Keeping house clean with indoor dog

October 2, 2024 7:17 PM

My sibling who lives at home is getting a service dog (labrador) and my parents are a little anxious about dog hair and smells. Do you have any favourite products for keeping the house clean?

We had dogs growing up but they were outdoor dogs so this will be a change for them. The house is carpeted and one parent has allergies and sibling also struggles with congestion.
I would appreciate any suggestions of things you've found helpful. The Best Ever vacuum cleaner type for pet hair (and long-haired human)? Would a daily clean with a robot vacuum make a difference? Not sure if there's room for a self-empty station upstairs where the dog will be sleeping.
Some sort of grooming glove thingies or special pet brush? Does an air purifier help with dander and odors?
Is there any sort of dog bed material that is more washable than others?

Thanks for any suggestions.

posted by Naanwhal to Pets & Animals (16 answers total)

I have a large lab mix who sheds a modest amount and I have allergies. Keeping the dog out of our bedroom as a strict rule, installing a door sweep under the door so that hair and dander can't get in, and keeping an air purifier running in there were all recs from the allergist and cumulatively, they helped a ton.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:43 PM on October 2

Prevention will be just as important as clean up. You can buy deshed shampoos to help get out that undercoat. Using a high velocity blow dryer can also help with this. For brushing, a zoom groom (basically a curry comb) can be useful for loosening the fur. Or you could take the dog to the groomer for regular grooming appts and have them deal with this.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:58 PM on October 2

We have cats that shed (not like a big old dog though) and we have found a roomba that runs regularly invaluable to help with cat hair.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:24 PM on October 2

Robo-vacuum makes a huge difference, it starts gradually unless you are going from just deep cleaned, but cumulatively it really helps. You do still need to do regular vacuuming sometimes and in corners or other spots it can’t regularly get to. But having a robot vacuum schedule means that you are kept on task to pick things up before the scheduled vacuuming (there will be a variety of dog things on the floor that your family is unused to), and the cumulative fur and dander is kept way down.

Air purifiers do also help, though imo doggy smell is gonna doggy smell at least somewhat. For allergies though they are quite helpful. If it’s possible for your parent to get tested by an allergist, they could learn what exactly it is they are allergic to and then address that directly. For example my friend finally got himself tested and it turns out his host of various mild allergies (including to some cats but not others) are actually all a strong allergy to dust mites! Your parent might be allergic to the dog’s saliva but not to dander, or some other variation. Dander is the most likely culprit though so go for air purifiers, regular vacuuming and dusting, and washing the dog with shampoo to keep their dander from building up.

There are all kinds of blankets/slip covers/doohickies intended to puta barrier between dogs and the furniture they like to lounge on. If this dog has no issues with improper urination or excessive drool, I suggest just using some easily washed regular blankets for the couch or wherever their spots end up being. That way it’s simple to freshen it up. But, if there are concerns about drool, pee, or maybe even puke (labradors do tend to do the scarf-and-barf) they definitely opt for something with a water resistant or waterproof layer on the bottom and something cozy on the top. Nice picnic blankets have this, you can also layer two things, or buy something specifically marketed for pets. But they are worth the price and the cleaning hassle when they save a nice upholstered couch!

For carpet messes, I recommend a spot cleaner, like this one from Bissell. We’ve had an older model for many many years and it has been absurdly effective on our various lovely cats’ horrible excretions.

Also, have a basket of old towels that become the dog towels kept by the door, and train the dog to pause after going outside and have their paws wiped, especially if it’s wet weather, but it’s useful even when it’s dry. Really cuts down on the dirt.
posted by Mizu at 10:28 PM on October 2

Doggie beds and a crate/kennel so the dog has its own designated places (this will keep them off the furniture, assuming that's desired). Give them a cozy spot in each room you'll be hanging out in.
posted by hydra77 at 5:43 AM on October 3

the best vacuum for this purpose is the most convenient one, because that's the one that you'll grab most often. i have a dog with a short coat that sheds so much i am sure that she violates the laws of thermodynamics. i would say that i use my rechargeable cordless vacuum (a dyson fwiw tho i'm sure others are good) about 10 times more than i would a corded vacuum.
posted by entropone at 6:32 AM on October 3

Labs have a double coat which they shed in spring and fall, plus lesser shedding in between. Two products worked well for us:

Furminator [href="https://www.furminator.com/] is an undercoat de-shedding comb that looks like a hand-held rake. It comes in various tine-lengths according to fur length, though my Lab's Furminator works ok with our current rescue with a short, single coat, as long as I use a light touch. In shedding seasons I combed the Lab every couple of days; other times maybe weekly or less. It greatly reduced the volume of fur we had to sweep up.

The FURemover broom has rubber fingers that work wonderfully to sweep fur off of hard floors, his mattress cover, and shallow carpets, and a squeegy-like blade which i suppose is meant to push fur into a dustpan but I just use the dustpan-brush.

