So, we took another unexpected hiatus as things became so hectic in our home that we couldn't even find our computers. One of the "projects" we've been working on is that we decided to try selling our home.
Which is so much easier in idea than in execution.
We are still staying in Chicago, and we hope to share more about our final plans soon, but right now our lives have been over consumed with decluttering and cleaning. And as I've been sitting among the piles, I thought I would share some of the cleaning supplies that have come in so helpful, specifically for our dog household:
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Even though we just painted last summer, and we were so excited
to pretend we were indefinitely living at a beach house, we've learned to make things sell you need to have standard paint colors. So ironically, we just had to have our entire place painted back to the original beige color. And after this big investment we are hyper alert to any scuff or scrape against the wall that may occur from Mr. B's sleepwalking in the night. While I don't know how they work, we learned awhile back that the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers really do get those random scuffs, scrapes, and discolorations off of the wall.
Tibet Almond Stick
Just to be clear,
this stick doesn't work on every type of scratch, but if you have the "white" scratches on wood you just rub this on and it really does disappear. So it's not something that we are able to use on wood floors, but just on our wooden doors here and there where the pups really did think they had use of opposable thumbs.
Twist and Shout Mop
We spent a long time searching for that perfect mop, and since we f
ound out about this one we just keep talking about it. I like that the microfiber picks up the hair, and it's so plush that it doesn't really require a lot of arm strength to use.
Dyson Vacuum
While it is quite an investment, awhile back we were able to buy a Dyson DC15 Animal which unbelievably made cleaning fun. My favorite part is the clear container where you can actually see the amount of dog hair being sucked up (though sometimes it's really embarrassing!) We wrote more about it,
here.
These are some of our favorites, though we would love to hear what everyone else used.
Plus, any advice on selling your home with big dogs?
Also:
Things we do in advance so we have less to clean later.
Keeping our dog home well-scented.
Upholstery!
9 comments:
Rubbing the meat of a walnut on scratched wood surfaces does the same thing as the almond stick and is much cheaper too!
RE: selling your home...
I suggest minimizing M&B's presence during sales visits. Some agents might worry about dog odors/stains/damage, and may not bring their clients to your place...some buyers might even have allergies.
Make sure that potential buyers don't smell "dog" in the air. In fact if you are having an open house it may be a good idea to take the puppies to daycare and hide their stuff for the day. If a buyer has dog allergy you could offer to do a professional deep-clean as part of the sales deal.
Your home ALWAYS looks spic-n-span to me, but some non-dog people are so unreasonable about stray hairs & drool spots :)
Oh wow, good luck with the move. We don't think you guys are helping out cleaning
Lily & Edward
Welcome back! I was in withdrawal all weekend waiting for my fix of updated Ms. M photos... lol One good thing is that you guys will be on summer break soon enough so that will help with your cleaning schedule.
I happen to be on staycation this week so I'll be doing a cleanfest of my own. As well as yard work and working on my blog.
Good luck with the selling of your home. Do you plan on moving into a house with a yard (doggy poop land) this time or another condo?
How exciting! I wish you luck with selling your place and look forward to reading about your next home!
Oh, dear. First, I wish you the best of luck on the sale!! Big changes... so exciting! When we had our house on the market, our Realtor was adamant: no signs of dog. At all. Like, no bowls, beds, toys, anything out during showings. He said that a lot of people see signs of dog and automatically assume the walls will be scratched, there will be an odor, the yard will be a mess, etc. So, every time we had a showing, I loaded all the dog stuff into various hidden closets/under beds, loaded the dogs in the car, and drove to a park down the street. It was a hassle. Here's hoping it goes smoothly - and quickly!! - for you guys!
Good luck with the move! We love Magic erasers as well and have recently learned that they are actually super fine grit sandpaper.
New location! http://peaceabullassembly.com
Finally, tips for dog people! Living with dogs has its own perks and challenges. Keeping things clean shouldn't be hard if you have the proper materials. In this case, some materials are more effective in a house with pets than a pet-free one. Knowing the difference saves us time, effort, and money on what to get on our trip to the store. Thanks for sharing!
Christian Pearson @ Penn Valley Chemical
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