How I Manage My Cleaning Routine With Pets at Home
Living With Pets: How I Maintain a Clean and Cozy Home While Having Pets
Practical routines that make a pet owner’s life cleaner, calmer, and cozier
There are two types of people in this world. Those who do not allow their pets to stay within the house, and those that do. I am definitely the latter. I have two sweet cats and one little chihuahua, and they are basically my entire world. They keep me company, make me laugh, and bring me joys that nothing else can. Simply watching them play in the curtains would make my day.
However, I do not want to sugarcoat it. While I love them, they bring a mess as well. Cat hair somehow finds a way to be on all the surfaces in the house. My chihuahua thinks muddy paws on the ground after running outside is an Olympic sport, and sometimes I find paw prints in parts of the house I did not even think she could reach.
If you share your living space with pets, then cleaning ceases to be a "now and then" ordeal. It is not as if you occasionally clean your garage. When you share your living space with animals, cleaning becomes a routine choice to make on a daily basis. Over the years I have developed small routines I apply in my life each week to address fur, odor and clutter without feeling as though I am cleaning perpetually. I don't want a perfect or an untouchable home; the concept is unrealistic. I simply want a fresh, comfortable, and inviting space for all who walk through my door (lifetime commitment to animals => animals and me!).
In exchange for the love and comfort my pets bring me, I have learned to create a routine that makes life easier. If you also share your home with pets, and I am hoping that maybe my system will help you too. I am going to share with you my everyday cleaning habits, my weekly resets, and the little tricks that keep me motivated even when I would rather do anything else.
My Daily Cleaning Habits
Ignoring little things, like with anything in life, will generally make things worse in the long run. This is especially true with pets. If I let chores build up for only two or three days, the whole house becomes overwhelming. This is why I prefer small habits that I can repeat every single day. They take minutes at a time, but make all the difference.
Here are the things I do every single day to keep things under control:
Lint roller sweep for couches, chairs, and blankets where my cats love to nap.
Food area check, which means sweeping up scattered kibble and wiping around their bowls.
Litter box duty, morning and night, to keep odors down.
A quick vacuum in the high traffic areas like the living room and kitchen.
Spot cleaning any messes, spills, or accidents right away with an enzyme cleaner.
Individually these tasks take only a few minutes, but together they prevent my house from ever reaching that dreaded stage where the mess feels like too much to handle. The way I think about it is simple. Just like I make sure my pets eat every single day, I make sure these chores get done every single day too.
My Weekly Reset and the Tricks That Keep Me Going
Besides all the small daily chores I do, I complete a reset once a week. The reset involves cleaning my place a little deeper. I wash all of the pet bedding, their bed covers, and once in a while all of my pillowcases because, well, my cats jump up on my bed whenever they want, and I never know when they will! I also vacuum deeper, mopped the floors with a pet safe cleaner, and brushed my cats and chihuahua so I had less hair to vacuum. I now see grooming as part of cleaning (the more I groom/brush them, the less I vacuum later!) and they kind of like it (it is time spent together!)
Now, I will be honest. I do not always feel like doing these things. I work hard, and some days I just want to rest. On those days I use little tricks to get myself going. One of my favorites is setting a timer for 15 minutes. Telling myself to clean for 15 minutes feels lighter than telling myself to clean the whole house. Once I start, I usually keep going because I have already built momentum.
I also pair chores with everyday routines. For example, while my coffee brews in the morning, I scoop the litter box. While dinner is in the oven, I sweep under the food bowls. Linking chores to moments that are already part of my day makes them feel less like a burden. And yes, I bribe myself too. I will tell myself, do the dishes and then you can enjoy your coffee in peace. It sounds silly, but it works. Music helps a lot as well. Sometimes I put on my favorite playlist and suddenly cleaning feels more like a mini workout than a chore.
Part of my weekly reset also involves restocking and organizing pet supplies. I check if I need more food, litter, or shampoo, and I tidy up their toys. Having everything in order helps me feel like I am on top of things and saves me from stressful last minute trips to the store.
The Cleaning Side of Living With Pets
Beyond the daily and weekly routines, there is the pure cleaning side of things that I have had to get serious about since living with two cats and a chihuahua. I learned quickly that pet hair does not care about boundaries. It sticks to furniture, curtains, clothes, and even finds its way into corners I did not even know existed. That is why I have made vacuuming and dusting a bigger part of my cleaning life than I ever imagined. I try to vacuum the floors thoroughly at least twice a week, moving small furniture if I need to, and I also run the vacuum attachment along baseboards and under the couch where fur collects like it is hiding from me.
Mopping is another task that matters more with pets. My chihuahua’s little paw prints show up on tile and wood, especially after rain, and wiping them down quickly keeps my floors looking fresh. I use a pet safe floor cleaner because he sometimes licks the floor, and I mop once a week in the main rooms. It is amazing how much brighter and fresher the space feels after a proper mop.
Then there are surfaces. My cats love to climb onto tables, counters, and even my dresser, so I keep a stack of microfiber cloths ready for dusting and wiping. A quick spray with a safe multipurpose cleaner removes fur and dander and gives the space that polished look. I even wipe down door handles and light switches more often now, because fur and dander really do travel everywhere.
Laundry is another big part of pure cleaning with pets. Bedding, throws, and cushion covers go into the wash weekly, but I also wash rugs and mats more often than I would if I did not have animals. The entryway mat especially gets a lot of action from my dog, so I shake it outside every few days and throw it in the wash regularly. Even vacuuming rugs helps keep them fresh and free of fur.
Why It Is All Worth It
Is it worth it? Absolutely, cleaning alongside my pets can feel like an endless loop. I honestly would not change this for anything. My pets truly make my house a home. They are also what brings coziness into the safe space I come home to every day. So the extra vacuuming, the sweeping, the endless lint rolling, and even the muddy paw prints, are such an insignificant compromise for the love and comfort they give me every day.
For me, staying on top of a routine is about balance, not perfection. By keeping up with small daily habits, while also making time for a reset each week, I can keep the chaos manageable without burning myself out.
And at the end of the day, when I enter a space that smells fresh, when I curl up on a couch that is crumb free, when I see my cats stretched out peacefully or my little chihuahua snoring under a blanket, I know every bit of effort was worth it. My home may never be perfectly spotless, but it is cozy, it feels good to be in, and it is full of love.