Nothing will eliminate fur on the floor; furry dogs shed. But these two tools went a long way to minimizing it.
posted by TruncatedTiller at 6:48 AM on October 3

Another thing we do is to have every other bath for our dog done at the local pet store, where they have a service called "Furminator." This means they vigorously brush/vacuum hair from the dog in combination.

It does not at all solve the shedding issue, but it probably clears away a quarter of the dog hair that would end up on our floors.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:49 AM on October 3

A Roomba or other robot vacuum certainly isn't enough, but definitely does good work on keeping the daily hair at bay!

I have a refurbished Dyson Animal and it's a life changer- I have the lightweight cordless one, because it's so easy to grab and do a quick once over on the rug.

Make sure the dog bed has a very easy to remove & wash cover-- some of them are annoying and frustrating to take on and off like a couch cushion cover, and sometimes the filler is poorly held together-- it's worth it to check some out and find one that's easy.

Can't speak to a specific brush or tool-- I have had different levels of success with different tools on different dogs with different coats, but the important thing is FREQUENCY! Daily brushing (especially when the seasons change) makes SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE (and a great chill bonding experience for human and dog).
posted by Grandysaur at 7:16 AM on October 3

As someone with awful dog allergies, where my ability to remain in someone’s home varies widely, I’d suggest the following
- keeping animals off of furniture
- when that is not possible, frequent washing of slip covers or having a leather or “hard” materials (such as wooden rather than upholstered dining chairs)
- Minimize fabrics as much as possible- this includes hard floors rather than carpets/rugs, materials for furniture, etc
- go to the source and bathe your dog as often as possible. I think people easily become a bit nose blind, but it makes a huge difference if your dog is bathed more frequently
- minimize the number of rooms the dog is allowed in (most specifically bedrooms)
- vacuum everyday- doesn’t have to be a lot, but at least a quick one
posted by raccoon409 at 8:27 AM on October 3

For a coat like labs have, routine bathing makes a huge difference, and if the house already has a wide step-in Accessible shower it is pretty easy to set up in there with a stool and enough room to do this that won't ruin your back. If not, just go ahead and get a routine established with a mobile dog groomer, a place with dog wash stations (absolute back-savers because the wash stations are up at an adult's standing-up height), or a very reputable groomer. Labs have a somewhat complicated set of coat textures, it gets dirty and smelly and makes that kinda classic smelly-dog smell.

If they live somewhere with snow and/or mud seasons, train the dog to wait at the door to use a paw-washer on the way indoors. For the rest of the time, the more doormat you can put between the outside world and inside floors the better.

Set up a nice place to sit outside to do daily brushing so you're not filling the indoor air with dander and fur to clean up. The local fauna loves dog hair for nest material anyway.

If this is a service dog that detects medical conditions, it may be expected for it to get up on furniture to be basically in contact with your sister, in which case I recommend using furniture covers to make it easy to remove and wash regularly.

Otherwise put beds everywhere the dog is expected to spend a lot of time, and pick beds with zip-off covers that are easy to wash - this type was my go-to for years with our dogs, and then I put a washable pee pad over the foam mattress under the cover so there was a second washable layer before smells got into the mattress itself.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:48 AM on October 3

A Roomba with a self-emptying base station helps *so much* because you can set it to vacuum morning and night and it can really eliminate a significant amount of the fur.
posted by corb at 2:53 PM on October 3

Keeping pet hair minimized is for sure a great place to focus on. I love my roomba...though we have hard wood floors so I think carpets a little more challenging but I would imagine it will still work well. You could potentially look into getting your carpets professionally cleaned once a year and that would probably also help but don't know if that's necessary. One big help would simply be giving the dog regular baths. The more often you bath it the less smelly it will be. You don't want to over bath it...but you can ask a vet or groomer. My guess is once a month or once every other month. I know bathing my dog always kept him really clean. Remember though...it's a dog and it will have a smell. It can be minimized but it can't be totally eliminated. Hopefully the help and joy the dog brings to your sibling will be worth it.
posted by ljs30 at 3:45 PM on October 3

One big help would simply be giving the dog regular baths. The more often you bath it the less smelly it will be. You don't want to over bath it...but you can ask a vet or groomer. My guess is once a month or once every other month.

You could easily bathe a dog once a week - you really don't have to worry about "overbathing". That used to be more of a concern many years ago. But as long as you are using an appropriate dog shampoo (don't use human shampoo or dawn dish soap), regular bathing should not be a problem for the dog. It is a good idea to use conditioner on the coat (again, a dog conditioner). For a lab, may not be required if you're bathing monthly, though it wouldn't hurt.

