Clean up on Aisle 4

Puppies are fun, but let's face it, they are also messy. Here's some of the cleaning tips I have gathered over the last 14 years.

I have dealt with most things that you can get between dogs and housekeeping. My first dog, Dozer, was a Lab-Weimaraner mix who would shed more than I thought was physically possible. This sweet boy also introduced me to the joys of having a dog with severe intestinal issues and, in his later years, urinary and bowel incontinence.

Since those first days living with Dozer, I have had the joy of raising four more puppies, and watching many other dogs in my home. There is literally no bodily fluid from a dog I have not cleaned up at this point. Here are some of my favorite cleaning products and tips.

Invest in a really good broom.

I know, I know. A broom? But trust me, that broom will become one of your most valuable floor cleaning tools. Hardwood floors, linoleum, tile, vinyl, whatever your flooring, except for carpeting, you can use a broom to sweep up dog hair, dust, dirt from the plant they knocked over in your entryway, dirt they tracked inside after digging holes in your yard, fluff from the stuffy toys they just had to destroy, kibble that fell from their smacking lips as they chomped down on breakfast, kibble from the bucket of food they knocked over when you forgot to close the cabinet door, torn up socks that your pup found when "helping" you sort or fold the laundry, pine cone crumbs from their "special prize" or bark piles from the stick the pups brought into the house when you opened the door to call them for dinner. Trust me, you want a broom that you can use often and comfortably.

And to go along with that broom, a designated dog dustpan.

Buy a good carpet cleaning spray

My favorite is Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover. It's inexpensive, it works well, and there is no offensive air freshener odor after it dries. I recommend finding a carpet cleaning spray that works for you, and that you feel good using.

When you are faced with a carpet related accident - and yes it will happen someday - remain calm. You can do this! With urine accidents blot up as much of the liquid as you can. Once you have blotted the area well, spray the area down with your carpet spray. Let this sit for the length of time the bottle says and then use a clean towel or rag to wash the area with clean water. I will occasionally respray the area with the carpet spray if I am concerned about a repeat accident happening in that spot. If the accident is not urine - let's be grown ups and talk about vomit and bowel movements - try to scrape up as much solid material as you can. Yes, I know, I'm dry heaving with you. Once the solid material is removed, assess how wet the area is. If needed, blot the same way you did for the urine accident, and then scrub the area with clean water before applying your carpet cleaner. Let the cleaner sit for the allotted amount of time and then wash the area with clean water. Let it dry and if necessary, respray with carpet cleaner to remove any scents that would possibly lead to another accident in the area.

Buy a mid-level laundry soap.

Yes, I'm serious. My dogs do not need to have a fancy laundry soap, but I also want their bedding to be clean and fresh. It helps keep them more comfortable, it keeps my house smelling clean and not like dogs, and I don't waste money dumping in more detergent than necessary. I actually really like the strips of laundry soap. They take up less space in my laundry room, and they are a very good value. And they do a very decent job of cleaning my dog bedding.

Find a veterinary grade cleaner you like

I struggled for the first few years having a dog. I never felt like I was getting things clean enough. I'm not a germaphobe, but I do like my home to be clean and tidy. Having dogs in the house automatically increased the amount of dirt and germs coming into my home. I would use the antibacterial wipes from the grocery store, or other cleaning hacks I found online - you would not believe all the ways you can clean your house with vinegar - and then I discovered RESCUE. I fell in love with this stuff! I could use it on everything, it was safe for my pets, and effective at killing pretty much any germs my pups could throw at it. I now buy it in bulk from Amazon, and it is everywhere in my dog areas. There is a bottle above the crates, it is in the grooming area, it is in the training den, it is beside the dog yard door. I even use it to clean my showers. We keep it in my trailer, because the dogs travel with us when we are camping. I will never be without this stuff again.

Coconut oil

We have pine trees on our property. And we like to go camping with our dogs. My dogs love to find the stickiest sap in the world and roll in it. They want this all over their coats. Then they come running up to me to show off their lucky find. And I roll my eyes and pull out the massive jar of coconut oil I bought three years ago. Seriously, I bought this thing from Costco. We will never use it all up, and I use it all the time. When I brush my dogs at night, if anyone has a sticky spot, I rub coconut oil into the spot, brush the spot carefully, and whatever the substance is, it comes right out. I have used coconut oil on sap in my carpet, but be careful with this it can cause oil stains if you are not careful.

If you have the opportunity, invest in a carpet cleaning machine.

I mentioned that my dog Dozer taught me about incontinence, right? Oh boy did he! That sweet old boy had many an accident in his final days with us. And I never wanted him to feel like I was mad or upset with him. He simply could not help it. I realized as he started having more trouble with getting outside in time, that my floors were going to become one of my worst nightmares. I found a deal on Black Friday for a pet style carpet cleaner and I braved the crowds. This is my only Black Friday story, and it isn't even that exciting because no one else really wanted this particular deal. I was in and out with my new carpet cleaner in no time. That machine saved my sanity as we cared for Dozer, and it has saved me many times over as we have had our share of the usual upset travel tummies or the after dog show diarrhea at our house to last a lifetime. My trusty carpet cleaner never lets me down. After three years it is still going strong, and it is used regularly. I don't just clean up after having sick dogs, I use it whenever we have a dog coming for a babysitting stay, and then again when they go home. I use it to maintain my carpets in the people areas of my house. I use it in my camp trailer. I have loaned it to family members. It is a piece of cleaning equipment that has truly paid for itself many times over.

Obviously, having a dog is messy business, but once you find the right tools and how to use them, I promise you your life will be much simpler.