by Kate Manning

Created on: January 28, 2011   Last Updated: January 31, 2011

As many pet owners know, with owning animals also comes the job of cleaning up after them! There are so many different cleaning supplies that one would need, as pets have a tendency to make a lot of mess. Below are a selection of the most essential supplies to have in your cleaning closet.

Bleach water.

Having a spray bottle with bleach water is a very good thing to have for disinfecting crates and floors. Mix one part bleach to ten parts water, as it should not be overwhelming for the animal or yourself. It is ample to clean the insides of pet crates or anything else that might need wiping down, without making it difficult to breathe.

Stain remover.

Especially important for those who have carpets, is to have a good stain remover. Pets can have accidents, even the most house trained ones, and there is nothing worse than not having a good stain removing agent. Brands such as Spot Shot or OxiClean are good on tough pet stains. Remember, your carpets do not only suffer from ‘accidents’ but also muddy paw prints, pet food spillages and rolling around, either in play or to scratch an itch! Therefore it is imperative to own a stain remover.

Urine remover.

Many pets can easily have little accidents, whether it be through excitement or anxiety. A pet urine remover both cleans the rug and deodorizes the smell of urine, which can sometimes be particularly strong, especially with cats. Urine Off is a particularly good brand for removing urine stains and odors from many different fabrics, including carpets, bedding and auto interiors. A must have for any pet owner!

Pet deodorizer.

Febreze are one of the largest manufacturers of deodorizers, and they even have one specifically directed at pet odors. Pets will leave their odors anywhere, from their bedding, to the couch, carpets and possibly even your own bed! A deodorizer is very good to have to keep your house smelling fresh by eliminating pet odors. Another very useful deodorizer/cleanser to have is Skunk-Off. You may live hoping to never have to use it, but many dogs do have a tendency to let their curiosity get the better of them when it comes to skunks, thus resulting in a spraying! If this should happen, you will immediately wish for a product to get rid of the strong, unmistakable smell. This is available in a shampoo for your pet to be bathed with.

Shedding tape.

Both cats an dogs will lose fur around the house, through grooming or natural coat shedding. Therefore it is nice to have a tape roller. This works by having the sticky side on the outer side of the roll, which you can roll over furniture or clothes to pick up pet hair. Once the roll is covered, tear off the used part to reveal fresh sticky tape.

Cloths/paper towels.

For all pet cleaning needs, it is common sense to have a good supply of cloths, rags or paper towels on hand to use on messes. Paper towels are efficient and disposable, but if you have multiple pets, then it may be more cost efficient to have a good supply of rags that you can wash after use, to save constantly buying paper towels.

Learn more about this author, Kate Manning.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.