Refresh your Bed, Bed Linen and Bedroom
This article is intended for pet lovers like me, who let their pets sleep in bed with them at night.
09/11/2019
There is a breed of pet lovers, and I admit to being one of those, who let their pets sleep in their bed, on the furniture, and treat their pets as part of the family. There's nothing wrong with that and I can honestly admit to snuggling up to my fur baby when I sleep and letting him sit next to me on the couch. The only problem with this is that you should pay extra attention to hygiene.
Pet hair, pup dew and general pet smells are something you won't notice, since you are so used to these smells they become non-existent. But when someone else enters your home, pet smells will assault them. That's why it is important to stay on top of making sure your furniture and furnishings are regularly cleaned, to keep pet odours at bay and ensure your home smells fresh.
The most important weapon in your arsenal against pet smells is Bicarbonate of Soda (Bicarb or Baking Soda). This common household product has amazing uses in and around the home and you should always have a tin or sachet on a shelf in your pantry.
Not only is Bicarb safe to use, but it's also eco-friendly when compared to some of those nasty, toxic alternative cleaning products. It doesn't smell, it doesn't stain, there are no VOC's, and yet it refreshes bad odours in a breeze. With all those in mind, why wouldn't you want to use Bicarb to pet-free your home?
Refresh Your Pillows or Cushions
While you can wash pillows and cushion inners, it isn't always a good idea, and especially if you have foam or fibre-filled pillows. Fibre-filled or foam pillows should never be washed, as the fibre tends to clump and become lumpy and washing will destroy foam inners.
If you have pets in the home, your pillows may become stained and smelly and you should make it a practice to refresh these at least once a month.
Cleaning pillows and cushion inners is the easiest way to keep your pillows fresh and clean without damaging the structure of the inner filling. Most pillows have instructions on what you can and cannot do, but this method is eco-friendly and won't damage the pillow in any way:
• Remove the pillowcase, protector or cushion cover.
• Check that there are no open seams - you don't want the filling to spill.
• Take the pillows outside to give them a good shaking.
• Place the pillows in a sunny spot and sprinkle with Bicarb. Leave them outdoors for a couple of hours.
GOOD TO KNOW: Sunlight will help disinfect the pillows while the bicarb removes any smell. Repeat with bicarb if your pillows are really smelly.
• Use your vacuum cleaner to remove the bicarb, fluff the pillows and put them back.
GOOD TO KNOW: If you have a tennis or squash racquet, these are ideal for whacking the pillows.
The UV rays from the sunlight do actually disinfect and freshen pillows, bedding and your mattress, so leaving these out in the sun for a few hours is a great way to naturally clean and freshen them.