Tips For Maintaining Beautiful Upholstery And Keeping Your Pet, At The Same Time

Posted on: 23 June 2015

Pets and upholstery just don't go together that well. You could say that owning pets runs counter to the mission of keeping nice upholstery. Your cat or dog wants to lounge and shed, chew and claw. Your upholstery just wants to sit there and look good, and your pet can prevent that from happening. Working carefully with your pet and your upholstery can help you resolve these differences once and for all.  

Keep Your Pet Clean and Well-Groomed

Prevent stains on your upholstery by cleaning and grooming your pet on a regular basis. Brush out your pet's fur with a de-shedder comb to catch hair before it ends up on your couch and other furniture. Bathe your pet as often as possible--but ask your pet's veterinarian how often that is. Your pet's skin has protective oils that can be washed away if your pet is bathed too much. 

Trim your pet's claws on a weekly basis to prevent scratches and wear and tear on your upholstery. If your pet won't let you trim his or her claws personally, bring your pet to a professional groomer for this purpose. 

Pick Pet-Friendly Upholstery

Fragile upholstery types like silk just won't stand up to regular pet use. Avoid using fabrics like tweed, because it can easily snag on pet claws. In addition, pet hair clings to fabrics like velvet with maddening intensity, so you'll spend all your time trying to clean and vacuum your furniture. 

For natural pet-friendly fabric options, consider denim or canvas. Both fabrics are easy to clean, don't show stains especially easily and are tightly woven so they won't snag on pet claws. Synthetic fabrics like microfiber are durable, color-fast and can take a lot of abuse but show only a little bit of wear. 

Vacuum Your Upholstery Regularly

Make vacuuming your upholstery a part of your regular routine. Buy an HEPA vacuum to get even those little pieces of pet dander and pet fur. Vacuuming regularly will prevent the dirt and oils from your pet's fur from becoming embedded in the fabric.

Have a Disaster Plan in Place

Pets have accidents. Even mature, reliable pets can experience problems with bowel control later in life. Buy an enzymatic cleaner from a pet store and keep one on hand, even if you anticipate no problems with your pet. If your pet should have an accident on your upholstery, use the enzymatic cleaner for your upholstery, then contact upholstery cleaning services immediately. A good upholstery cleaning service will be able to remove any stains and neutralize the odors. 

For more information about how to clean and maintain your upholstery, contact your upholstery cleaning business to ask for questions about best upholstery maintenance tips for pet owners. 

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