Traveling With Pets? Here's How to Keep Your RV Clean

When your four-legged friend is an important part of the family, you wouldn’t dream of leaving them behind while you’re camping or on a road trip. So, many RV owners choose to take their pets with them on the road.

It’s a great way to keep track of your furry companion and show them the country! But, as any pet owner knows, keeping even the most well-behaved animal in a small space for extended periods of time can cause things to become messy.

Food or water might spill. They might get sick, have an “accident,” or you might just start to find that everything is covered in hair!

While most messes aren’t enough to make you leave your pet at home, it’s still a good idea to know how to keep your RV clean when you’re traveling with your best friend. Let’s take a look at a few tips you can use.

Swap Out Your Carpet

Carpeting can look great in an RV, but if you’re going to be frequently traveling with your pet, it’s worth it to swap out carpet for a smooth flooring. Not only does carpet stain easily, but it’s extremely hard to remove odors, no matter how much you clean. No one wants to be in an enclosed space that smells like, well...dog.

Smooth flooring is much easier to clean and smells won’t cling to it as heavily, so your RV will remain fresh-smelling no matter how often you travel with your pet.

Keep the Fur Off Your Furniture

You can use the same concept to protect your furniture. No matter how few pieces you might have in your RV, your pet is bound to jump up on at least one of them (even when you’re not looking). Pet hair in a small space is no easy task to clean up, and if it’s on a piece of furniture, it can easily blow off and get elsewhere within your rig.

Furniture will also hold on to bad smells similarly to carpet. So, use furniture protectors and/or covers to keep your items safe and scent-free. You can remove the covers as often as you would like to wash them or simply to get the hair off.

Clean Every Day

If you didn’t have a pet, you probably wouldn’t have to clean your RV every day. But, when you’re traveling with a fur buddy, it’s much easier to clean a little each day, rather than doing a deep clean once a week.

Doing a little bit of cleaning each day will allow you to stay on top of fur building up, and it will keep smells from lingering around your rig. It doesn’t have to take a long time or a lot of effort. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day to clean your RV, and you’ll be able to enjoy it that much more.

Keep Your Pet Occupied

If you’re on a long road trip or camping, your pet is going to be naturally curious. But, what about those long stretches of time when you’re traveling and the only exercise your pet is getting is at rest stops?

Make sure you have plenty of chew toys around your RV to keep your pet busy. Additionally, take them for a long walk at least once a day.

What does their activity level have to do with the cleanliness of your RV? As the old saying goes, a tired dog is a good dog. Making sure they are tired out and occupied means it will be less likely for them to get into things and create messes.

Traveling with your pet can be extremely fulfilling and fun. And, it doesn’t have to be messy! Keep these tips in mind to keep your RV in pristine condition, so every member of your family (even the furry ones) can enjoy it.