1 – Before you start you will need to move out as much of the furniture as you can, this will then allow you to clean as much of the carpet as possible.
2 – Give the carpet a really good vacuum and use the nozzle on your vacuum to go against the skirting boards, and the vacuum doesn’t always go in tight against the wall and a dark line of dust can be left.
2 – Check for stains and furniture indents.
3 – If you have dents from furniture, pop ice cubes in these spaces and then leave them to naturally melt in. Once melted in rub your hand over the area and the carpet will bounce back to life and the dents will be gone.
4 – If you spot stains you need to pre-treat these first, when it comes to cleaning old stains on the carpet it is important you use a specialised carpet cleaning shampoo/solution. If you are using a carpet cleaning machine the solution for the machine will also act as a great spot cleaner if you don’t have a carpet cleaner to use buy a carpet cleaning solution and use this for the stains, always use cold water on carpets as hot water can shrink them and apply directly into the stain leave a while and then blot dry using a white cloth. The reason for the white cloth is so you can see if the stain is being lifted.
5 – If you are using a carpet cleaning machine ensure you read and fully understand the instructions before you start.
6 – Then begin the carpet clean, start in one corner of the room and then move across in straight lines. For stains, go back and over again for a more thorough clean.
7 – If you don’t have a carpet cleaning machine, then you can steam clean your carpets. Most steam cleaners you can buy come with a carpet glide that sits over the base. Gently steam over. The steam will break odours, lift out stains and refresh the carpet pile. When using your steam cleaning DO NOT put any solution in the machine all you need is the power of steam.
8 – Once complete, open the window and allow your carpets to air dry, and close the room off for a few hours to save anyone from going in.
If you don’t have much carpet in your home but have rugs and door mats, I highly recommend owning a handheld carpet cleaner then can clean up those mats, refresh and remove those accidental spillages, take a look at this one:
Is it possible to keep your home clean when you own a dog? Yes it is.
The key to being a dog owner is to stay organised and have all the right tools to hand. Dirty paw marks, funny smells and pet hair are the biggest issue for any pet owner.
I choose a dog that is supposed to not malt but she sure does and I am forever grateful for my handheld hoover.
There are a few keys points to making owning a dog a lot easier and still maintaining a pristine home.
Exercise
Make sure you give your dog plenty of play and exercise time. Hetty has two one hour walks a day morning and mid afternoon and playtime when the kids come in from school. This way when she is at home and I am sat working she will generally just sit on her blanket and sleep. I am lucky from day one I trained Hetty into sitting on blankets and throws. She very rarely sits anywhere else as she finds comfort in her blankets. Then the beauty is I can wash them regularly and keep those dog smells at bay. I do add into the wash vamoosh as this is great as dissolving pet hair.
Grooming
Regular grooming with a daily brush and a weekly shower can really help. There is also a great range of really good products that you can use on your dog that are safe and will make you dog smell amazing. The dog grooming gloves are amazing plus I am a fan of the Pet Head Deodorising shampoo and this hasn’t caused Hetty any irritations. . She is also groomed once ever 6 weeks by a local groomer and Hetty gets the best blow-dry! ……..I do also use a little pet fresh cologne
I regularly soak her plastic and hard toys in warm soapy water and put what is left of her soft toys in the washing machine.
Door Mats
Invest in washable door mats and buy spares so that you can give these a weekly wash. Make sure you have these door mats at every entrance to your home. You will find they make a big difference and save you from always washing the floors.
Wiping paws
Your dogs little paws will tread in a lot when you are out and about on your walk. We take our shoes off as soon as we come in but it’s not that simple for dogs. I keep a tub of paw wipes by the doors and Hetty knows to sit on the door mat and wait for her paws to be wiped before she can come in. It took a little training in the early days but now she is a little star at passing her paws. You can also leave a couple of old rags or old tea towels by the door too and just wash after using. In the wetter and muddier weather a little waterproof jacket can help stop the dirt from coming in too.
Pet bedding
I have chosen to use a wipe able plastic bed for Hetty that I pad out with cushions and blankets. I regularly wash the blankets and then daily wipe over the plastic bed .Hetty also sleeps in a dog crate which I wipe over too.
Accidents
Occasionally dogs will have accidents in your home but they are really easy to clean up especially if you spot them quick. For urine and dog mess on your carpets simply use a squirt of washing up liquid and water and blot the mess out using a clean cloth. Do not rub it. Come back to the affected area with a splash of white wine vinegar mixed with water and blot again until. The white wine vinegar will break down any odours that can be left.
