[00:00:00]Its Around the House!

Eric Goranson: We have been talking to Connor from Crocodile Cloth and these guys are really good at helping you clean up those messes on your hands or anywhere around the house. Now let's get back to that conversation. Yeah, the barbecue one, um, which is called Crocodile Cloth

[00:00:19] Connor Hopkins: Grill has been a huge hit, um, in the last couple months, which is, which is funny because we're in Ohio and we thought our seasonality for our grill product would really kick off come spring and

[00:00:30] Eric Goranson: summer. I can tell you what crocodile. Is the real deal. I love these guys today and the rest of the show. I wanted to talk about spring cleaning for pet owners and making sure your house is all dialed in, whether you're modeling or you're doing some DIY projects, there are some tricks that I have learned as a dog owner out there that have made my life so much easier.

[00:00:53] Eric Goranson: And I want to talk about that here. When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to [00:01:00] we've got you covered. This is a round.

[00:01:07] Eric Goranson: I'm to the around the house show. Thanks for joining me today. If you do want to get ahold of us here in the studio, there's two ways to do it. Go over to around the house online. com or give us a call at 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. That number again is 2 3 9 41 44. And we have a great guest in the studio today.

[00:01:29] Eric Goranson: And I am a user of their products because it does work that well. Connor from Crocodile Cloth. Welcome to Around the House, brother. Yeah, appreciate

[00:01:37] Connor Hopkins: it, Eric. Um, I know this is our second time getting together. I guess we left a pretty good impression with both the product and our, uh, our video we filmed with you guys.

[00:01:46] Connor Hopkins: So, so happy to be back and talking to you today.

[00:01:49] Eric Goranson: Yeah, man. Thanks. And, you know, you guys have really revolutionized Hand cleaning and then clean up around the house. Yeah,

[00:01:58] Connor Hopkins: we, we like to [00:02:00] say, um, we, we kind of took over, right. We've only been around for about three years. Um, and our product went into the market knowing that there's a ton of different options out there that just weren't.

[00:02:12] Connor Hopkins: Or made for the people that get really messy in their day to day jobs around the house. So we're glad to see it starting to catch a lot of a lot of favorability from our blue collar men and women as well as some of our what we call hobbyists. Right? Your campers, hunters, race car drivers are all they're all loving the product because it really does tackle tough messes and it makes life a bit easier.

[00:02:34] Connor Hopkins: You

[00:02:34] Eric Goranson: know, over the years when I was a little kid, my dad had that, uh, you know, the gritty cleaner in the garage. I'm not going to be using name brands here. Cause there's no sense talking about it, but I think everybody can paint the picture in their head of using that gritty stuff. That was kind of a pumice stone.

[00:02:49] Eric Goranson: They were rubbing on your hands, trying to get the grease out. And then a few years back, I went to, uh, the, you know, geez, 20 years ago, I went to the orange cleaner that did a little bit better. You know, and [00:03:00] then I went to the version, one of the wipes and a little round canister that I won't even say the color of that were really tiny and it did.

[00:03:07] Eric Goranson: Okay. And then you guys came out and it was like, okay, one, it cleans well, but I actually have a cloth that I can clean my hands with and then clean up around and not be pulling like four out of the canister and burning through them so quickly. Yeah,

[00:03:20] Connor Hopkins: no, glad to hear that. Uh, whenever I go to events, Um, as the marketing manager and I'm talking to new people about the product, the quick line I hit him with is bigger, better weather.

[00:03:31] Connor Hopkins: Um, and that that rings true. Just like you said, we're 10 by 15 costs. You won't find a wetter 1 out there too. So it tackles your whole kitchen. Um, it'll tackle those tough messes. And it's funny, you bring up, um, some of those previous ones and your dad having something around in the garage. I remember growing up, I climbed a lot of trees.

[00:03:50] Connor Hopkins: So tree sap was whenever I'd use the gritty stuff. Right. Um, so we, uh,

[00:03:56] Eric Goranson: we recently got grounded away. It didn't touch the tree sap and just grounded off [00:04:00] of you. That's all it was doing. Yeah.

