As most people reading the PetPlay blog know, life is simply better with a pet. You also know that living with a cat or dog can make your home a lot messier! Although certainly unintentional, your four-legged friend can really do some damage to your home—especially when it comes to the paint.
If smudges and scratches have turned your living room into an eyesore, don’t worry; we’re here to help! We’ve come up with a few pointers for choosing the perfect paint and maintaining it against all odds—and paws!
The Importance of Toxic-Free Tints
While comparing your paint options, be sure to check the label to choose a product that is non-toxic. Formulas made from natural ingredients like water, plant dyes and essential oils are great, but often don’t have pigments potent enough to really make the color pop. We recommend the BEHR Premium Plus line because it has zero VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and therefore emits little to no harmful fumes—great news for you and your furry friend.
Choosing a Stain-Proof Color
The next step in your paint selection process is the fun one: choosing a color! Before you get excited about painting your dining room the brightest color of the rainbow, there are a couple of things every pet owner should consider.
First, colors like bright red, blue and green show smudges—and they show them often. Second, if you want to go dark, we suggest a neutral shade like charcoal, olive or brown. These tones uphold a cleaner look since most scratches and smudges blend in, unnoticed. We also recommend a soft white or cream—if and when a stain rears its ugly head, you can jump in with a touch-up swiftly and easily.
The Right Sheen Makes All the Difference
The last—and probably most important—part of pet-friendly paint selection is the finish you choose. With so many options, it’s easy to get confused or overwhelmed and just snatch up the first one you see. Before you grab and go, take a peek at the label to make sure it’s a lower-sheen finish like satin or semi-gloss. While you probably don’t want fully reflective walls, flat paint is much more difficult to clean, and touch-up is a hassle. Whether you have cats and dogs or birds and bunnies, semi-gloss and satin finishes have just the right amount of luster to deflect smudges that come from paws, claws and tails.
Maintaining Your New Paint
Months after you’ve chosen the right blend, color and sheen and completed your painting project, you’ll realize that Rover’s wags sometimes still mark up the foyer accent wall. The bad news is that no matter what, pets always find a way to make the place theirs, and you’re guaranteed to find a few sneaky scratches. The good news, though, is that there are great touch-up kits and paint solvents that treat these types of smudges specifically. Cleaners like Krud Kutter are renowned for their ability to cut through grime and dirt in a few simple swipes.
Whether you’re a crazy cat lady or a proud first-time puppy owner, choosing the right blend, color and finish for your paint project will help you create a disaster-free home that you and your pet will both enjoy—together!
