Pet Owners Guide to Keeping the Home Office Clean
Which pet owner doesn’t like to hear the words “a pet friendly environment’’? Magic words for all pet owners. Naturally they would like their home office to be as welcoming as possible for their little friends too.
It can be quite challenging sometimes, trying to maintain a nice and tidy office space when you are loaded with work and your pet wants to take a walk, hang out or have a snack. Naturally you want to make them happy, but you want your home office clean and organized too. Well, you can have the best of both worlds if you continue reading this article.
Making your pet welcome into your home office is one of the best things that you can do for your productivity and stress relief. In this digital era that we live in, breaks from work that do not involve mobile phones or social media are very rare, but certainly much healthier. As long as you keep your breaks short (as much as you cannot resist your cute pet friend), you will be happier and more productive after spending some time with your pet. And can you imagine how much happier your pet is when you don’t disappear all day and are gone for 8 hours?
Without further ado, here are four things that every pet owner can do to make their home office clean and pet friendly.
CREATE A HOME CLEANING SCHEDULE
Cleaning routines change a bit when you get a pet so strive to clean more often than usual. You probably already have your own rhythm and that’s great. In case you need some advice or updates, this section is for you. If not, make a visual note, maybe you’ll need it in the future or perhaps your friend with a pet can benefit from this.
The best way to keep your entire home clean is to clean regularly. Your phone for sure has an app that can help you with this. Go ahead and set up weekly reminders so that they pop up on your screen on the exact day(s) you’ve chosen. Some people like to do this on Thursday, so that the house is all nice and clean before the weekend when they take the time to just rest. Others prefer Saturday or Sunday mornings to clean when they have all the time in the world. If you are not sure which schedule fits you best, try a few until you figure it out. The most productive way to keep all rooms clean is to go one by one, so you could set up a special day for your home office only, and other days for your living room, kitchen etc.
KEEP YOUR PET CLEAN TOO
Of course, while you take care of your home regularly, you should do the same with your pet and their area. If you are not sure how frequently you should wash them, it might be best to consult with a veterinarian so that you prevent any health issues. What you can do is keep their things and area clean which will at the same time keep them clean. If you have a dog, make sure to clean their paws after your daily walks. You can purchase special washing equipment or special dog wipes. It all depends on you and your dog’s needs. If you own a cat, aim to change their litter box frequently.
If your pet’s hair gets everywhere, you should definitely consider brushing them weekly so that they are nice and clean longer. In case you notice some hair around your home office area, you can use duct tape to get rid of it. There are other hair remover tools that you can use, like sticky rollers or vacuum cleaners. With furry pets, you should also take the time to clean your home office carpet and air the room frequently. This way you’ll prevent bad smells, benefit your health and improve your comfort level.
ORGANIZE AND ADAPT YOUR OFFICE SPACE
If you would like your pet to feel welcome in your home office, you should create a pet friendly and adapted space. You might be wondering what we mean by this. Well, if you choose a good and comfortable office desk, you’ll be able to establish a special place for your pet around you. This way there will be less accidents around your work station, as they’ll quickly adapt to their new favorite place in the house.
Similarly, it’s a good idea to organize your office supplies, cables and computer components. You can put all pens, paper clips and other small things in boxes with lids in order to prevent accidents such as choking or spills. The cables and wires should be hidden or wrapped, in case your pet gets tangled up which you definitely don’t want to risk for safety reasons as well. If you secure your home office well enough, your pet will be safe and the room will stay clean and tidy longer.
After you’re done with your work for the day, don’t forget to tidy up your desk and room and leave things the same way you found them. All small things should be returned to boxes, cables arranged, laptop off the floor and keyboard protected with a foil. Your pet might decide to wander around during the night too, so better safe than sorry.
REACT QUICKLY TO UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENTS
No matter how careful you are, accidents will happen and that’s okay. You can only try your best to react as quickly as possible when this happens so there is no damage, first of all to your pet, and then your things and furniture. A simple cleaning kit is highly recommended so that you can grab it in case of emergencies. If you clean up seconds after your little friend has an accident, the chance is higher there won’t be any bad stains left. Even if they are left, these days there are so many useful tips and tricks to get rid of them, so don’t worry too much about it. You will quickly get the hang of it.
Follow these steps and you will quickly benefit from the positive energy that your little pet can bring into your work. Together is better!
Guest post by Tess Cain:
Tess Cain is decor lover and cleaning enthusiast. When she’s not working at https://office.eco, her activities include fitness, walking her dogs and volunteering. She also likes to give all the time she can to writing, from articles on her own blog to guest posts to even some short stories here and there.