I guess I haven't had either problem..LOL
Nina doesn't slurp, but there are towels handy as she eats in the kitchen anyways.
I've never noticed much hair on her beds, however, I don't notice hair at all in our house. I vacuum, sweep and mop frequently though.
There are some GREAT covers for your comforter on Orvis that are "dog proof" They look nice, and I've considered one before. I hate the white marks of dog drool (yes .... it's dog drool people) on my black comforter.

 

very simple solution for me -
I gave up trying LOL
*keep in mind there are anywhere from 18-40 guinea pigs, a rabbit, a hamster, hermit crabs, 2 cats, a dobe, 2 teen females (worst offenders in the bunch!) and a husband too...and we live next to a highway (dust dust dust!) and our driveway is basically dirt...*

 

5 dogs, 4 cats, a rat and a rabbit... i admit defeat!!!!!!!!!!!! as tamena can attest, im no clean freak and believe me, as my dog makes a mud swimming pool in the backyard - its only dirt

1. pan of clean water by front and back doors - wash and dry dober feet before coming in.
2. towels by front/back door for wiping dober
3. we have central electrostatic house filter - keep it clean.
4. wash dober bedding weekly in allergy detergent.
5. use Capture periodically to clean carpets.
6. use a lot of throw rugs and mats - easier to wash.
7. don't allow on people beds
8. his couch has a washable slip cover
9. groom him daily to keep the hair shedding down
10. Bissell healthy home vacuum cleaner - sees a lot of use
11. keep people shoes outside - bare/sock/slipper feet inside
12. keep dirty people clothes out in garage - change into clean sweats or something coming in.
13. keep a towel around to clean up dober water slop/drips
14. use febreze fabric spray/anti-allergen frequently

im actually kinda speechless. i dont think *i* could handle that much less my animals!

Such a timely topic. Kip was just diagnosed with an allergy to house dust and mites, human dander, etc. I felt like such a slob when the vet was explaining his test results.

I'm not really sure what I can do to improve things--hypoallergenic covers on the upholstery and bed, wash throw rugs, linens and dog bed (which he doesn't have) often. I've always heard that really frequent dusting and vacuuming can actually aggravate allergy problems??? And they say to install hard floors wherever you can but we're stuck with our awful carpet until Capri gets bigger.

Any suggestions for cleaning, etc. from the allergic dog's point of view??

there are a variety of things - including how you store the food your dog eats, HEPA filters, yes carpets (and there are allergen sprays as well that you can put on the carpets to clean them) being replaced by hardwood floors, minimizing down/feather pillows, replacing them often and not letting the dog sleep in bed.

however, even that is just management - and most management techniques, depending on how bad the dog is affected, are not going to make the dog asymptomatic. Rah's allergies also included mold - he required medical treatment. household management was not enough.

there are also vaccines available for hyposensitization.

Dust If You Must....
~~ Author Unknown~~

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write
"I love you" on the furniture.....

LOVE IT!!!!


in all seriousness -its hard with this many animals. my yard is almost complete mud, the dogs tear the toys apart daily. worrying about it is just going to be something else i can just drive myself crazy over. i can get the house presentable in an hour, easily - so its not filthy. but why worry about the silly things in life?

 

:music_whistling::hmmm: Ummm, my house is a mess. Dog hair generally floats across the hard word floor. The two things that bother me the most are:
1. My couch is dirty and sometimes they lick big wet spots on it.
2. My bedroom stinks. All three crates are in the bedroom and they stay in there when I'm at work. The dogs don't stink, but their beds do. Some are not easily washable. I still wash them, just not as often as I should.

I can even live with the filthy kitchen floor from the waterfalls that come out of Q's mouth after he drinks, then they walk in it with their dirty feet after being outside.

I will be watching your thread to see what folks suggest.

 

we have a plastic rectangle tray under the water bowl so any splashes go on the tray and as the tray has little sides no wet floor !!

i hoover everyday..

and they have a box for there toys so dont really have a mess !!

 

Same here with a plastic tray under their food and water bowls. I have also fell in love with the rechargable shark sweeper(purple). Yes, every day I just sweep the tile in the kitchen and eating area along with the wood floors in the family and living room. It's fast and easy.