[00:04:01] Connor Hopkins: So it's a, it's a great product. Um, for a guy like me, who, who doesn't have some of those crazy hobbies or get dirty with my hands every day, I still find it uses for it constantly in my house, which, which cracks me

[00:04:12] Eric Goranson: up.

[00:04:13] Eric Goranson: It works well. It's so funny. Cause I have, I've got this bench that I use on the TV set here that in my garage that I built, and it's just a matte black bench. And I'd been using Windex and a paper towel just to quickly wipe it down after we're doing between shoots and stuff. And I grabbed one of your cloths and I just wiped it down a few minutes earlier.

[00:04:31] Eric Goranson: I grabbed your cloth and all of a sudden I'm like, this was dirtier than I thought because now all of a sudden it's taken stuff off. But I was like, Oh, okay. I thought that was just ground into the workbench. It was glue. It was something else. And all of a sudden I'm scrubbing on it and I'm like, Oh wow, this was much dirtier than I anticipated.

[00:04:49] Eric Goranson: And I'd been using a cleaner on it almost every day, just trying to keep it clean for TV. It ground that stuff out of there and it just broke it down, cleaned it up. And being a matte finish, it didn't hurt the [00:05:00] finish at all either, which was nice. Yeah. It's one

[00:05:01] Connor Hopkins: of the biggest pieces of feedback we get when we go to our D to C or direct to consumer events, like, uh, king of hammers or the mint 400 different racing events around the country.

[00:05:11] Connor Hopkins: And whenever someone comes and tries a product. Um, they usually say, Oh, I didn't know I was that dirty. Um, so same thing with me around the house, you know, when I'm using them on my floors, countertops, I'm like, Ooh, I, uh, probably could have done that a day or two sooner, but crocodile cloth got your back and it'll take up that old mess or messy.

[00:05:29] Connor Hopkins: You didn't even know you had. Yeah.

[00:05:30] Eric Goranson: And the cool thing is, is I've got that. It's, oh, it's like seven and a half foot table and one cloth does the whole thing and I can still get my hands when I'm done with it. So it's, it's, uh. Yeah. Very wet for doing that. So it'll actually let you tackle that mess. And then you guys have a ton of different stuff out there as well for different applications outside of, well, just general cleanup.

[00:05:50] Eric Goranson: Yeah.

[00:05:50] Connor Hopkins: So we got a full product line with about eight, eight to nine skews. Um, so we have the original crocodile cloth, uh, which is kind of the all purpose, uh, perfect [00:06:00] for keeping in your work truck or garage around the house. The fan favorite of late has been what we call our power scrub. It's got a sandpaper grit to it, so when people touch that, they, uh, their minds almost get blown.

[00:06:12] Connor Hopkins: Um, unlike some of the other guys, we don't build it into, say the, the solution or formula. It's actually built into the cloth. Um, so it, it does rate on the sandpaper grit scale, which is, which is always fun to t tout that. Um, and then we have some, like you said, a couple specific ones. For the mechanic, got an auto version with a little bit more degreaser.

[00:06:33] Connor Hopkins: We have a paint version with a little bit more solvent. And the cool thing about the paint 1, 2 that not a lot of people know is it's great for surface prep too. So, not only cleaning up the paint messes that go on, but if you got a surface, for example, I painted my closet door recently. Clean that up with the paint cloth.

[00:06:50] Connor Hopkins: It's not going to leave behind any oils or residues. So you can put a layer of paint on right after you use it. Um, and you'll be looking good on the, on the end of the pain side. [00:07:00] Oh,

[00:07:00] Eric Goranson: I hadn't even thought about that. See, I'm learning something right now. I'm going, Oh, paint prep. That's brilliant. And yeah, I mean the automotive stuff, that's, that's probably the toughest one around the house and in the garage and shop stuff, because you get that deep, heavy grease that finds every nook and cranny in your hand.

[00:07:17] Connor Hopkins: And it's hard to get rid of it. Yeah, no, no, it's, it's been really cool. Um, Just the, the organic social reach outs we get from people trying it on YouTube, comparing it to other people. So, if you're listening to this, I highly suggest if you don't believe Eric and I go check us out on social media, YouTube, look up crocodile cloth people are always finding new ways to use them.

