General Cleanliness to Keep Your House Clean With Pets

Some pets—cats in particular—tend to walk on surfaces that also sometimes have food on them. (What cat owner hasn't caught Fluffy on the kitchen counter?) Whether you permit the cat on the counter or constantly battle him to stay off, it's a good bet that paws that have touched litter will also periodically touch your food preparation surfaces. Even if you don't see little sand tracks, your cat could be spreading organisms like toxoplasmosis right in the path of tonight's dinner.

"Always wipe your counters down with a cleansing wipe, or paper towel and cleaning solution, before and after you put food on the counter," advises Donna Duberg, MS, an assistant professor of clinical laboratory science at St. Louis University in Missouri. "Keep things like cutting boards and cutting knives, and other food preparation tools, inside cupboards or drawers."

Cats and dogs can also develop intestinal parasites that can spread to people—especially children, with more vulnerable immune systems—so keeping your house clean with pets also means keeping them free of these critters. Regular use of medications like Interceptor, which prevents parasites like heartworm, hookworm and roundworm, and Frontline, which combats fleas, protects not only your pets but your human family as well.

Of course, cats and dogs aren't the only pets people keep. Reptiles and amphibians are also popular pets. While they don't expel fur or climb on the counter unless you put them there, these animals can be carriers of viruses like salmonella and shigella. To avoid spreading them, wipe down cages and habitats daily and clean once a week, wearing gloves. Don't wash habitats in the kitchen sink, Duberg says. If you have a laundry sink, use that; if not, try the bathtub.

Finally, keep pet food supplies in covered containers—left open, they can attract rodents and other pests.

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