Hardwood Floors & Pets: How To Enjoy Both
According to The American Pet Products Association’s (APPA) latest market research, 66 percent of US households include at least one pet. The APPA states that US pets include 90 million dogs and 94 million cats. It’s safe to say that most people enjoy the company of pets. However, pets can also make it harder to maintain the beauty of hardwood floors. Over time floors can become scratched or dull from an everyday foot or pet traffic or pet accidents. Here are 3 simple tips for enjoying your hardwood floors and your pets:
1. Prevent Pet Scratches
One of the common concerns about owning hardwood floors is that they will be scratched up by your pets. However, there are several things that you can do to minimize the scratches on the surface of your floors. The most effective defense is to clip and trim your pet’s nails on a regular basis. This is especially important with larger breeds of dogs as they exert more pressure on hardwood floors when they are running around or playing. You can also try to reduce scratching by placing area rugs at entrances to minimize the amount of dirt that is tracked into your home. Dry dusting frequently will also keep dirt/debris to a minimum.
2. Avoid Pet Accidents
Another concern about hardwood flooring with pets is when your pet may have an accident on the floor. While the acid in animal urine and vomit can damage the finish and the wood floorboards, the good news is that there are easy solutions to address this problem. Accidents can be prevented with proper training of your dog. In the meantime, you can place training pads on those areas where your dog often has an accident. Make sure that the training pads you use have an absorbent surface and plastic backing, which prevents any liquids from going through the pad to the hardwood floor. Our Quick Shine Daily Care Cleaner makes cleanup quick and easy. Simply spray, wipe and walk away!
3. Use Stable Bowls for Water and Food
While some pets certainly make more of a mess than others when it comes to chow time, most have a tendency to leave at least some food around their bowl. If you are worried about pet food or water on your hardwood floor, try to use a heavy bowl that is stable to prevent spills. You can also use a waterproof mat under the food and water bowls to help protect your floor. If you use mats constructed of rubber or similar materials, they will also help to keep the bowls from moving around and scratching the hardwood floors.
Now that you are familiar with how to take care of your hardwood flooring with pets, check out all of our hardwood floor care products to find the perfect dull floor defense for your home!
Does this product make your pet sick
Hi Darlene,
No, Quick Shine is free of any harsh chemicals and is proudly backed by EPA/Safer Choice which has deemed us safer for kids, pets and our environment. You can read more about Safer Choice here: https://quickshinefloors.com/environmental-stewardship
Does it build up on the floors?
Hi Judy,
We recommend applying Quick Shine every 2-6 months when needed to your floors. Simply maintain the shine in between applications with our Quick Shine Cleaners. As long as you are not applying the finish too frequently, you should never develop a buildup on your floors.
I love the quick shine but yes too often will buildup, which cleaner do you recommend for old house wood floors after application? the multi surface or the wood – high traffic?
Hi Davida,
We recommend Quick Shine Hardwood Floor Cleaner to clean the floor surface and maintain the shine. Our general rule of thumb is to only apply our Finishes every 2-6 months when needed and only use our cleaner in between.