Tropiclean puppy shampoo and earthbath and aloe hypoallergenic conditioner are two that I've used for my dog, and are generally well liked/recommended (and not super expensive).
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:48 PM on October 3

Oooh, I know this one. I've lived with Labradors much of my life. The bad news: They do shed a lot. The good news: Their fur doesn't fly around as much as other types of fur, and it's entirely possible to have Labradors that do not smell at all. I sniffed the one next to me, and I smell nothing. Sure, I might be desensitized, but I have critical people with excellent noses in my life, so I'd know.

The shedding is not fun. When I had carpet everywhere, I actually found it easier to keep up with the fur (though I think for allergies, hard floors are much preferable? So if there's issues with the dog, maybe the carpet could be reconsidered at least in some rooms). Invest in a good vacuum - if your family is unlikely or unable to vacuum much, that should be a robot. If at all possible, get a model that's intelligent enough to make a floor plan, not a randomized movement one. If someone in the household is capable of vacuuming the floors twice a week, you don't need a robot. Instead, get a really good vacuum with a great filter. I like Miele a lot, and they have some models specifically for pet hair. You will have to vacuum more often during shedding season.

Here's the recipe for a dog that doesn't smell: 1) Feed a really high-quality pet food. Do some research, don't believe the most popular brands. Most dogs smell, yes, but most dogs are fed crap (or have coats which stay damp forever). 2) When your dog gets wet, dry them quickly. 3) Wash their bedding regularly, perhaps as often as once a week. 4) If you want the dog up on furniture or in the bed, use a big fleece blanket or sturdy bedspread as a cover. 5) Bathe with dog shampoo around twice a year, more often if they love the experience or start to smell. Seriously, though: Healthy Labradors shouldn't smell. One of mine had a weird scent last year, and a vet visit revealed he had an allergy. Meds and time and a medicinal shampoo for a little bit fixed the problem.

I have bathrobes for my Labs, which helps when we come in from a walk. Labradors have a water-resistant overcoat and do not get drenched through from rain (unless it's extremely heavy). When they're not soaked through, just damp, I towel mine off and stick a bathrobe on for half an hour. They're pretty low-maintenance. When they've gone swimming though, it makes sense to dry their croup and scruff with a hair-dryer (that's where the fur is thickest). Obviously, make sure it's not too hot.

The water-repellent fur is one reason Labradors don't get as smelly as other breeds. Shaggy dogs, for example, get their fur drenched as soon as there's any rain. Bacteria love damp conditions. That's why, even though I loved using it, I have to disagree with the Furminator recommendation. It does get rid of fur. But for Labradors, it permanently destroys the very handy overcoat. My older dog, who was brushed with a Furminator for about a year, now gets (and stays) much wetter than the younger one. His fur is much softer. I have since been told that this is a known side-effect.

Instead, try out silicone grooming equipment. You can find some sturdy brushes and currycombs in riding stores. Ideally, you take the dog outside to brush every other week (at least once a week during the change of seasons). Rub mostly back and haunches, maybe the neck and chest region. You can ignore legs and belly. This takes maybe five minutes, especially if you teach the dog to stay still. I scatter some treats, say "Leave it", and start brushing or toweling. They don't move at all, way too focussed on getting the treats.

For dog bedding, I love Sabro, but they ship exclusively within Europe. A pet store will definitely have a bed with a removable cover, though. Some online retailers probably sell beds with extra covers, and that's very handy. Personally, because my dogs like luxury, I don't wash the bed covers themselves that often. They have blankets and a pillow in their beds to create nests, and I wash only the cotton covers I've put on those pillows and blankets. This vastly reduces laundry. For a long time, I had the blankets and pillows setup in a bed of artificial leather, and that was nice. Still soft for the dogs, but easy to clean by just wiping it with soapy water.

Speaking of laundry: A dryer helps immensely in the fight against fur. It catches all the dog hair that would otherwise cling to towels and blankets.

Whatever dog bed you get, make sure it's big enough and comfortable so it's actually appealing. You dog has to be able to stretch out fully, lying on the side. My dog beds are 120cmx100cm, and they are big enough.

Don't underestimate the value of training in keeping the house clean. My dogs know to wait by the door when they come inside all muddy, rather than tearing around the house and over the beds. I had a dog who learned to pause for 20 seconds or so after drinking, because she would otherwise make a big mess. You can teach a dog to only eat chew toys in a designated area, not to enter certain rooms, or to only hop up on furniture when a special blanket is laid out. Dogs are good at learning routines like that.

Okay, enough. Sorry about the novel, I got excited. I hope it goes really well! Best of luck.
posted by toucan at 1:07 PM on October 4

If you do want to put an air purifier in the bedroom, the Coway unit that has often won the Wirecutter rankings is on a Prime Day sale for $150.

I really do recommend making the bedroom a dog free "clean room." A person will spend sixteen or so hours a day at home, most days. If they can make the time they spend sleeping completely dog dander free, that's half the battle won right there.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:04 AM on October 5