.
6. Keep Food & Water Areas Clean
Pet feeding areas can become dirty surprisingly quickly.
Water splashes, food crumbs, drool, and pet hair tend to collect around bowls.
Periodically move the bowls completely rather than simply cleaning around them.
Wash the bowls themselves regularly and clean the flooring underneath.
A washable mat beneath the feeding station can also make everyday maintenance easier.
7. Watch the Lower Half of Doors and Glass
Have a dog?
Take a look at your patio door.
You may discover an impressive collection of nose prints.
Dogs experience much of the world at a different height than we do, so smudges frequently appear on the lower portions of:
Patio doors
Entry doors
Cabinetry
Glass panels
Walls near feeding areas
Other surfaces around the home
Looking at the house from your pet's level occasionally can reveal cleaning needs you don't notice while standing.
8. Grooming Helps the House Too
Cleaning isn't the only way to control pet hair.
Regular brushing can help capture loose fur before it reaches your floors and furniture.
The appropriate grooming routine depends on the animal and breed, but keeping up with brushing can make household cleaning considerably easier.
If possible, grooming outdoors or in an easily cleaned area can further reduce loose hair inside the home.
9. Don't Try to Cover Odors, Find the Source
When a home develops a noticeable pet odor, adding fragrance usually isn't the best solution.
The better question is:
Where is the odor coming from?
Check:
Pet bedding
Rugs
Upholstery
Carpet
Feeding areas
Litter areas
Favorite sleeping spots
Areas where accidents may have occurred
Removing or properly cleaning the source is much more effective than simply trying to mask the smell.
For persistent urine or other biological odors, specialized treatment may be necessary beyond routine house cleaning.
10. A Cleaning Schedule Matters More Than an Occasional Marathon
This may be the most important tip.
Homes with pets generally benefit more from consistent maintenance than occasional all-day cleaning sessions.
A little vacuuming several times throughout the week can prevent hair from migrating throughout the house.
Regularly cleaning feeding areas prevents buildup.
Washing pet bedding before it develops an odor is easier than trying to eliminate the odor afterward.
The same principle applies to professional cleaning.
Once a home has been thoroughly cleaned, recurring maintenance helps prevent dust, pet hair, bathroom buildup, and everyday soil from accumulating again.
Does Having Pets Mean You Need Professional Cleaning More Often?
Not necessarily.
The appropriate cleaning frequency depends on far more than whether you own a pet.
A home with one short-haired dog may require less cleaning than a home with two large shedding dogs.
Other factors matter too:
Number and type of pets
Flooring
Home size
Whether pets use the furniture
How much time pets spend outdoors
Household activity
How much cleaning the homeowner does between professional visits
For some pet households, bi-weekly professional cleaning works very well.
Others may prefer weekly service.
And some households are perfectly comfortable with monthly professional cleaning supplemented by their own maintenance.
The right frequency is the one that keeps the home at the level you want to maintain.
Should You Tell Your Cleaning Company About Your Pets?
Absolutely.
Pets are an important part of planning a cleaning visit.
Your cleaning provider should know:
What types of pets are in the home
How many there are
Whether they'll be home during the cleaning
Whether any pet has behavioral concerns
Whether doors or gates must remain closed
Whether there are rooms pets should not enter
Whether there's anything unusual the cleaning team should know
This isn't about judging the pet.
It's about keeping the animal, the cleaning technicians, and the home safe.
A friendly dog can still become frightened by a vacuum.
A curious cat can slip through an open door.
And even a normally relaxed animal may react differently when unfamiliar people enter its home.
Good communication prevents problems.
What Should You Do With Pets While Your Home Is Being Cleaned?
There isn't one answer that works for every household.
Some pets couldn't care less that cleaners are in the home.
Others become anxious, territorial, overly excited, or determined to supervise every movement.
If a pet is uncomfortable around unfamiliar people or cleaning equipment, consider placing the animal in a secure room, crate, fenced area, or another safe location while cleaning takes place.
The goal isn't simply to make cleaning easier.
It's to reduce stress and keep everyone safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a home with pets be professionally cleaned?
It depends on the number and type of pets, flooring, home size, shedding, household activity and how much cleaning occurs between professional visits. Weekly or bi-weekly service may work well for heavier-shedding households, while others may be comfortable with less frequent service.
Does professional house cleaning remove pet odors?
Routine cleaning can help with ordinary household odors associated with pet hair, dust and dirty surfaces. Persistent urine or biological odors may require specialized treatment beyond standard house cleaning.
Should my pets be home while the cleaners are there?
They can be if they're comfortable and safe around unfamiliar people and cleaning equipment. Pets that are anxious, territorial, prone to escaping, or frightened by vacuums should generally be secured in a safe location.
Does pet hair make a house take longer to clean?
It can. Heavy pet-hair accumulation on floors, furniture edges, baseboards and other surfaces may require additional vacuuming and detail work.
Should I vacuum between professional cleanings?
If you have shedding pets, absolutely. Professional cleaning doesn't replace normal household maintenance. Quick vacuuming between visits can dramatically reduce accumulation and help keep the home looking cleaner.
Related Articles
A Clean Home Can Still Be a Pet-Friendly Home
Having pets doesn't mean accepting a constantly dirty house.
The key is staying ahead of the hair, dust, tracked-in dirt, and everyday mess before it becomes significant buildup.
A combination of simple maintenance between visits and consistent professional cleaning can make a pet-friendly home considerably easier to maintain.
At Pristine Spaces Cleaning, we provide recurring residential cleaning throughout Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Dewey-Humboldt.
If you're considering professional cleaning, we'll begin with a complimentary in-home consultation to understand your home, your pets, your priorities, and the level of service you're looking for.
About the Authors
Jeff & Alita Schaid are the co-owners of Pristine Spaces Cleaning, serving homeowners and businesses throughout Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Dewey-Humboldt.
Through the Pristine Spaces Cleaning blog, they share practical cleaning information and straightforward advice to help Northern Arizona homeowners keep their homes clean, comfortable, and easier to maintain.
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