Pets Are Changing The Cleaning Industry!

By Jim Pemberton - Fabric Pro Specialist

The Relationship That Cleaning Professionals Have With Their Customers' Pets Is Complicated!

On one hand, pets create stains and damage to both textiles as well as hard surfaces. They also are a major cause of "after cleaning odors" that cause unrealistic expectation issues with prospects & customers. On the other hand, odors and overall soiling of the homes interior and content provide cleaning professionals with profitable work opportunities.

No matter how the cleaner sees it, the fact is that pet ownership has not just skyrocketed in growth, it has also changed to pets becoming family members, in every sense of the word!

I have recently changed my view that ‘pet's are family' to ‘pet's are revered' . The term I use is “Pet Reverence”. That's not meant to be demeaning at all, but simply that pets are allowed behavior that would not be allowed for children. This “Pet Reverence” also means that your customer will invest a great deal into cleaning and odor removal procedures that you should be offering, as long as you do it with care and respect for their revered pets.

A report from the American Kennel Club dated 7/31/17 provides this startling revelation:

"A recent survey conducted by Harris Poll found that 33 percent of millennials say having better space or a yard for their dog motivated the purchase of their first home. Marriage was the driving force behind 25 percent of home buyers that age, and having a child was named by only 19 percent." (Italics ours)

This report falls on the heels of a 2016 report that 44% of Americans own dogs, and 35% own cats. The number of total dogs in homes was 78 million at that time, and 85.8 million cats were owned.

How has this affected the cleaning industry?

#1. Hard Surface Flooring in Homes:
While style changes have driven the move to hard surfaces in the home, make no mistake: People's frustrations with pet odor in carpet have also driven many pet lovers to removing carpet and installing a variety of tile, wood, and vinyl flooring materials in their homes.

#2. Area Rugs in Homes:
People quickly tire of the discomfort of hard floors beneath their feet and try to create a more comfortable experience with rugs. Once they do, guess where the pet prefers to rest, and urinate?

THIS BIG GUY LOVES THIS AREA RUG!!!

#3. Carpet Odor Problems:
Where carpet has not been replaced, odors from both urine and pet hair/danders will be an increasingly needed service.

#4. Upholstery Soiling and Odors:
Pets are now permitted and encouraged to join their owners on the furniture. Oily pet fur, saliva, vomit, urine, and feces are all becoming more common factors in upholstery cleaning.

THIS GUY FEELS JUST RIGHT IN THIS NICE CHAIR!!!

5. Cleaning Product Safety Concerns:
Your customer may say they want "green" or "hypoallergenic" products, but what they are really asking is if what you are using will be safe for their pets. Many cleaners have felt with the rise in concern about infection from Covid -19 in early 2020 that people would be more interested in strong disinfectant products than gentle cleaners. This has NOT proven to be true! Instead, people are even more vigilant about the nature of the cleaning products used around their beloved pets (and children as well).

Your Opportunity:

Whether or not you agree with this growing relationship between people and pets, all of these changes present you with remarkable opportunities to be of more service to your customers!

However, you must be willing to meet their needs with tact, sensitivity, and the needed skills to restore their flooring and fabric belongings in a way that keeps them happy and feeling that their loving pet/children are safe as well!

*****************************

Coming Soon . . .
******************************

Jim Pemberton's
Fabric Pro Upholstery Specialist Workshop

"Specialist" Course With Extensive "Hands On" Training
Class size is very limited for personal attention purposes, so register today.

Please Join Us Here - December 4 - 5, 2025 in McKeesport, PA
OR January 9 - 10, 2026 in Farmingdale, NY