The Kitchen Sink V5I14

By Misty Crouse

Hello August! It’s already time for those children to go back to school! I don’t know about you guys, but as my children get older, the faster the summer seems to go. I am ready for school to start, and I want to say Thank you to all the Teachers who are heading back to school too.

Anywho, I asked what cleaning tips y’all needed and I was asked about hair, people, and pets. Luckily, I have a fair amount of experience with hair cleanup. From my husband’s beard to my locks shedding everywhere, dogs and cats! Now, I won’t say it is easy by any means. Honestly, it is practically a full-time job.

To start, getting a good vacuum that is light and easy to empty is super important. Also, having a Roomba running daily helps a lot. The Roomba wasn’t a good fit for us, but I know multiple families that it works perfectly for. I think if you have one pet it works better, but when you have multiple pets, you need a bigger canister. I vacuum the house once a day, a quick zoom around the house. Then, once a week we do a more in-depth sweep to ensure we get it all.

Let’s talk about hair and laundry. I used to lint roll everything; it was time-consuming. Frankly, it was getting pricey and felt wasteful. So, I went on the hunt for something reusable. I found these dryer balls for pet hair, there are a few different ones. I got the ones that look like blue scour pads shaped like fish. They work great, I throw them in the washer with each load of laundry. That way no matter who puts them in the dryer I know the hair fish is there. Now for your soft furniture, there are a few things you can do. First vacuum, but we all know that doesn’t work for all soft furniture. Second, there are squeegee or carpet brooms that work great. Third is a spray you can make with things around the house. Mix equal parts white vinegar, water, and cheap hair conditioner in a spray bottle. Spray on the soft furniture, and let it sit for about 5 minutes then take a damp paper towel and lift the hair. A squeegee or carpet broom would also work with this to tackle that hair. Then, wipe down with a damp towel to remove any residue.

Lastly, we bathe our dog and brush her out every couple of months. How often you groom your dog

varies by breed and coat. You could drop your furry friend off at your local groomer, that maybe helpful to keep your pooch from leaving hair everywhere. As far as the cat goes, we have a kitten that we brush once a week. We started as soon as we got him so he would be used to it by the time he starts shedding regularly.

As a last resort, keep a lint roller at the door or in your car so you can clean up hair quickly. At the end of the day, hair happens. Pets are family. It is more important that my pets are comfortable and happy at home than it is to be fussing at them about their hair. You can let it bother you or you can just clean it up.

Remember you are doing your best, and that is enough. Drink your Coffee warm and relax, you deserve it!

"Happy Cleaning"

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