How to Make Your Home More Pet-Friendly

If you have owned a dog or cat for a while, chances are your home is already at least somewhat organized around their safety and needs. But if you’ve just got a new furry roommate, you might be wondering how to make your home more pet-friendly. Luckily, Kari Whitman, interior designer and owner of Ace of Hearts, provided some tips on how to do this in a recent interview with Architectural Digest . Here’s what you need to know.

Choose suitable fabrics

You may love velvet, but it may not be the best choice for a sofa in a home where fluffy shedding animals also live. Instead, Whitman suggests using faux leather or ultra-suede upholstery. “Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint by using vegan products, but also materials that are easy to clean and scratch resistant,” she says to AD.

Be careful with cleaning products

Dogs and cats have a tendency to lick things (including when grooming), which is why Whitman says it’s important to avoid using cleaning products that can be harmful if swallowed. “No Pine-Sol, no Swiffers, please,” she tells AD, recommending Mrs. Meyers and Indigo Wild cleaners instead.

Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting

Even the most well-trained pets can experience accidents from time to time, which is why Whitman recommends having floors that are easy to clean and that are durable, such as wood or tiles. She says porcelain or stoneware tiles are the most pet-friendly, along with beech, bamboo and recycled teak, because they tend to be more scratch resistant.

“If you have a large dog and are worried about scratching your wood floor, I highly recommend a wood finish called Glitsa,” says AD Whitman. “I have a 200 pound dog. I painted my wood floors black and in five years I haven’t had a single scratch. “

But that doesn’t mean you have to ditch the carpet entirely. Whitman says machine washable rugs or indoor and outdoor rugs are great options for homes with pets.

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