 

I'm crazy about Arm and Hammer Petfresh Carpet Deodorizer.

Baking soda and a "fresh" fragrance does wonders for getting rid of the doggy smell that inevitably rears up. I sprinkle on the carpets as well as their beds. They also have a liquid spray version.

Moreso than my house is my CAR that drives me nuts. I have imbedded doberhairs in the back seat that won't come out with a Shop Vac.

Quick aside story.. couple of weeks ago I was getting a pedicure, and the lovely woman getting ready to start asked me "if I wanted to keep that". I had no idea what she was talking about, and when I looked, there was a 3 inch long black hair sticking out of the top of my foot. I could actually feel it "pop" out of my skin when I pulled on it.

I was mortified.

Christine

And no, I have no idea why she'd think I'd want to keep it, unless because it was so long I'd been cultivating it for a while?

 

I've kind of given up too. My carpet is ruined (it's old--replacing with hardwood next month) but I still vacuum every other day. I don't like to see toys laying around everywhere either, so I usually pick them up when I come home and a second time before bed.

 

I have 8 dogs in my house and they play on 30 acres so I don't even try.

 

Whenever I have a foster coming over I load up the paper towels around the water dishes. I never realized what a neat drinkers Strike is until I started having dobers here. They splash it, carry it around, drip it all over when done, etc. Some have been less messy then others. Aside from that, I vaccum when the foster leaves. Their hair isn't any more noticable then Strike's and the 3 cats so there isn't any big mess on the carpets from them. Unless it has to do with housebreaking issues.... lol.

 

I use couch covers and wash frequently. Additionally, I use a good quality spray bottle and fill it with Natures Miracle. I spray a light mist on the furniture covers inbetween washes and spray down the rugs until very lightly damp. This stuff works great to kill all bacteria and odors.

I used to use arm and hammer rug stuff but when I went to shake out my oriental rug last summer - holy crap! There was so much of that stuff embedded deep within it that I LITERALLY had the whole block in a dust cloud!! It took me about 10 full rounds of shaking and broom beating to get it all out! Since then I have stuck with just the spray and it does great. The spray also works great in the crate and on tile surfaces.

I also use an air filtration system and keep the filters changed and clean.

 

I have found dober hair in the strangest places... like in between the glass and picture of some picture frames. Those little hairs find their way into stuff no matter what! I am not obsessed with keeping a clean house because I have always felt that life is too short to spend it constantly cleaning but with two kids, two dogs and 3 cats I do have to keep on top of the cleaning.
I am lucky that I don't have sloppy drinkers. I keep spray bottles with vinegar and water around the house because they're handy for quick clean ups. I have given up on keeping my couch spotless and hairless but it's not bad at all.
I wash their bedding regularly too because I believe keeping their beds clean also helps prevent odours. The biggest problem I have is keeping my floors fur free and I am always sweeping. If I leave it for more than a couple of days, it is definitely time to get out the broom/vacuum again. I wish there was a secret to help cut down on the amount of sweeping I do! lol

 

we don't.

 

It's hard to keep everything clean. I think it's a little easier after you get through the puppy stage, but still, they can horse-play and make a mess.

Scoob

 

1. pan of clean water by front and back doors - wash and dry dober feet before coming in.
2. towels by front/back door for wiping dober
3. we have central electrostatic house filter - keep it clean.
4. wash dober bedding weekly in allergy detergent.
5. use Capture periodically to clean carpets.
6. use a lot of throw rugs and mats - easier to wash.
7. don't allow on people beds
8. his couch has a washable slip cover
9. groom him daily to keep the hair shedding down
10. Bissell healthy home vacuum cleaner - sees a lot of use
11. keep people shoes outside - bare/sock/slipper feet inside
12. keep dirty people clothes out in garage - change into clean sweats or something coming in.
13. keep a towel around to clean up dober water slop/drips
14. use febreze fabric spray/anti-allergen frequently

 

This list leaves me speechless.....I had no idea, and in how many ways I was letting dirt seep into my house. I am beyond impressed. I mean this in a good way...:sprint:

 

hmm, cleaning, not a fav topic, LOL, so, lately its been bad since the thaw, yard was very muddy this year, so the dogs some in the back door, which unfortunately is in the dining room, I have blocked the kitchen at one door with a baby gate and the other is with the hall to the bedrooms so I have blocked it with an ex pen, fortunately they respect it, even with it only being 24" high. I tore out the carpet last fall and have laminate in the living room and dining room, now their main living area. My couch has one long cushion,so I had pillow cases for it out of black sheets, couch is black, dogs are black, and I've been putting another sheet over the back, as it is deep and Anna thinks that is the greatest place to sleep. The laminate is easy to sweep,and man the piles of dog hair! They do still have access to the basement, but it seems all the dirt falls off before they get there.
I'm looking forward to the grass growing back in so they track in less dirt on the feet, I'd love to wipe them everytime but that isn't realistic, there are 4 of them, 1 of me, and in the morning I never seem to have enough time before heading out to work.

 

I have to be honest, when I first read "how do you keep a clean house" I thought never take a day off! LOL. I have animals inside and this is their house too - dogs, a cat, and reptiles (who come with bugs) so I just stay very busy. Helps to have a significant other that is the same about cleaning.
I use Nature's Miracle & white vinegar for cleaning where the animals can get to it. I don't like harsh chemicals. I do sometimes use Clorox wipes though.
The water bowls do have bath mats under them to catch extra water. Bowls get cleaned after feeding and stored. Toys are picked up every night and put into toy boxes. Weekly everything is washed in hot water. The dogs get a bath at least once a month since they sleep in our bed. Lots of vacuuming and swiffer.

 

Weekly everything is washed in hot water. The dogs get a bath at least once a month since they sleep in our bed.

really? Strike goes for months without a wash and is on my bed every night.


Then again I think you I remember you mentioning something about about never putting raw on carpets or something to that effect...

Forgot to add, when there are two dogs here if it is muddy outside its twice the feet that need to be cleaned. That isn't fun.

 

yes... ever an issue.

We have tile at the back door and one dog, so his feet get wiped when its muddy or wet, luckily the carpet in that room is DISGUSTING anyways ( not my house) so I'm not sooo anal about keeping it clean. We do own a steam cleaner though and use it every few months... i would like to increase that frequency, but Kyle refuses cause it takes too long to dry.

I vacuum pretty much every day to keep the dober hairs and random dirt down on the wood flooring.

Lexx has a rubber mat under his bowls, and then a bath mat that he stands on/works as a drop catcher.

He has a blanket on the couch that he sleeps on MOST of the time, and the couch is also old and fake leather, so it doesn't really absorb smell or dirt anyways.

I wash all his bedding every single week and his stuffy toys when they are gross to keep the dog smell down, but quite honestly, i've never really found lexx to be smelly ( except when he farts...wooohf...)

otherwise, no tricks!

 

Clean house??? What is that? I have 4 sons and they have dozens of friends, Petey is the least of my problems!

 

Now for the serious answer. All rugs are of the throw variety. I do keep a doggie bed by the kitchen french doors that I keep a sheet over, so it gets washed after any 'raw' meaty bones are chewed there. I don't allow them (the meaty bones) all over the house. During the winter, I keep towels at the front and back door, and their feet gets wiped off. Bella sleeps in a crate in our bedroom, so I just wash her bed clothing once a week and that's fine. Actually, I kind of like her smell. She is allowed on the furniture and I vacuum it, along with the larger carpet in the front room. I have to admit though, that my old anal cleaning days are long gone. My mother-in-law whom I adore has a sign over her garden door that says " A well-kept house is the sign of a mis-spent life". I can't say I totally agree with her, but now when there's an opportunity to do something really fun or vacuum, I do the really fun thing first.

 

I think I agree with your mother-in-law. I used to be a clean freak even when I was working 50 hours a week and we have 8 acres and horse to take care. But those days are long gone. After I retired, I decided enough was enough. We have only ever had one dog at a time so it isn't that hard to keep up. Feet get wiped off if it is wet or muddy outside, vacuum once a week, keep throws over the sofas and chairs in our family room (take them off when company comes), keep Baron's bedding clean, keep Baron clean. And I love seeing those little black hairs. Because after Dax died, it was 3 1/2 months until we adopted Baron, and by that time there were no black hairs to be found anywhere in the house. And, let me tell you, it was very sad. So let there be little black hairs!

