Katrina Warren's Top Tips for a Pet-Friendly Home

Katrina Warren's Top Tips for a Pet-Friendly Home

Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world at 63%, according to the Australian Veterinary Association, so there's definitely a need to create a pet-friendly home and one which remains stylish and clean too.

One of the greatest challenges for pet owners is fighting the flood of pet hair around the house. While we can't stop pets from shedding, pet expert, Katrina Warren shares some simple steps for a pet-friendly home:  

Choose the right pet. Before buying a pet, do your research! While all pets shed some hair, choose a breed that's right for you and your lifestyle. Breeds with thick double coats will regularly shed hair, whereas breeds such as the Poodle, Maltese, Schnauzer and Bichon are low shedding. While these breeds leave little hair around the house, they still require regular grooming and trimming to keep their coat clean and healthy. With felines, low shedding cat breeds include the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex.

Groom regularly. The more hair in the brush, the less in your house! Regular brushing and bathing will remove loose hair before it ends up all over your furniture and other fabric surfaces. Make sure you choose the right brush for your breed – use a rubber brush for short coats and a slicker brush for removing undercoat and loose hair in long-haired dogs. An undercoat rake is also useful for breeds such as the Husky or Samoyed.

Choose the right fabrics. Certain fabrics such as wool, velvet and tweed are a nightmare for collecting pet hair. Consider fabrics such as Ultrasuede, Microfiber or Crypton and make sure you're equipped with the right tools to care for your fabric surfaces. Often overlooked, fabric care makes a huge difference in keeping your home feeling fresh, stylish and clean.

Choose floors wisely. Avoid wall to wall carpet which will quickly entrap pet hair. Tiles and floorboards are more manageable but choose the right colour flooring – dark floorboards will show up light pet hair more than light floorboards.  

Buy the right vacuum. Nobody wants to spend hours untangling hair from the vacuum, so choose one designed specifically for pet hair removal. A vacuum with high suction power and that allows you to maintain both floor and fabric surfaces is essential. The Electrolux Ergorapido Series 5 Pet Power vacuum allows you to easily remove hair and dirt on upholstered surfaces with the motorized Fabric Pro Power brush nozzle, keeping your home spotless from top to bottom. Whilst innovative BrushRollClean technology effortlessly cuts the build-up of hair, so you will never have to reach for the scissors again to untangle it!