NESTING WITH YOUR PET – A GUIDE TO QUARANTINE HYGIENE
Sheltering in place with your pet? There’s no match for the emotional support you get from living with a lovable companion -or two or three or more- during a lockdown. (Hugs! Play! Laugh! Blood pressure down!) The bad news is that being confined in close quarters, means that you may notice a more malodorous environment than just two weeks ago. (Pew! Was that you?) The good news is that pet science has evolved. The level of sanitizing and keeping pets clean has grown leaps and bounds. Here are a few tips to keep your home smelling as clean as a fresh spring day, as well as keeping your pet and you healthy.
- Open your windows, let the fresh air in on breezy, spring days – as long as there’s an acceptable ‘social distance’ between you and the next window!
- Vacuum! There are pet-hair vacuums that are fantastic on hard surfaces as well as fabrics, upholstery, drapes – and don’t forget pet beds! For a quick fix, wet rubber gloves and rub over fabric surfaces… fur will clump up onto the gloves.
- If you walk your pets, great. Just remember to wash their paws before they enter your home. Have an old rug or towel before you enter – with sanitizer for the soles of your shoes as well!
- Accidents happen! And because your pet is not used to the new ‘routine’ yet. There may be more than usual. Don’t get upset. Get Nature’s Miracle enzymatic cleaners such as disinfectant, stain and odor removers, urine destroyer, etc, to solve the problem immediately. The idea is to neutralize the odors as soon as possible. These stain and odor removers penetrate to loosen and eliminate, and break down urine, blood, vomit, grease and oil. So, that your pet doesn’t return to the same place again. They’re for dogs and cats, and come in a variety of forms – spray, foams, powders, and even a laundry booster to add to your regular laundry detergent.
- The longer your pet’s mess sits, the more difficult it will be to remove the smell. If you can’t clean right away, pick up what you can, blot the liquids, then apply enzymatic cleaner asap. Keep carpet area moist – by using a plastic wrap and heavy book over the spot, until you can clean properly. Always follow directions.
- Truly confined? If you can’t get out at all, invest in some Wee-Wee pads. They have a plastic shield to protect damage to floors and carpets. As if you were training your dog, place in one location and spray with “Puppy Attractant” to confine indoor accidents. Prepare as you would normally walk your dog – grabbing a leash, bags, and treat – as your walk over to the new site. Replace pads after each use.
- Keeping fur-babies groomed is an important part of hygiene. There are scented and un-scented, whitening, hot-spot, and hypo-allergenic shampoos, antiseptic, anti-fungal, flea and tick for dogs and cats. They are available to mix with water, waterless, dry, and 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner formulas. One of the newest products in the cleaning arsenal are Earth Buddy Pet Wipes – which clean your baby’s fur in between major grooming events. There are even Tushy Wipes to keep pets and small animals with tummy issues as clean and happy as possible.
- Cat Litter has come a long way. While all brands are racing to be lowest-odor, quickest-clumping, and best smelling - Fresh Step Crystal Cat Litter stops odor 5 times better than clay litter. There are also dome litter boxes which prevent the smell from wafting too far, and litter mats… which fit under the boxes to eliminate litter from being tossed all over the floor. Makes for easier clean-up.
- If you have a turtle, you should check out Hikari Turtle Food. It was specifically formulated to reduce tank odors while keeping your turtles nourished and happy.
- Small animals such as hamsters or guinea pigs, need a clean cage and fresh bedding. Choose from our huge selection of pine, aspen and natural fibers featuring 10- day odor control, odor stopper formula.
