Home & Cleaning
Pet hair and odor are easier to manage once you deal with the source. For hair, start with how to get dog hair off a couch, fabric by fabric and how to get dog hair out of carpet and rugs.
Cat owners will find a daily, weekly and monthly cleaning checklist and a step-by-step plan to stop cat litter tracking. The rake and de-shedding tool these guides mention are in pet hair removal tools.
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How-to
How to Protect Hardwood Floors From Dog Scratches and Spills
Long nails, grit on paws and skidding on smooth turns cause most dog marks on wood. Here is how to fix each one, keep water bowls and accidents off the finish, and tell a scuff you can touch up from damage that needs a flooring pro.
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How-to
How to Get Pet Hair Off Clothes and Keep It Off
Lift loose dog or cat hair with a roller or a damp rubber glove, tumble hairy clothes on air-only for about 10 minutes before the wash, then wash smaller loads apart from pet bedding. Plus cleaning the lint trap and drum, the mistakes that bring hair back, and habits that keep it off.
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How-to
How to Clean Dog Toys: Plush, Rubber, Rope and Fire Hose
Check the tag, then match the method to the material: plush and squeaky toys in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle, rubber by hand or in the dishwasher if labeled, fire hose scrubbed and rope soaked, then dried all the way through. Plus how often, when to disinfect, toys with electronics and when to retire a toy.
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How-to
Dog Scared of the Vacuum? A Step-by-Step Plan, Plus Quieter Cleaning
A step-by-step plan for a dog who hides from, barks at or chases the vacuum: start with it off and far away, pair the sound with food and build up slowly. Plus where your dog goes while you clean, robot vacuums, when to get help and quieter ways to keep hair down.
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How-to
How to Dispose of Dog Poop in an Apartment With No Yard
What to do with dog poop when there’s no yard: picking up by the entrance, carrying a sealed bag through the lobby, trash room and chute rules, an indoor pail that doesn’t smell, when flushing is allowed, and balcony pads and grass patches.
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How-to
How to Brush Your Dog Without Getting Hair Everywhere
Hair all over the room after every brushing? Groom outdoors or over an old sheet on a hard floor, mist the coat lightly and empty the brush every few strokes. Here's where and when to brush, and a five-minute cleanup for the hair that escapes.