[00:07:39] Connor Hopkins: I saw 1 gentleman. We worked with. Actually wrap a cloth around his screwdriver and then use that to clean out the inside of a pipe, um, and different things like that. So there's a lot of applications and different ways to use it. 1 of my most interesting videos I made for the company was we actually took 1 of our all purpose cleaning wipes.[00:08:00]

[00:08:00] Connor Hopkins: And instead of licking an envelope, we use the wipes moisture to, yeah, hit the, hit the envelope and then, uh, then, then seal it. So, you can get creative with how you use them. That's cool.

[00:08:12] Eric Goranson: And then you have the outdoor and the barbecue grill one too, which I think is super cool.

[00:08:17] Connor Hopkins: Yeah, the barbecue one, um, which is called crocodile cloth grill.

[00:08:21] Connor Hopkins: Has been a huge hit, um, the last couple of months, which is, which is funny because we're in Ohio and we thought our seasonality for our grill product to really kick off come spring and summer. Well, we put some advertising dollars behind it on Facebook and we're having a record numbers on Amazon and our website.

[00:08:41] Connor Hopkins: Just from the Southwest and, uh, different parts of the Southern part of the country because of how popular it is. We know nowadays, you know, since cobit people are are grilling and it's a, it's a really fun activity to do constantly. So, whether you've got a trigger, a blackstone, some type of smoker, even a gas grill, this thing is going to clean up [00:09:00] all the debris while you're cooking or also, you know, after you're done cooking or making sure you're cleaning up in between uses.

[00:09:07] Connor Hopkins: That's

[00:09:07] Eric Goranson: awesome. Because yeah, I mean, a lot of us are grillers, you know, I could be out in the snow doing my doing my grilling out there. And as long as the wind's not blowing, messing with stuff too badly, I'm out there doing all the parka on. But I tell you what, you know, it's not, it's not a seasonal thing for me.

[00:09:24] Eric Goranson: And we see more and more of that because people said, Hey, I just want to be able to cook my steak outside on open fire. And they're happy with that. We'll be right back with Connor from Crocodile Cloth just as soon as Around the House returns.[00:10:00]

[00:10:09] Eric Goranson: What's up? This is Dixit India. And Satchel from Steel Panther. And you are listening to Around the House with Eric G. Yeah. We love Eric G and you should too.

[00:10:28] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the around the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining me today. We have been talking with Connor from Crocodile Cloth and these guys are really good at helping you clean up those messes on your hands or anywhere around the house.

[00:10:44] Eric Goranson: Now let's get back to that conversation. Yeah,

[00:10:46] Connor Hopkins: the barbecue one, which is called Crocodile Cloth Grill has been a huge hit in the last couple months, which is, which is funny because we're in Ohio and we thought our seasonality for our grill product would [00:11:00] really kick off come spring and summer. Well, we put some advertising dollars behind it on Facebook and we're having a record numbers on Amazon and our website just from the Southwest and different parts of the southern part of the country because of how popular it is.

[00:11:15] Connor Hopkins: We know nowadays, you know, since cobit people are are drilling and it's a, it's a really fun activity to do constantly. So, whether you've got a trigger, a blackstone, some type of smoker, even a gas grill, this thing is going to clean up all the debris. While you're cooking, um, or also, you know, after you're done cooking or, or making sure you're cleaning up in between uses, that's

[00:11:36] Eric Goranson: awesome.

[00:11:36] Eric Goranson: Because, yeah, I mean, a lot of us are grillers. You know, I could be out in the snow doing my doing my grilling out there. And as long as the wind's not blowing, messing with stuff too badly, that's awesome. I'm out there doing all the parka on, but I tell you what, you know, it's not, it's not a seasonal thing for me.

