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Koala, the one in my avatar, is terrified of the vacuum cleaner. We separate her in a room with one of us, while the other does the rugs. But we are looking to do the floors with something other than a vacuum cleaner.
Any suggestions? The swifter brooms are dangerous to animals, so I will not consider those.
Our dog was afraid of our Hoover Quik-broom when we first got him, so for a while I only vacuumed when DH took him on his walks. It wasn't very good at picking up fur, and it was time for an upgrade anyway.
Ended up getting a Miele canister vacuum. It is MUCH quieter and calmer than than any vacuum I've ever used, and it picks up fur really well. And the dog does not mind me vacuuming around him, it doesn't bother him at all!
I also hear good things about the Bissell products that are marketed for pet fur, but don't know how noisy they are.
How about a Sh-mop?
Use washable cotton covers that you can use dry or wet with any wettener of your choice or with weirdly attactant dust spray.
http://www.thecleanteam.com/sh-mop.cfm
Curious - why swifter brooms aren't safe for animals? I don't use it, my mom does (dry cloths).
Sorry I don't have much to offer. My 4 out of 5 cats scatter when I vacuum. 1 tend to stay, and the noise doesn't seem to bother her. She tend to swat at it if I get close to her.
I'm curious about the Swiffer being dangerous to pets. Are we talking the dry mop or the wet mop? I feel like I should be aware of this as a vet, but I've never heard of it. I've been using my Swiffer for years (both dry and wet) and I've never seen any untoward effect from it on my pets. Would you mind sharing where you learned about this? I'd really appreciate it!
I don't have scientific proof, but I never felt good about the chemicals in the wet swiffer, plus I'm opposed to putting all those disposable cloths in the trash.
Now I have the Rubbermaid Reveal refillable mop with reusable cloths. You can use your own non-toxic cleaners.
I also have a cordless vacuum for quick cleanups. But with pets, rugs need a real vacuuming also.
The Method O-Mop is a bit more environmentally friendly in that regard. It uses a microfiber cloth that attaches to the mop with velcro, can be used wet or dry. When the microfiber gets dirty, you can just toss it in the washer. I mostly use it for spot cleaning, since spreading the cleaning solution takes a bit of elbow grease.
I also have a Bissell steam mop that's great for cleaning hard floors, both (sealed) wood and tile. Also uses a microfiber cloth that can go in the washer. This one I use for larger surface areas. Really easy to use, and not "sloppy" like with a traditional mop and pail.