Let’s start with combating pet hair. As all pet owners will tell you, dog hair will stick to everything and Lint rollers will become your best friend. If you have wooden flooring, you’ll find that excess hair control is very manageable. A wet mop will quickly pick up any loose hairs, a vacuum is not recommended as it just blows the hair around your house. We recommend you regularly brush your pets, to avoid the excess shedding that can occur.
Scratches on wood flooring is unfortunately unavoidable. It’s simply part and parcel of having that type of flooring. Brushed and oiled wood flooring is the best type of flooring for your pets, it already has a worn look to it, so a few scratches won’t look out of place. It can be very easily sanded down, and it may be an idea to consider a tougher finish to avoid this step having to occur too often. Vinyl flooring is probably the best bet for a home with pets. It’s durable and very water resistant, also less likely to scratch as easily as wood flooring.
The final hazard is urine. Whilst a pet acclimatizes to its new environment, accidents may occur. On a wooden floor, especially oiled it can stain if not cleaned up quickly! Again your best bet would be vinyl flooring as it won’t stain as easily and is easily cleaned up. If it occurs on a carpeted floor, once dried with a towel/dry cloth, mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, apply to the area and sprinkle baking soda over to the top to neutralise. We invested in a stain and odour remover that discourages pets from repeat marking. It was an absolute Godsend in those early days.
Pets are a wonderful thing to welcome into your life, I couldn’t imagine my life without a wet nose waking me up each morning. I hope this guide helps you to protect your floor!