[00:11:53] Eric Goranson: And we, we see more and more of that because people said, Hey, I just want to be able to cook my steak outside on open fire. [00:12:00] And they're happy with

[00:12:00] Connor Hopkins: that. Yeah. And for a guy like me, who's a little bit more afraid of the cold and won't brave it as much. Um, I use it, uh, on my stove top. After every time I cook, so I'll load up my cast iron skillet with some good old Denver steaks or chuck eyes grease splattering everywhere.

[00:12:18] Connor Hopkins: And I'll take that that grill product used to wipe down the countertops right after it is going to be all of our products are 97 percent water with some aloe and vitamin E. NSF approved. Um, so you don't have to worry about using them around the kids or the kitchen. It's not going to have anything harmful or toxic in there.

[00:12:34] Connor Hopkins: Nice. That's cool. Cause

[00:12:35] Eric Goranson: yeah, some of the other ones, I don't know if I'd be using around the food, if you know what I mean.

[00:12:41] Connor Hopkins: Yeah. Yeah. I hear you on that. And another cool thing, some people really like it. Um, we actually don't put any fragrances in our cloth right now. Um, so it, it won't overpower you or, or, or anything like that.

[00:12:53] Connor Hopkins: It'll just be leaving you fresh and clean and onto the next mess to make.

[00:12:58] Eric Goranson: Yeah. And that's, what's cool too, is it just, there's [00:13:00] no smell really to it. It's just, you're just doing your thing. And so I do enjoy that with it as well. And you know, what's cool is, is that you've got those packet, the packs are solid packs that you guys sell.

[00:13:10] Eric Goranson: It's not like it's some of these other ones where it's like, okay, well, I just use that for a week and it's gone. These are, you know, solid packs of them, so you can buy it and it's going to last well, because each cloth, each cloth is so big.

[00:13:24] Connor Hopkins: Yeah, I mean, you're speaking my language, Eric. The cool thing about our product is we are the premium brand.

[00:13:31] Connor Hopkins: Um, as you can tell, I mean, we're making a lot of noise with with crocodile being in our name. Um, so we, we make sure that every step of the process. For the price you pay, you're getting that big bang for buck. So, when you actually break it down on a price per square inch. We're the cheapest product out there.

[00:13:47] Connor Hopkins: But when you look at how much you pay for one pack, we're definitely gonna be closer to that $20 range. But that's 'cause you get 80 or a hundred massive cleaning wipes. Um, so we make sure that those are premium from the packaging, um, all the way to [00:14:00] the end use of it. One thing that's unique about us is gonna be our packaging because it's in that bag, um, rather than your canister or, or, uh, tub.

[00:14:08] Connor Hopkins: Mm-Hmm. . It's gonna be able to keep that moisture, um, and cloth. Wet on the product and we guarantee for up to at least a year that that's not going to dry out on you. And if it does, you contact crocodile cloth and we'll get you a free pack because we don't want any of our customers having a, a dry cloth on their hands.

[00:14:26] Connor Hopkins: You know, that's

[00:14:26] Eric Goranson: one thing I noticed with the, with the plastic tubs out there. Cause a lot of them have that snap on lid. And so many times you'll see it's in the back of the truck or the, you know, like in the back where people are throwing tools into the back of the van and the trades people, and more than once I've gone, uh, gone out there, grab one out of the van.

[00:14:42] Eric Goranson: And, and, you know, the toolbox shifted, uh, bounced up against it and the lid's laying down there on the side. And it's just been open for a number of hours and you've got a whole tub full of, uh, dried up claws, which are now you just have. Tough paper towels.

[00:14:58] Connor Hopkins: Yeah, that's uh, [00:15:00] which is kind of funny though, because if I've done it before, which I've, I've let some dry out on purpose, uh, took a, took a long time.

[00:15:06] Connor Hopkins: So I took the lid off, made sure that they were dried out and actually found a really good use case for them because they're so absorbent. After a rain or, or you're, you're setting up for a party or something like that. And you've got a morning do or, or some water on your patio equipment or furniture, great for absorbing that.

[00:15:23] Connor Hopkins: So even if you have a dried out pack, highly suggest you hold onto it. You'll find a use case for it. Um, don't, don't worry about getting rid of it. You're gonna find a use case for these, for these products, because they tackle so many different things around the house.

