Tips to clean a dog kennel and prevent fleas

True enough, you don't have to change your pet's bedding as often as you change your sheets. But most of us wait way too long to freshen our pet's cozy corner. Once a month isn't too often.

• Start cleaning a dog kennel by tossing it like you would a teenager's bedroom. Get everything out.
• If you use straw, throw it away.
• If your dog likes to curl up in blankets, pull them out and toss them in the washing machine, just as you would your own blankets.
• Hose down the house or kennel, inside and out.
• You might need to lift one end to drain all the water.
• Get ready to scrub.

• Don't use anything that you wouldn't want your pet to lap up. Chemical household cleaners will make a home sparkle. But dogs aren't as particular about the way their home looks as they are about the way it smells. A pine-scented habitat might smell clean to you, but your dog might disagree. Instead, use a plastic bristled brush to apply an organic cleaner or try one of these homemade solutions:
• Mix 60 ml (4 tbls) of lemon extract (available from grocery stores) or lemon juice with four litres (four quarts) of water.
• Mix 250 ml (one cup) of vinegar to 750 ml (three cups) of water.
• Either of these environmentally friendly alternatives will get rid of all the must and dirt and will leave your dog's habitat clean and smelling good without a hint of chemicals.

• This is the last step.
• If your dog likes straw, put in some fresh straw and sprinkle it with bicarbonate of soda to make the freshness last longer.
• If your pet prefers blankets, let the washed blankets dry in the sun for extra freshness
• Then sprinkle some baking soda on them.
• Put those fleas to rest There are all sorts of commercial flea powders that you can use to dust your pet's bedding, but the herb pennyroyal also works very effectively. Combine 30 drops of pennyroyal oil, 10 ml (2 tsp) of methylated spirits and 500 millilitres (two cups) of water in a trigger spray bottle and use this mix to mist your pet's mattress and blankets while they're drying in the sun.