If you’re a dog owner, then you already know how much our furry friends love to ride our cars. While taking them along for a ride to the park or road trip is a great way to spend time together, there tends to be a lot of mess afterward!
You may have seen your dog’s calming pet bed from PetSwag ridden with fur, or your couch filled with spills and scratches. If that’s the case, expect your car seats to have the same fate. Fortunately, there are ways to dog-proof your car seats.
- Keep Pets in One Area
It’s best to keep your dog in a crate or restraint in your vehicle. This will help you keep most fur they shed and the fur they bring in to stay in only one area. That way, you can clean everything up easily, since you just need to focus on one area as opposed to the entire car.
- Cover Up
Another way to make cleanup easier is through investing in dog car seat covers you can easily place and remove. Another option is to spread up old blankets or bedsheets over your car seats and floors.
When following either method, you can just remove the cover after the trip, toss it in the laundry machine, taking all fur and mess with you.
- Clean Up Immediately
When you head back home, you just want to put up your feet and rest from the trip. However, it’s much better to get right to work and clean up the mess your dog might have made.
Start by vacuuming the areas your pet was on. If you don’t have a vacuum, there are other ways to collect hair, such as a lint roller or using the rubber glove trick. The rubber glove trick involves you moistening a rubber glove (like the ones used for washing dishes), then rubbing the surface of your car to collect hair.
Remove stains with the right cleaning products, throw away any clutter, and you’re done! Postponing the cleanup can end up creating more mess in future car trips, leaving you with more work. Sometimes, keeping stains and messes can make it harder to remove and get rid of, so it’s best to clean up after your dog immediately.
- Is There Odor?
Besides dealing with dog hair, you may also need to battle pet odors. While certain odors can be removed through vacuuming and removing the pet hair from car seats and floor mats, the smell can still linger.
If that’s the case, wash your seat covers and blankets, and sprinkle baking soda on the car floor and seats. Allow the baking soda to settle overnight, then vacuum it up come morning time. You can also invest in pet-friendly carpet shampoos to use on the car floors.
Wrapping It Up
Cleaning your car after your dog has ridden in doesn’t need to be difficult. All it takes is the right cleaning tools and strategies, so keep these helpful tips in mind next time you need to bring your dog out!