[00:15:35] Eric Goranson: Man, that is awesome. And you guys just keep coming up with new stuff.

[00:15:39] Eric Goranson: I mean, when I first saw you, you just kind of had. The original. And then it seems like every few months you guys are coming out with a, with a different product that fits a different application.

[00:15:48] Connor Hopkins: Yeah, we, we like to pride ourselves on consistent innovation. Um, so even now, as we're speaking, we've got three or four products that are set to launch this year and, uh, can't give you too much information about them, but [00:16:00] we, but we are, we are expanding.

[00:16:03] Connor Hopkins: Um, so, so soon enough, we'll have. Um, even more powerful products, um, some with different applications. So we like to constantly innovate and make sure that we're taking care of our customers because once we get them a taste of crocodile cloth. Um, even working with influencers, creators, and different partnerships.

[00:16:21] Connor Hopkins: We're getting more and more ideas about how to use the product, whether it be on fishing boats for electronics, or even in the hospital and hotel settings. So we're going to continue to innovate and make sure that we're making a product that people can use at different levels of what they're doing, whether it be at work, in their house, or with their hobby.

[00:16:40] Eric Goranson: Nice man. And where do people get these things? Uh, I know of course you've got your website, but it seems like when I pull them up, they're at retailers everywhere, online, everywhere. It's, it's a pretty easy to find them.

[00:16:52] Connor Hopkins: Yeah. So online, obviously Amazon and our website are going to be the best places to get them.

[00:16:56] Connor Hopkins: Uh, we do have the prime shipping. So if you order crocodile cloths, you'll [00:17:00] get it within a day or two. Uh, our biggest retail footprint right now is going to be home Depot. Uh, so nationwide, you can find us in the cleaning section. The grill section and the paint section at Home Depot, and we're also in a plethora of different types of hardware stores, whether it be ace hardware, um, do it best locations.

[00:17:19] Connor Hopkins: We're also in Napa. And like I said, we're, we're continuing to increase that footprint. So keep an eye out for us at places like Walmart, um, and, and other places that, that you shop on a regular basis.

[00:17:30] Eric Goranson: Yeah. So many people these days are starting to switch to online. So you guys have made it easy that way as well.

[00:17:34] Eric Goranson: But, uh, I know I'm, uh, walking down the aisles of my home depot when I'm in there. I'm sure seeing them in, uh, multiple locations around the store, which is awesome.

[00:17:43] Connor Hopkins: Yeah. And Eric, before we go, I do got to ask you a question. I need to get your thoughts on your favorite cut of steak because I know you're you're big in the barbecue scene and like I mentioned, I'm always at home finding new state cuts to grill.

[00:17:57] Connor Hopkins: I do some at home butchering with some bigger [00:18:00] cuts. So I'm just curious. What's your personal favorite?

[00:18:02] Eric Goranson: My personal favorite is an easy go to. It is tri tip. I get a nice try to roast. And if I don't cut it up beforehand and just do some stakes off of it, I'll throw the whole tri tip on there and serve it up.

[00:18:14] Eric Goranson: And, uh, I have always been a tri tip. I'm a West coast guy. So, you know, it was that cut of meat that I had a hard time finding, but, uh, probably 20 years ago, Costco started carrying it and I was getting it there and They're not an advertiser by any means, and neither are you, but it was one of those things that I could get it.

[00:18:31] Eric Goranson: And, um, the one thing I've learned about meat just with anything, it's, it's all about the quality of the meat. Don't change that dial. We'll be right back with Connor from crocodile cloth, just as soon as around the house returns.[00:19:00]

[00:19:00] Eric Goranson: Hey, this is Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel band and stealer. We are rocking around the house with Eric T. Welcome back to the around the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining me today. We have been talking with Connor from crocodile cloth, and these guys are really good at helping you clean up those messes on your hands or anywhere around the house.