There are also some great products on the market that work well and are perfectly safe to use around pets. This stain and odour remover, has been specially developed with a special blend of Pro-Bacteria and Enzymes that targets pet stains and odours it also works great on removing vomit and can be used on carpets, upholstery, or any other water-safe surfaces.
Then for hard floors you can try hard floor stain remover, which works great on works great on sealed hardwood floors, sealed stone floors, linoleum, vinyl, brick, concrete, marble, and ceramic tile
Hetty wasn’t supposed to moult but she does. It’s not much but being a black dog I notice and as soon as I do I grab my Handheld hoover and get them straight away. There are a few other options for pet hair too. lint rollers, I find these great for getting the hair of your clothes. A wet rubber glove is also great for picking up dog hair. Also don’t forget the vamoosh is great for breaking down the pet hair in the wash when washing blankets etc.
Last year the thought of getting a dog was hugely over whelming for me and I really was very anxious but everyone in the family had wanted one for such a long time. We did a lot of research and doggy sat a few times to see if I could cope. I don’t see it as hard work just a few extra daily tasks but the enjoyment Hetty has brought to the family has been amazing. Working from home most of the time can be very lonely and Hetty has filled this gap and got me out on two good walks a day where I am talking to other dog owners and feeling much more confident around people.
I am so pleased we have Hetty she really is the perfect family pet.
Thank you so much for reading Lynsey and Hetty xoxo
It’s a really good idea to prepare for Christmas in advance. I find that if you split your house into sections and plan to tackle one section at a time at the lead up to Christmas.
For example. The children’s bedrooms can be week one as you probably need to make room in these for new toys that are coming in for Christmas, dinning area week 2 so you can stock check table decorations and so on.
Make sure you declutter as you go. Clear out wardrobes, cupboards, check underneath beds and in drawers. If you haven’t used it recently and it has no real purpose then it really needs to go.
There are 5 things you can do in advance to make sure your home is sparkling clean this christmas.
Clean your carpets
If you are fortunate enough to own a carpet cleaner this is the time to give them a really good clean. Move as much of the furniture as you can to get that freshly cleaned look.
Don’t panic if you don’t own a carpet cleaner many local Companies will probably be offering a few Christmas cleaning packages for the festive season or there is also the option of hiring one or borrowing one of a friend.
Clean the Oven
You may be like me and clean the oven pretty much after every usage but if you not and it has a build up of dirt and grim then its time to get your oven clean on. There are some fantastic oven cleaning products on the markets so you can quite easily do its yourself but always take care and use good cleaning gloves.
Clean the Fridge
Have a really good fridge clean, take all the items out and the shelves. Soak the shelves in warm soapy water and clean all the sides using a good antibacterial fridge cleaner. Check all sell by dates on the food and wash over jars and bottles so everything you are putting back into the fridge is very clean. Add in a fridge deodoriser to help keep it smelling fresh and make sure you leave enough space for all the extra Christmas food.
Clean the silverware
If you are doing Christmas Day at your house then make sure you have plenty of cutely and its sparking clean. Most of us have a nice set of cutlery or dining set that only makes an appearance on special occasions. So get this prepared. Just wash in warm soapy water, towel dry and if your silver has become slightly tarnished use a metal cleaner and buff to dry. You can also try this amazing silver polishing gloves. I have these and use them all the time I must have my silver as shiny as I can get it.
Organise and clean the Christmas Decorations
Christmas decorations spend a long time living in dusty confined spaces until they are brought out again but how many of us actually think about cleaning them. You would have seen me a few years on Obsessive compulsive Cleaners bleaching my baubles and still to this day I am stopped in the street and asked If I really do this and YES of Course I do. But you don’t have to be as full on as me. A quick wipe over with a damp cloth will be enough. Make sure you test the lights before you put them on the tree and plan your christmas theme making sure it matches well with the room you are displaying your tree in. If threads on baubles are looking bear and the odd decoration is looking a little tatty then hide at the back or better still don’t hang at all.Over the years my children have made me various tree hanging decorations so we have a special tree on the middle floor for all their bits and pieces and they get to decorate this just the way they wish.
I have designed a christmas cleaning and organising calendar that starts on November 25th it gives you a daily task to do to help keep you organised on the lead up to christmas. Click here to get yours.
