Our pets are our family. Which is to say, we love them but they can make a mess of our house (bless their hearts).
In fact, there are about 209 billion articles on the Web for the search, "How to keep your house clean when you have pets."
Number One rule: keep on top of it. A little daily effort works wonders versus attempts to wrangle the dust bunnies and fur bunnies after an extended period of blissful neglect. That effort includes your floors and furniture as well as your pets.
Use a deshedding tool regularly and vacuum often, followed by a rubber rake or squeegee to get up all the fur.
Store lint rollers in multiple rooms so one is always in easy reach for a quick-fix for your clothing. They also come in handy for the inevitable fur-on-the-lampshade problem.
Buy furniture that's a similar color to your dog's fur. No, really — Martha Stewart says so. You can also consider top-grain, semi-aniline leathers, which disguise scratches because the hide is dyed through and then treated for additional protection and color consistency.
For fabrics, Stewart says to look for microfiber or microsuede and to avoid materials that feel loosely woven. Look for terms like high grade and tightly woven.
Regular grooming also helps keep fur and dander to a minimum, and keeping your pet's nails trimmed will prevent punctures on your furniture and scratches on your floor. Even better: it keeps odors down. We love our pets, but we don't want our house to smell like them.