[00:19:27] Eric Goranson: Now let's get back to that conversation. They're not an advertiser by any means, and neither are you, but it was one of those things that I could get it. And, um, the one thing I've learned about me just with anything, it's, it's all about. The quality of the meat, uh, if I go and get it at my just normal grocery store, unless it's something good, there's a huge difference between that and getting just that better cut of meat with the flavor and everything else.

[00:19:53] Connor Hopkins: That's cool to hear. I'll have to try out some tri tip. I haven't, haven't cooked any of that up on my own. Um, like I, like I mentioned earlier, I've been a big [00:20:00] fan of the Denver and the Chuckeye lately. Uh, the poor man's ribeye. Those are, those are some, uh, less expensive cuts, but man, if you cook them right, um, it's a, it's a good piece of meat.

[00:20:08] Connor Hopkins: Yeah. The

[00:20:09] Eric Goranson: tri tip to me is just kind of my favorite. It's just, uh, it's an easy one and, uh, kind of cute. Well, it was a cut of beef that they didn't use a lot with. And a lot of times it got thrown into hamburger and everything else, but. Because it was, uh, in the Santa Maria area, California, they had their Santa Maria barbecue.

[00:20:26] Eric Goranson: So it was like sourdough bread and that, and that was the way to go. And, uh, man, I, I jumped onto that 20 plus years ago. And, uh, if I see it someplace, I'm like, Oh yeah, I need to pick up that tray tip and, uh, that's the way I go. But, you know, a good ribeye is also good. Um, you know, even have some fun doing some.

[00:20:46] Eric Goranson: You know, strip steaks or, or, uh, anything like that. I mean, it's just, uh, it's, it's a lot of fun throwing stuff down in the barbecue. And sometimes with that, I'll even put it out there and I'll sear it outside on the grill, get a nice little crust [00:21:00] on it and get it cooked about a third to half of the way.

[00:21:03] Eric Goranson: And then I'll throw a cast iron pan either on the barbecue with some butter, or I'll take it inside the house and finish it in the oven in the cast iron and some butter on that. And, um, man, that's money might not be the healthiest for you, but.

[00:21:19] Connor Hopkins: I believe that one final tip I'll leave, I'll leave the listeners with if you haven't tried, um, taking a piece of fat off your cut and using that on the cast iron skillet to cook it in rather than olive oil or butter, I have found so much success in that flavor profile rather than your traditional one.

[00:21:36] Connor Hopkins: So for you, listeners out there, if I'm sure Eric can attest to this, but try and cook it in its own fat. It definitely adds a unique, robust flavor to it. Yeah.

[00:21:44] Eric Goranson: One thing I'm going to try doing here this summer, this last year, I built my own pizza oven outside wood fired pizza oven, one of the big ones. And, uh, that turned out really cool.

[00:21:53] Eric Goranson: So I want to do some pizzas out there, but I also want to try doing a steak in there on a pan because, you know, [00:22:00] it's about 800, 850 degrees. And I'm just curious to see how I can, uh, charbroil that out in that thing really quickly.

[00:22:08] Connor Hopkins: Yeah, well, make sure you invite me over for that one. I'll be your taste.

[00:22:13] Eric Goranson: Sounds like a plan, man. Cause, uh, yeah, that's just a good way to go. And, and, uh, how do you cook yours? What kind of grill you cook it on? So

[00:22:21] Connor Hopkins: funny enough, I prefer the cast iron skillet. Um, I just feel that I get better control over it. So if anything, I'll, I'll fire up the grill, um, whether it be over an open fire and put the cast iron on it.

[00:22:32] Connor Hopkins: Um, I'll do a sear two minutes each side, and then I'll let it rest for actually five to ten minutes before I put it back on low heat and really let the juices kind of get together and rolling on it. Nice.

[00:22:43] Eric Goranson: Yeah, that just makes for a nice, awesome steak right there is what that does. Now I'm getting hungry.

[00:22:47] Connor Hopkins: Yes It's

[00:22:50] Eric Goranson: like okay, I gotta get the barbecue going We've had that weather recently too where it's been You know really nice in the in the mid to upper 70s here in the uh It's what I call [00:23:00] fake spring here in the pacific northwest we get that where all of a sudden we go from 40s to To 70s and then it goes back to the 50s again for weeks just to rub your nose in it It's uh, this is our last probably fake spring of the year Yeah, we

[00:23:13] Connor Hopkins: just got through our first big spring.

