A Resource of Helpful Cleaning Tips
Technique:
From time to time your leash may get heavily soiled. If your leash is nylon just place it in your wash. Wash with plently of clothes to protect your washer or tie a towel around the clasp. Just hang to dry.
If your leash is leather use a lether cleaner or wet a cleaning towel with a mild soap and water and gently wipe the surface. Be sure wipe off any excess water.
Here is a question submitted by Lynda:
What is the easiest way to clean dried, caked-on dog poopout from between the grooves of my Nike shoes?
Here is a question near and dear to my heart 🙂 since I have a dog and a backyard I have direct experience with this problem. What I do is use a pointy tool like a nut pryer(used to get the small pieces of broken nuts out of nut shells) or a small screwdriver. It gets in the groves well and will with a little patience get most of it. I also clap the shoes together (outside) as I am working and the poop works free. For a final cleanup I get up early and walk my dog across a grassy field and the morning dew does the rest. Oh the things we do for our pets! I hope that helps and good luck.
I installed a hand-held shower head because washing my white terriers in the tub can be back-breaking work. They don’t seem to mind the water as much and you can really rinse their legs and bellies well.
(This was submitted by Ely from Minnesota)
How do I clean pet vomit from fine fabric and furniture?
Pets are great for companionship, but they aren’t so good about cleaning up after themselves….
The first thing to do is remove as much of the vomit as possible. A spatula and paper towels work great for the big chunky stuff, however it is the liquid portion that does most of the staining and smelling. The solutions for both surfaces are similar, however the furniture has the added dimension of cleaning the cushioning, or padding, which has soaked up this offensive liquid.
Depending on the type of fabric, there are different care guidelines. An excellent resource is www.fabriclink.com. The best general advice is to pick up an active enzyme (often marketed as enzyme based) detergent or additive. The enzymes will actually digest the proteins contained in the vomit. Allow the mixed enzyme to soak into the stain for at least one hour before laundering as normal following the regular care instructions for the fabric.
The furniture will require the same attention, however, since your sofa won’t fit in the washing machine, you will need to rent an upholstery extraction machine, which is just a carpet cleaner with an upholstery attachment. Once the surface residue has been removed, apply the enzyme mixture, and allow it to soak. The powerful suction from the extractor is needed to remove the vomit residue, the enzyme solution, and the rinse water from the padding. Using too much chemical, or leaving excessive rinse water in the area being cleaned, can result in mildew forming inside the cushion, so thorough extraction and proper drying is a must!
Good quality chemicals, specifically enzyme based detergents, can be found at commercial janitorial supply stores while an extractor can be rented at almost any large grocery store. Given the expense of renting the equipment, and the cost of chemicals, it is often a better value to hire a professional for the job. A reputable company will have much more powerful equipment, and so long as you alert them to the specific problem (vomit), they will be able to provide the proper chemicals for the job.
This tip was submitted by Ricou from Flordia:
Rub Jergons Lotion all over your dog Then wipe the dog with Paper towels Until the lotion is gone.
Here is a tip contributed by Jonathan from Tulsa, OK.
Carpet Creepers:
Tired of having your dog’s long hair entangled mercilessly in your carpets and rugs?
Well heres a way to end that problem for good.
If you have a hard kitchen floor, simply get a baby gate and confine your lovable little demons to the kitchen.
This will keep shedded coats within easy cleaning distance, and the dogs probably won’t even notice the decrease in freedom.
After I partitioned my house with a baby gate, the house became considerably more clean and dust free.
Here is a great tip on birdcage cleaning submitted by Judith
We own several birds and this tip is what i tell friends. As close to the kitchen trash can as possible, spread several layers of newspapers on the floor covering at least one foot more than the size of the bottom of the cage.
Remove all toys, water dishes and food dishes and soak in hot soapy water. Although it is preferable to move the bird to another cage while doing this it is not inappropriate to leave it in the cage. Move the cage to the newspapers on the floor and remove the slide bottom of the cage and everything will fall right on the papers.
Wash the tray and return it in the slot and then put the tray protectors (we use wood chips) in. Return the clean toys and wash and return the food dish and water dish with fresh water and food. Return cage to where it belongs and just roll up the papers with all the crud on it and put it in the rubbish. End of clean up.
Here is a great tip on birdcage cleaning submitted by JudithWe own several birds and this tip is what i tell friends. As close to the kitchen trash can as possible, spread several layers of newspapers on the floor covering at least one foot more than the size of the bottom of the cage.Remove all toys, water dishes and food dishes and soak in hot soapy water. Although it is preferable to move the bird to another cage while doing this it is not inappropriate to leave it in the cage. Move the cage to the newspapers on the floor and remove the slide bottom of the cage and everything will fall right on the papers.Wash the tray and return it in the slot and then put the tray protectors (we use wood chips) in. Return the clean toys and wash and return the food dish and water dish with fresh water and food. Return cage to where it belongs and just roll up the papers with all the crud on it and put it in the rubbish. End of clean up.
General Info:
A cage that is difficult to clean is an unsafe cage. When cages are hard to clean, people tend to procrastinate. Cleaning is postponed until the cages are filthy. This increases the likelihood of bacterial and fungal contamination — not to mention it is ugly and messy.
Technique:
Precautions:
Cages with horizontal bars are difficult to clean. They are nice for clumsy baby birds. Yet, if the bar spacing is correct it is not necessary to have horizontal bars on the cage of a healthy adult bird.
Since you can’t bath your budgie, try this!
Thoroughly wash a sprig of fresh parsley then tie the wet sprig to the inside bars of your budgies cage. He will roll against it, peck it and clean himself!
Technique:
Precautions:
And here’s the most important tip: Don’t overbathe your ferret! For most ferrets, once every 3 months or when getting into a mess demands it is plenty. More frequent bathing may actually result in a stinky, itchy ferret. Washing strips the oils from fur and skin, causing the body to work overtime to replace them. Since the oils are what contain the light musky odor of a normal ferret, the smell may become stronger within a couple of days of bathing, then fade again. Better to be scrupulous about clean litter boxes and weekly changes of cloth bedding to keep your ferret fresh!
