Cathy M. Rosenthal
Choosing the right paints and flooring for your home can make stain removal easier. For example, if your dog drools, coat your walls with a washable or semi-gloss paint or wallpaper. Flat paint, which remains the standard in most homes, won't wipe clean. To remove excessive drool, keep a color-coded towel (so no one accidentally uses it) or a hand-held wet-dry vacuum handy.
April showers usually mean muddy floors. In the springtime, Ina Bushon of San Antonio, owner of five Shiloh Shepherds, throws hay over the muddy spots in the yard to keep her dogs from tracking mud onto her tile floors. She also keeps a bucket of towels, washcloths, pet wipes, and a dog brush near the back door to wipe their paws and brush the grass and hay from their coats.
While its easier to clean messes from tile, wood, and vinyl flooring, most people have carpet somewhere in their house. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends pet owners select carpets with solution-dyed yarns, as they are the most stain-resistant and are less likely to leave a shadow on the carpet from spot cleaning.
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