 

Such a timely topic. Kip was just diagnosed with an allergy to house dust and mites, human dander, etc. I felt like such a slob when the vet was explaining his test results.

I'm not really sure what I can do to improve things--hypoallergenic covers on the upholstery and bed, wash throw rugs, linens and dog bed (which he doesn't have) often. I've always heard that really frequent dusting and vacuuming can actually aggravate allergy problems??? And they say to install hard floors wherever you can but we're stuck with our awful carpet until Capri gets bigger.

Any suggestions for cleaning, etc. from the allergic dog's point of view??

 

Hire a house keeper!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish!!!! I do it all myself.

I keep the food dishes in the basement, its a finished basement and the flooring is much easier to keep clean. By the time he is done drooling he has made it 1/2 way up the stairs which are are easier to keep clean too.

When he comes in he stays on his rug until we wipe his paws clean.

Wash his bedding weekly.

 

I've got two dogs and a cat so I do vacuum everyday, they sleep on top of my bed so I do linens frequently and only buy machine washable quilts, comforters etc.-- my living room furniture is leather so that's easy to keep clean. The water and food bowls are atop a big rubber mat with raised edges so no water flying around. My biggest problem is the hardwood floor......never again as along as I own large dogs, they mark it up incessantly...smudges and scrapes and rugs sliding all over the place. I also clean all glass surfaces daily...like the side windows at the front door and the coffee table and the back doors which are all glass---nothing but nose prints.

But I will say this, kids are a heck of alot harder to keep a clean house with.
My dogs are angels compared to the messes my kids presented me with daily.:biggrin55:

 

Well the only precautions we have taken with Rocky are keeping his food bowl over a towel and his water bowl outside. We also keep any napkins or plastic away from him because when gets ahold of a bag or something, he shreds it to bits and then I have to grab it all as quick as I can before he ingests anything.

 

MAID TWICE A WEEK. von Cleanit

 

Clean Freak

My husband says he is going to let the dogs have the house and we can move into a tent. HA!

 

1 - I think Dobermansrule is OCD - or insane. (jk, my friend)
2 - Like MIL's plaque, there is also one with a saying about how the writer doesn't clean and dust because she's spending that time watching her child grow and doesn't want to miss it - I like stuff like that. Cleaning is a big waste of time, and thankless - you just have to do it all over again - and again - and again. The Indians and nomads and pioneers dealt with dust, grit and mud. So do we. I don't know how things are kept spotless in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, where many houses are wide open to the elements - but we just are very lax and relaxed in our lifestyle (can you call that 'style'???), and only invite elephants, llamas, jackals and warthogs to visit.
3 - IF we had moolah, and I could hire someone to live here and pick up after me, I could get to appreciate a clean, tidy house. My mother was a clean freak, as were my grandmother and greatgrandmother. So's my dad. So I do know how to live like a human - I was raised as one. But I've always been a rebel.

If the shelves are dusty and the pots don't shine,
it's because I have better things to do with my time.
~Author Unknown

Housework Quotes, Sayings about Chores, Yard Work, Cleaning

 

Lolo... It was like reading my own thoughts when I read your post. I grew up with a mother that was a clean freak in the worst way. I swear if you spilled a drop of water on the floor, she would freak and start cleaning it up. As kids, my sisters and I had to change our clothes in the garage before coming into the house in case we had a blade of grass or a piece of dirt on our clothes... yet we were never allowed to sit or lay on the grass so I don't know how that was even possible. lol

My one sister grew up to be almost as obsessed with cleaning as my Mom whereas I am a lot more relaxed about it. My other sister is somewhere in between on the issue but neither of my sisters have kids so they have less cleaning to do anyway. I find there are many things in life that are a lot more important but I do like to keep a house that is somewhat clean but it is rarely tidy and NEVER completely spotless. Yet I still find myself doing dishes, laundry and sweeping almost every single day. :noidea: