Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
Moving in New Jersey, with its bustling cities and tight-knit communities, presents unique challenges and opportunities. The process of packing up a life and transitioning to a new home can be overwhelming. Yet, downsizing and decluttering before the move can transform this daunting task into …
Cleaning the kitchen isn’t one of my favorite things to do. Matter of fact, I’ve never met a person who will admit that they enjoy spending hours cleaning doing it. With that said, I do enjoy cooking, baking and canning, so a dirty kitchen is …
Two years ago I built a custom Catio outdoor cat enclosure for Romeo. I ordered a Catio kit online and then made custom changes to it as I built it. It’s a large cat enclosure that he loves to spend time in. I made a bridge leading out to the Catio from a small window in our Florida Sunroom. It’s easy for him to access throughout the day. I purchased a Catio Kit from Amazon.
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To keep them looking nice and safe for your furry friend you need to keep them cleaned and provide maintenance on them often. You just don’t build one and not think about it again. You want to keep the germs down and injuries at a minimum.
Bottom flooring in Romeo’s Catio is made out of “treated wood” that is meant for outdoor use. I then covered that wood floor with a green indoor and outdoor green patio fake grass carpeting. It will hold up well to the outdoor elements we get in the northeast United States. That includes rain, snow, ice, etc.
Every 2-3 weeks you should inspect the cat enclosure. Look for lose boards, screws that are working lose, mesh or metal fencing that is starting to gape, make sure the door latch and hinges are tight, etc. You want to make repairs immediately…don’t put them off. You don’t want your furry friend escaping or getting hurt.
It’s also a good time to haul out my indoor/outdoor wet/dry vac and give it a good cleaning. Vac or sweep out any debris (sticks, twigs, leaves, grass clippings, etc.) that may have gotten into it. It’s also better for your kitty to keep the shedded hair down to a minimum, so vac that out too!
We follow-up with a good disinfectant spray like Lysol. We spray everything down with it! If you have disinfectant wipes…wipe down the door latches, hinges, perches, play toys, etc. After disinfecting the Catio we don’t let Romeo back out into it for at least 8 hours. We don’t want him in there with wet disinfectant and fumes. Let it air out for several hours. If you keep food and water dishes in there (You should) it’s a good time to give those a washing too!
You need to “treat” the wood panels and boards 2-3 times a year with a clear sealant to protect them from the weather and outdoor elements. If you skip this…over time they will warp, split and rot. Cat enclosures are an investment and you want to keep them looking nice for years to come. You can use a Clear Spray Outdoor Sealant for Wood or one that you rub-on. I like to use a spray-on version. I purchase and use 2 cans of it about 3 times a year. Again, let it “air out” before letting the kitty go back in.
Follow these cleaning and maintenance Catio Cat Enclosure Tips to keep it safe and looking nice for your furry best friend.
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The two deep cleaning events most people will do in their home will be spring cleaning and winter cleaning. At these two times of year, they may go room by room and really give their home a thorough cleaning. There may be other times where …
Cleaning your home is a task that can often last for the entire day, if not for multiple days. Therefore, it’s safe to say that many people tend to put this off until they cannot tolerate it anymore. However, did you know that you can …
Let’s face it, outdoor doormats aren’t cheap. These days a good door mat will cost you $45.00 and up. I’ve seen them as high as $75.00 for one door mat! With that said, quality does matter. If you spend $10.00 on a cheap doormat it won’t last long…you get what you pay for but there’s no need to spend $75.00 either.
When shopping for one look for one that is semi-weighty so it will stay “put” when it’s windy outside. Make sure that it’s made for outdoor use and has a non-skid bottom to it. I like the ones that specifically say that they’re weather-resistant, trap dirt and come with a little bit of a warranty. Yes, some will come with a limited 1 year or 2 year warranty.
Now let’s talk about how to keep it looking nice and that means you need to regularly clean it! How do you clean it? Well, I’m going to tell you.
Weekly: Every week when you’re doing your regular household cleaning you want to shake the doormat off. If it’s too heavy, sweep the dirt and debris off with a broom.
Quarterly: Every 3 months you want to give it a deep cleaning. I like to spray a non-toxic, foaming rug cleaner onto the mat. Let it sit according to directions (usually a few minutes) and then hose it off with the garden hose. This helps with stain and dirt removal and keeps it smelling fresh.
Don’t use bleach, bleach containing products or harsh chemicals while cleaning your outdoor doortmats. Those type’s of products can harm the fabrication and they’re dangerous for the environment. Totally not needed.
Odor Removal: If you have a musty, moldy or pet odor coming from the mat we suggest sprinkling 1/2 a box of Baking Soda all through the mat. Let it sit for several hours. You can use a scrub brush to work the Baking Soda deep down into the fibers. Vacuum out the Baking Soda or shake it off.
Regular cleaning of your outdoor doormats keeps them looking nice for a longer period of time. Not only will they look nice but they’ll last longer too!
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Did you know that in most municipalities across America that you can’t toss used or broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs in the trash? Why? The CFLs contain a small amount of Mercury which poses a risk to our health and to our environment. Contact your …
Purchasing a genuine leather handbag is an investment. When purchasing one select a classic, not trendy style that you can use for years to come. Avoid the temporary trends or wild colors that you’ll only use sparingly. It’s an investment and you want to get …