WOMANSDAY.COM / APRIL 2020 23

PETS / Good Day

Pet Keeping

101

Owning a dog, a cat, or another

furry friend can challenge even the

cleanest person. Here’s how to

keep your home tidy and organized.

BY LIZZ SCHUMER

A Clean Routine

PET BOWLS

Wash your pet’s dishes

daily with hot, soapy

water. If the inside of the

bowl feels slimy, that’s a

colonization of bacteria

called biofilm—a good

scrubbing by hand with

hot and soapy water

will get rid of it. If you

have a dishwasher, toss

in your pet’s bowls

whenever you run a

load or at least a few

times a week.

TOYS

Scour off visible soiling

on hard toys with a

brush and dishwashing

soap, then soak

weekly for 10 minutes

in a solution of one

ounce of bleach in one

gallon of water. Wash

plush toys according

to manufacturer’s

instructions, and discard

visibly dirty ones. Just

know the squeakers may

not survive the machine.

BEDDING

Beds with removable

covers should go

through your washing

machine at the hottest

setting at least once

a week. Add ½ cup of

white or apple cider

vinegar to help get rid of

stubborn odors. If your

pet bed doesn’t have a

removable cover, soak it

in the bathtub with mild

detergent and ½ cup

of vinegar each week.

SOURCES: Virginia Sinnott-Stutzman, D.V.M., Angell Animal Medical Center; Lisa Yakas, NSF International

consumer product safety expert; Jennifer Coates, D.V.M., Chewy vet expert

Follow these tips to rid

common pet gear of germs.

According to a public

health and safety study,

pet bowls and toys ranked

among the five germiest

items in the home—they

provide a breeding

ground for yeast, mold,

and a variety of bacteria,

including salmonella

and E. coli. The study

didn’t include bedding,

collars, or crates, but

experts say they likely

harbor microbes too.

GE

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