How to clean a flat after pets
11.09.2026
Quick facts
| Time | 60 minutes |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | medium |
| You need | a rubber glove, vacuum, enzyme cleaner |
| Our price | from 46 € for a full flat clean |
Hair, smell and allergens are three separate problems with three separate solutions, and what works on one does nothing for the other two. That is why "I vacuumed and it is still there" is the normal experience.
What you'll need
- an enzyme cleaner for accidents
- baking soda for smell in textiles
- a rubber glove or a squeegee
- a vacuum with a turbo brush
- a lint roller for clothes
Step by step
- Pull the hair out before you vacuum. A damp rubber glove or a squeegee drags hair out of carpet pile and upholstery where suction cannot reach it. Do this first — the reverse order gives the same result as doing nothing.
- Then vacuum with a turbo brush. Slowly, in two directions, and empty the container afterwards rather than before the next room.
- Wash the bedding and the pet's bed. That is where most of the allergen sits, not on the floor. At 60 °C if the label allows.
- Treat any accident with an enzyme cleaner. It breaks the protein down. Detergent only dilutes it, and the smell comes back as it dries.
- Never use anything with ammonia. It smells like urine to the animal, which will mark the same spot again.
- Deal with the litter tray and the feeding area last. They are the main source of smell in a flat and the part most often left for "later".
- Ventilate properly. Five to ten minutes of cross-draught does more than any spray.
What to use — and what not to
| Product | Good for | Do not use on |
|---|---|---|
| Damp rubber glove or squeegee | hair out of upholstery and carpet — better than a vacuum | — |
| Vacuum with turbo brush | carpets and pet beds | — |
| Enzyme cleaner | urine and protein stains — removes the source of the smell | — |
| Ammonia-based products | — | the smell resembles urine and the animal re-marks the spot |
How often to clean with a pet in the flat
Vacuum daily in the rooms where the animal sleeps, wash its bed weekly, extraction-clean carpets and the sofa once a year. Clean the litter tray daily — in a flat it is the single biggest source of smell.
What to watch out for
- The allergen is a protein from saliva and skin that sticks to the hair, not the hair itself. Sweeping moves it around; washing removes it.
- Scented sprays do not solve a smell with a source. Two days later you have both.
- Dried urine on a light carpet often cannot be fully removed. Better to hear that before paying for an attempt.
- During cleaning, keep the animal in another room — a vacuum and a stranger are stressful for most dogs.
When to leave it to a professional
Hair in a carpet and allergens in a sofa need extraction rather than suction, and old protein stains need enzymes and time. We handle it as a full clean with the relevant add-ons — see carpet and upholstery cleaning. If the smell has soaked into walls and ceiling, ozone treatment is what actually resolves it.
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