1. Block Entry

You can restrict the access your pets have to certain areas in your house with closed doors and/or pet gates. This is only necessary when you are distracted or not present in your home. In every other case, you should be able to monitor whether or not your pets are interacting with your furniture.

This advice is a little more complicated when you are dealing with a carpet because just entering a space means a pet is interacting with the floor covering. This is why you might end up needing carpet cleaning more regularly. But a couch or chair requires more intentional interaction on the part of your pet.

2. Furniture Covers

In general, you can avoid a sudden need for upholstery cleaning by strategically covering your furniture. The major downside to furniture covers is that they do not allow you to enjoy the aesthetic and feel of your upholstery when they are on.

You also have to be realistic about the quality of the barrier you are using. Most liquids and grease will penetrate fabric furniture covers. It will likely limit the amount of material that ends up on the upholstery, but this is mainly to keep claws and hair from constantly interacting with the fabric.

3. Pet Training 

Not every animal is as domesticated as we would hope as pet owners. But for the most part, if you can get your pet to behave consistently, then you can protect your upholstery from them. What are you training them to do? Nothing. You are training them not to jump on your couch or lick cushions.

Teaching most pets boundaries is much simpler to do than teaching them tricks. And even if you cannot depend on them to stay off furniture when you are not watching them, you can still train them not to urinate or defecate indoors. That alone will limit how often you will need to use a steam cleaning service.

4. Kenneling

Some pet owners consider keeping their animals in cages to be inhumane. But how harmful it is to the mental state of your pet is debatable. It might not make us feel good, but some studies have shown that dogs with anxiety can be comforted by having control over a small confined space.

With a pet never having free reign over a space makes the house generally more safe from damage and dirt. You can even have them sleep in their kennel rather than with you on your bed. This can reduce your need for mattress cleaning.

5. Proper Vacuuming 

With some regular vacuuming, you will be able to pull out the hair and dry dirt that degrades upholstery over time. Make sure that when you are vacuuming your upholstery, you are using an upholstery cleaning attachment or taking care not to be unnecessarily rough.

Here at Angel Carpet Cleaning, we know vacuuming is not a replacement for professional cleaning, but it still helps to keep the fabric clean. You will not be able to avoid professional cleaning forever, but you can reduce daily pet-based wear and tear.

6. Professional Cleaning

No matter what you do to take care of your furniture while living with a pet, there is always going to be dirt that accumulates on your upholstery. You can reduce the risk of an accident, but they are called accidents for a reason.

Never hesitate to call for expert furniture cleaning. The sooner your furniture gets the care it needs, the less damage it will sustain. And the faster you can get your cleaning done, the less time there is for stains to set. So call today if you need upholstery cleaning.