Mr Hobbes is the light of my life – but he is also, without question, a walking chaos generator. Mud, hair, mysterious smells… all delivered straight into the house with great enthusiasm. And now there are eight little legs charging about, the chaos has basically doubled.

At Christmas, when guests are popping in, the tree is up, and everyone is pretending to live in a John Lewis advert – the dog-related mayhem becomes even more noticeable.

So here are my festive, natural, tried-and-tested methods for keeping your home smelling beautiful, twinkly and faintly civilised… even with a four-legged (or now, four-plus-four) lunatic in residence.

And this year, I’ve gone one step further. I’ve put together our new Festive Cleaning Set – a little seasonal survival kit filled with all my favourite natural solutions for keeping the house fresh and sparkling. Think uplifting essential-oil blends, gentle botanical cleaners and gorgeously scented finishing touches that make it look (and smell) as though you’ve spent hours preparing for guests… even when you’ve actually been chasing muddy pawprints through the hallway.

Remove dog hair naturally...

1. Rubber Gloves (the Christmas miracle)
Dampen a pair of rubber gloves, swipe over upholstery, and watch the hair cling like magic. Weirdly satisfying.

2. The Window Squeegee Trick (my absolute favourite)
Run it over carpets and rugs - it gathers hair into satisfying little piles, which you can finish with a spritz of Garment Refresher to scent the fabric. It’s strangely therapeutic.

3. Rubber-Bristle Broom
Perfect for carpets before vacuuming. Think of it as “seasonal sweeping.”

Festive Dog Grooming (a clean dog is a happy house)

Regular baths
Mr Hobbes adores his dog shampoo and conditioner and honestly, it shows.
Most dogs do brilliantly with a monthly bath (some oily breeds weekly). Long-haired floofs need more brushing than washing.

And yes, a little Dog Cologne in between keeps them smelling more “winter meadow” than “swamp creature.”

 Brush, brush, brush
A weekly brush removes dander, dirt, dead hair and guilt about not brushing daily.

Keep Their Spaces Fresh

Wash bedding often

Dog beds collect bacteria faster than mince pies disappear.
I shake Hobbes’ bed outside every few days, then spritz with our Pet Bed Refresher - it’s basically the difference between “Oh hello sweet dog” and “What is that smell?”

Paw Patrol (in the literal sense)

Winter = mud, puddles, more mud, fox-related mysteries.

Keep a Dog Paw Cleanser by the door and in the car (non-negotiable).
A quick wipe avoids pawprints across your carpet and your soul.

And Finally… The Accidental Messes

They happen. Always just after you’ve mopped, or when guests are parking outside.

Natural methods really are your friend and if you ever need stain-removal advice, drop me an email and I’ll send you my brand-new guide.

If you want to read my “How to Remove Dog Urine from Carpet Naturally” blog, just click here.

Talk soon,

B x