Four weeks ago we welcomed a new pet into our family. I wasn’t eager to acquire another pet. With our four spoiled rescue cats, I have my hands full. But, this wasn’t an ordinary pet. We own a hobby farm which includes a small flock of sheep. One of our sheep, Elizabeth, had given birth to triplets during the night. By the time we found them the next morning, only one had survived. Elizabeth was unable to take care of the surviving lamb. And, boom, I had our newest pet, just in time for National Pet Month in May!
This is a partnered post with Swiffer. I am a Swiffer Fanatic, but Swiffer and Febreze have been staples in my house for years.
We live fifteen minutes away from our farm. The sheep had to be bottle fed every two hours for the first week of her life, then every three to four hours of the second week. I purchased the basic supplies I needed to nurture a lamb; bottles, diapers, and lamb’s milk replacer. Then, I wrapped her up and brought her home.
Both the cats and lamb were confused at first, but soon I found them cuddled together. Raising a lamb indoors for three weeks is no easy task! I already had a cleaning routine for my cats, but I found I needed to expand it with the lamb.
Even though Alexandra has been able to return to the farm, Febreze Fabric Pet Odor Eliminator keeps the house smelling fresh.
Whether you have a small farm animal or the more normal variety of pets, you know pets make messes. One of my biggest spring problems, from the cats and the lamb, is shedding. If you’re tired of seeing the fur fly (pun intended), I’ve got five easy solutions to help keep the shed spread down.
Five Ways To Control Pet Hair
1. Use the dryer. Many pets have a favorite blanket or other items that needs to be washed. (At our house, it is our bedspread!) To keep the pet hair from clogging up the washing machine, place the blanket in the dryer on the fluff setting for ten minutes. This will help loosen the hair. Shake out the blanket before tossing it into the wash. During the rinse cycle, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to help get rid of any additional loose hair.
Swiffer Pet Dusters make it easy for me to keep the furniture clean during shedding season.
2. Give it the Rubber Glove Treatment. Have upholstery that needs to be cleaned? Get a pair of rubber kitchen gloves. Wipe the upholstery surface with your gloved hands. For good results, make sure the gloves are damp before you begin. You’ll be surprised how much hair you’ll pick up. If you don’t have rubber kitchen gloves, this trick will work with a damp kitchen sponge.
3. Clean the Air. You might be surprised at how much fur really is flying through the air. Change the air filter in the heating and air unit every two months. If you prefer not to change your filter that often, try to change the filter in spring and fall when pets are shedding. Also, consider an air purifier designed to reduce pet hair and dander. Speaking of cleaning the air, you can use Febreze AIR Pet Odor Eliminator to eliminate unwanted pet odors and leave behind a fresh scent.
4. Clean The Unusual Spots. Hair can build up in those places we don’t clean often. Think of spots under the bed or furniture with huge dust bunnies! But, there’s plenty of other spots that need a good cleaning on occasion too, like under the couch cushions or on top of the fan blades. I use Swiffer Dusters and the Heavy Duty Pet Refillers: With Dust Lock Adhesive™. They’ve got 50% more fibers than regular dusters and they’re specially designed to trap three times more dust than a feather duster. I’m all for anything that cuts down on the time I spend cleaning cat hair.
5. Clean Frequently with Cleaning Products Designed for Pet Messes. I’ll be honest. If I didn’t clean every day, I’d be swimming in cat hair. The easiest way I’ve found to keep my tile and hardwood floors clean is to use my Swiffer Sweeper paired with the pet refills. You seriously would not believe the amount of pet hair it picks up thanks to the grooves that contour to the floor. For other everyday messes, like frequent hairballs, I use my Swiffer WetJet. Its special formula is designed to break down messes. Plus, I like the ease of not having to prepare mop water and drag a bucket through my house. The compact design of the products also makes them easy to store too.
This is how much dust Swiffer removed from my floors after a birthday party for a 3-year-old!
How to Get Rid of Stinky Pet Smell
If you have company arriving at any moment and don’t want them to know you have a pet (or at least smell that you have a pet), use my secret solutions. It’s Febreze AIR Heavy Duty Pet Odor Eliminator and Febreze Fabric Pet Odor Eliminator. Actually, I use these even when I don’t have guests coming over and want to get rid of the funky pet smell. Giving the room a spritz with my bottle of Febreze Air made specifically for pet odors and it shuts down those pesky smells. And, my Febreze Fabric for pets is a must for all the spots my cats (and sheep) spend time. Be sure to spray the fabric until slightly damp for optimal odor elimination.
If you’ve heard the rumor that Swiffer or Febreze is dangerous to pets, independent studies from the ASPCA’s toxicology team have concluded they are safe. That’s important to me because I want to keep my furbabies safe.
Want to learn more? You can find out more on the Swiffer and Febreze sites.
for these products more tips so you won’t #dontsweatyourpet. You can find Febreze and Swiffer at your nearby Kroger.
Do you have a pet? What are your best tips for controlling shedding?
I’m so glad that your lamb is doing well now. That was quite an undertaking!
I will share this with my friend who has two dogs. We don’t have any pet right now. May be we will try to get one.
I really need to look for the Swiffer Pet pads. This time of the year is horrible on our kitchen floor – between shedding and mud.
We don’t have pet but my husband used to have three cats and he did all of these things. He was good at it.
We do not have pets right now but I have friends who have. They complain about pet hair so I think this will be a great help for them.
Wow this would be so great I love to know about this thing perfect timing I was thinking of it and here is it. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas! I have three dogs in my house at the moment. I could use all the help I can get.
I have 2 boxer, and boy do they shed this time of the year! These are all great products though that help me keep my home hair free and sanity in check.
This would be perfect for my sister. She has a cat and has hair all of the place at times.
Wow! That is definitely a full house of pets! We have dogs and it is definitely an issue keeping up with all the hair so I appreciate your expert advice.
These are good points! The loose fur can really build up on the floors and furniture if I let it. My pets are messy!
I’ll keep these in mind! I have two cats who shed every dang where! We do use Swiffer products often–they work so well.
My dream is to live on a farm and have sheep and other animals. I do think I would keep them out of the house but Swiffer is always good to keep pet hair off surfaces.
There’s nothing fun about pets shedding. Your tips are great, and the products you recommend will help immensely.
That little lamb is so cute! I can imagine how hard it was to care for her and it’s good to see her healthy and thriving. I no longer have any indoor pets but these are great tips.
I love these tips so much. We got a little pom a few months ago and I find her hair everywhere.
With 3 dogs and a rabbit you can bet we have a shedding issue. I love Swiffer products and use the floor duster almost daily.
With 2 cats, we do deal with our air share of shedding. Swiffer products have been great for cleaning up the hair, and keeping our home nice and tidy!