The Down & Dirty Guide To Doing Your Cat’s Laundry
Your cat’s laundry is the key to avoiding pet allergies, so why do cat owners so often neglect it?
Think about it. What else does kitty do besides playing, napping and shedding all over everything? Cat fur is everywhere, so it’s important to keep it from piling up too much by keeping your pet’s possessions and favorite areas clean.
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Do Cats Even Have Laundry?
Yes!
That blanket they’re always laying on? Laundry. The litter mat they use every day? Laundry. Their favorite stuffed toy or cat bed? Laundry.
Just as humans need to keep their clothes, blankets and beds clean and tidy, cats require the same level of care. The only problem is that they don’t have opposable thumbs to do the laundry themselves (not that they would… come on).
Doing your cat’s laundry also helps keep pet allergies at bay, both for you and your cat. The numbers are still a bit fuzzy on just how many cats have allergies, but the one thing we know for sure is that treatment can get expensive. If you want to avoid more trips to the vet due to environmental pet allergies, listen up. This next section is a doozy.
What Qualifies As Cat Laundry?
Just about everything they touch. Anything from cloth toys to their carrier counts as cat laundry, but there’s much more to it than just throwing everything in the wash.
Every nook and cranny of your home starts to accumulate dust (mostly made up of dead skin cells) and cat hair. Now, you may think it takes forever to clean your entire home, but it doesn’t have to. There are little things you can do every day in 30 minutes or less to keep your home squeaky clean and mess-free.
Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!
Short of getting rid of your carpet, you’ll need to vacuum and dust one room a day. Stop groaning! This doesn’t take long, especially if you use something like a Shark cordless vacuum to do spot cleaning (or if you have hardwood floors!). There are also vacuums that are made specifically for pets.
For hard to reach spaces and edges, you can use a vacuum hose with an attachment or, if you want to do it the hard way, you can put on a non-latex glove and wipe with your finger to pull the hair up.
Air-Fluff Blankets & Furniture Covers
Although you should completely wash and dry your cat’s laundry, a quick air-fluff treatment works well to get loose hairs off.
Simply toss blankets, furniture covers and washable litter mats in the dryer on air-fluff or low heat for ten minutes. To get even more hair off, shake the items before and after fluffing them. Use a broom or cordless vacuum to clean any cat hair off the floor afterwards. Don’t forget to clean the lint trap!
Sweep Hardwood & Laminate Floors
Swiffer is a godsend for cat owners. Good old-fashioned brooms work too! Sweeping hardwood or laminate floors doesn’t take much time, and it helps to keep cat fur from attaching itself to your socks when you pass by.
The one downside to having hardwood or laminate floors is that it’s easy to transfer fur to carpets and rugs. If I had to pick either a Swiffer or a broom, I’d go with the Swiffer. The fur will stick to it without getting swept into nearby corners.
Spot Clean With Enzymatic Odor Reducers
Don’t just settle for Febreeze – buy yourself an enzymatic stain remover and/or odor reducer. You’re going to need one for messes and cleanable items that don’t fit in the washer like sofas and armchairs. If you can, get one that’s pet-safe like Nature’s Miracle Cat Stain & Odor Remover cleaner.
Before spraying the whole bottle on furniture or carpeting, test a small spot of the material by lightly spraying it. If it doesn’t change color after using the spray, you’re good to go. Follow the instructions and freshen stationary cat perches.
Wash Your Own Laundry!
Remember that favorite sweatshirt you wear every time want to go out for a stroll? Perhaps its a cozy bathrobe that you like to snuggle in after your bath while you and kitty watch Netflix. Those clothing items rarely get washed; you justify this by saying “I only wear it a little at a time, so I don’t have to wash it as much because it doesn’t get that dirty.”
Oh, it gets dirty. All the cat hair and other junk that attaches itself to your favorite clothing item ends up staying there for weeks. Every time you snuggle Mittens, you’re spreading dirt and dust all over him, which he will in turn spread all over the house.
Don’t have a “it’s not that dirty” attitude. You and your cat deserve better, so throw that robe and sweatshirt in the wash after a few uses.
Cat Laundry Items You May Not Have Thought About
You’ve washed their blankets, you’ve cleaned out their cat bed, and you’ve thrown your weeks old laundry in for a spin. What’s next on your cat’s laundry list?
There are a couple of items you may not have thought about washing:
- Your cat’s toys – We’ve all heard the saying that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans. Cats, on the other hand, do not. Your cat has carried, chewed on, and generally beat up their collection of toys, so put them in a delicates bag and run them through the handwash cycle.
- Collars – Take the collar off once in awhile and wash it! Not only will it freshen up the material, but your cat will finally get the chance to wash the band around their neck that’s been covered for goodness knows how long.
- Litter mats – Guess what’s clinging to all the litter that your cats drag across the litter mat? I don’t think you need me to spell it out for you. Spot clean the litter mat or, if it’s washable, toss it in on the gentle cycle.
- Cloth Carriers – These should be cleaned after every use, especially if you’ve just made a trip to the vet. Most cats don’t have fond memories of checkups and other visit types, and the smell left in their carrier is just a reminder of that.
Any time you hit the laundromat, just remember – you’re doing laundry for two (or three… or four…). You get the idea. A clean cat is a happy cat.
What other cat laundry items can you think of? If you think we’ve missed any, give us a holler in the comments section!
As someone with a cat and allergies, I know how important these things are — I find that vacuuming once a week and doing the whole house at once is less overwhelming than trying to do one room a day. You’re right, though — it makes a big difference!
Either way works, yes! The once a day thing is definitely more for people who have busier schedules or only small chunks of time to dedicate to it. Do you use an air purifier at all to help with allergies? I love the one we’ve got!