People who keep their pets in the house understand that there are some risks that go along with that decision. Even well-trained animals sometimes cause damage to their owners’ property. An excited dog knocks over a lamp while running to greet her human when she gets home from work. A cat gets into something he shouldn’t have eaten and is sick on the carpet. A family’s evening plans go a little longer than expected and a puppy has an accident on the kitchen floor.
Cleaning up after your animals is a basic, understood responsibility for pet owners, but if you’re a homeowner with tile floors and a pet in the home, it’s worth your time to consider ways you could prevent damage before it happens.
Some homeowners never think about the potential damage pets can do when they install tile or move into a home with tile floors. This oversight can sometimes lead to unsightly stains and way more work than you anticipated. Grout and tile requires special protection from pets, but the good news is that it’s feasible.
You can effectively protect your tile flooring from your pets with just five steps.
Step 1: If you’ve already got damage to your grout from pets, you probably want to start fresh and re-grout your floor.
Hopefully, this isn’t a step you need to take, but it’s possible that your grout has become so stained, chipped, or etched that you need to start from scratch. This is especially common for homes that haven’t been re-grouted in several years, homes where there are a lot of animals present, or homes where animal messes have been left for long periods of time before being cleaned.
If your grout isn’t coming clean through your own efforts, consider contacting a grout and tile cleaning company (such the Groutsmith of Tulsa!) who can give it a try with professional cleaning materials and tools. A cleaning company can also let you know if the damage is irreversible; together, you can discuss options for re-grouting and repairing any damaged tiles.
Step 2: Once you’ve re-grouted, be sure to choose a good sealant to protect your beautiful new grout.
Sealing your grout effectively is going to make a huge difference in maintaining the clean, neat appearance of your newly grouted floors. The sealing process is especially important for pet owners, as animal waste can leave a stain pretty quickly. Sealed grout is protected from messes for longer, giving you a chance to discover the problem and clean it up before the damage isn’t fixable.
Of course, the benefit of a good sealant isn’t just an issue for pet owners! This preventative process will also protect your grout from people foot traffic, too, as well as residues, dirt, moisture, grease, and other elements that are unique to your home or the area where you have tile.
Step 3: Keep your grout looking beautiful by quickly cleaning up pet messes before they have a chance to stain your floor.
There are a lot of reasons to regularly clean your tile floors. We all track in debris, microbes, dirt, and other staining materials from outside when we come home for the day; being committed to a regular cleaning routine can keep your home more hygienic. Cleaning up pet messes before they have a chance to leave a stain keeps your floors cleaner while also ensuring that you and your family are not exposed to the environmental risks of exposure to animal waste.
If you’re uncertain about your ability to follow through on a regular cleaning routine, consider contracting with a cleaning company to take care of this task for you. Many companies provide cleaning schedules that work with a wide range of budgets and owner preferences.
Step 4: Consider placing area rugs in the areas of your home where animal traffic is the highest.
To give your floors an extra level of protection, you may want to add area rugs or runners to places of the house where your animals spend a lot of time. Entryways, main walkways, and any spots where the animals sleep are good candidates for this kind of protection.
Step 5: Make sure that your cleaning supplies are pet-safe and non-toxic!
As a pet owner, you have a responsibility that non-pet owners never have to consider: making sure the products you choose are safe for your animals. Accidental poisoning is a call you never want to have to make to your vet, and choosing high quality, safe cleaning products is one of the ways you can avoid making such a call. Corrosive cleaners and some common cleaning chemicals can cause problems for animals, who spend a lot more time in close contact with the floors than we typically do.
Animals may eat off the floor or drink spilled liquids and they lick themselves clean, which means what ends up on their fur will end up in their mouths. All of these reasons make it important to research what you’re using to clean your grout and tile before bringing it into your home.
What’s the best way to protect your grout and tile from your furry family members?
The Groutsmith of Tulsa is happy to evaluate your home’s needs, taking your pets into consideration every step of the way. Schedule a free in-home demonstration and services estimate, which can be easily adapted to meet your needs, your space, and your budget.
