Natural Ways To Clean My Dog House

If you have a dog that loves to live outdoors, then you are supposed to have a well-designed Dog house. If you are a responsible pet owner, then you know the importance of cleaning a dog house. Also, you must pay attention to your dog’s health and, and well-maintained neat home is the key to keep your pet happy and healthy. Provide a better environment with adequate living space to your pet makes you a good pet owner as well.

Before you start cleaning the house, it is better to get your dog in an empty and clean space or a separate holding area. Don’t let your dog in the house roaming while doing the cleaning job. It is recommended to have someone bathing the dog while you clean your dog house. 

For hassle-free cleaning job, make your dog’s house roof removable. This will make the work easier and quicker. It is also recommended to clean your dog house at least once every month. Especially during humid weather, and wet seasons, try to clean the house for two weeks. Also, always wear rubber gloves while cleaning, especially when you are likely to be in contact with excretory material of dogs. 

Below are some guidelines that you may like to follow while properly cleaning the dog’s house.

Start with Accessories

Before start cleaning, remove all toys, food containers, water bowls, and bedding from the house. Use a mixture of baking soda and non-toxic detergent to soak the bowls with hot water for At least 20-30 minutes. Comforters and toys can be washed and dried in your washing machine. Clean up the floor and walls by removing hairs and rinse them with a disinfectant solution. Your regular vacuum cleaner will be helpful.

Disinfect

Carefully read the instructions, directions for use, and cautions on the label before using any household chemical or disinfectants. Then apply disinfectants to every surface of the house. If you are using bleach, then make sure to dilute it prior to use. After bleaching wash the surface thoroughly as it may ruin the bedding, irritate pets and leads to corrosion if the house has metal leads.

Brush Away the Dirt

A stiff-bristled brush is beneficial to scrub walls, floor, and roof of the house. Clean every corner of the house and sanitized it. If the house is not adequately sanitized then there may be diseases that may transmit to your pet as well as family members. Also clean the latches, hinges doors, windows, and every shelf surface in the dog house. Let the cleaning solution stay on surfaces for a required time to work as specified on the label then swipe them off.

Rinse and Dry

After doing the clean job, rinse all the surfaces thoroughly using hot water. Then dry it completely using a hand dryer, squeegee or sunbath. Drying is essential as humidity will let the house to bad odors and prone to fungal and bacterial growth.

Regular Maintenance

Being a responsible pet owner, it is your social and moral duty to clean and maintain a healthy environment for your dogs. To keep a clean dog house, it is recommended to follow the standard guidelines regarding materials and food safety of specific dog breeds. It is important to have weekly cleanings and clean your dog bed as well.

Bedding

Beddings of a dog house need to be changed very frequently. Especially in colder regions, frequent and, long term use of beddings leads them to lose insulations as they absorb moisture from the air. The bedding should ideally be replaced every two weeks. There are multiple good bedding options, including grass hay, while wood shavings and straws are not many suitable options. Straw quickly breaks down while wood shavings may spread around the pet. Hence, choose your dog’s bedding cautiously, especially when he/she has dense hairs. 

Alternatively, try to avoid hard and flat smooth surfaces like wood, metal, and plastic because they may not feel comfortable with dogs for an extended period of time. Pillows can be used optionally if the dog likes them. 

Doors and Windows

Use silicone lubricants to increase the lifespan of doors and windows. This will help them to operate smoothly. Apply the silicone lubricant weekly or set the frequency depending upon the usage with canned spray or greased sponge. 

Rust Protection

When the house is exposed to open air which is humid or is in direct contact with any kind of water, it is supposed to get rusted. To prevent the house components from rusting, oil the surfaces frequently to prevent oxidation. Also, apply a roll-on bed liner to rusted areas to repair the damage.

Repairs 

Inspect the house whenever you clean it to check for any repair needs. Make sure that nails don’t protrude because they can hurt the dog badly. Replace bedding with a fresh one after drying the house. Place the accessories back and make sure there is no smell or fragrances in the house. Also, never place food inside the house. Always feed them fresh and then take the containers off as they will draw pests and rodents.

Take-Home Message

 

Taking care of a pet is never easy and cleaning and maintaining a pet’s space needs a lot of effort, time, and money as well. We recommend you to clean our dig house regularly as instructed above to keep it healthy and hygienic for your pet as well as for your family members. Choose a house that is easy to clean and maintain it from the very first day to keep it comfortable for you as well.