[00:23:14] Connor Hopkins: St. Patrick's day was a nice celebration, you know, 50, 60 degrees of sun. And we got into work yesterday on Monday and it was a snowing by lunchtime. So,

[00:23:24] Eric Goranson: you know, the program brother, you know, the program. Well, Connor, man, thanks for coming on. When you get new stuff out, let's talk about it again, because, um, Again, you're not an advertiser in a show, but I believe in this stuff because it really works.

[00:23:37] Eric Goranson: And for people trying to figure out how to do cleanup, it's an easy way to go. And like you said earlier, it's a great buy. If you know, instead of grabbing a handful of three or four wipes and blasted through a canister, you just grab one and

[00:23:49] Connor Hopkins: use it. Yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a life changer. And my wife has never been happier that I worked for a cleaning company.

[00:23:55] Connor Hopkins: Cause now I get a bunch of free cleaning product and the house has always bothered. There we go.

[00:23:59] Eric Goranson: [00:24:00] That is a win win. All right, guys, check out crocodile cloth. Uh, crocodile cloth. com is a website to find them. And of course, Amazon and all your favorite retailers out there. Connor, thanks for coming on today, man.

[00:24:10] Eric Goranson: I appreciate it.

[00:24:12] Connor Hopkins: Yeah. Appreciate it. Eric, looking forward to connecting soon.

[00:24:15] Eric Goranson: I can tell you what crocodile cloth is the real deal. I love these guys. They are not a sponsor of the show, but I tell you what, you will see them in my show on around the house, Northwest, the television show. I use their products all the time.

[00:24:28] Eric Goranson: And it is great for cleaning up around the house, the job site, anywhere you're using stuff out there, just make sure and check them out at crocodile cloth. com. And of course you can get them in home Depot, Amazon, all those different places out there today. And the rest of the show, I wanted to talk about spring cleaning for pet owners and making sure your house is all dialed in, whether you're modeling or you're doing some DIY projects.

[00:24:52] Eric Goranson: There are some tricks that I have learned as a dog owner out there. That have made my life so much easier. And I want to talk about that [00:25:00] here in these last little bits of this segment and the last one here, the show, because I think it's really important for people out there that are pet owners. Pets are wonderful.

[00:25:08] Eric Goranson: I love them. And if you do a few things, there are some tricks out there to make this so much easier as a dog parent. First off, here is one of my things that I did at my house that made things so much easier. I actually went and cut in through my wall out the side of my house and created a small dog area.

[00:25:29] Eric Goranson: So that way with their electronic dog collar, they can come up and with this smart door, this actually opens up when the dog gets close. So we've trained them. So they walk up close, the door opens up, they go out to the side yard, which is a special little side yard. And I put down a artificial turf. So that can be down there and that gives them place to go to the bathroom without messing up the entire big backyard because I don't know, there's nothing I like more than having a nice clean backyard without places to step in dog [00:26:00] messes with.

[00:26:00] Eric Goranson: So that is the place that they use the bathroom, which makes it so much easier because it's contained into a smaller area. So that pet door is one of the biggest keys to this, to make it at work. And I don't have to worry about so much be going, Oh my gosh, I gotta get home. Let my pets outside. I'll get them, let the dogs out.

[00:26:18] Eric Goranson: It makes it so much easier as a dog owner. And because these doors are electronic, they're not just your flap. That's magnetic. This is so much more energy efficient because it's a hard plexiglass panel that comes down. And so there's no draft, no wind or anything else with it. It's a really great way to go.

[00:26:36] Eric Goranson: And it saves me on energy within the house. So what's cool is that just plugs in. This is made by high tech Pat. So you can find that at H I T E C P E T. com. And I tell you what, it's a really cool system. So I put in the medium size, the PX one door at my house works great. And they have them for small, large, medium dogs, whatever.

[00:26:59] Eric Goranson: And so [00:27:00] you just basically put this around their collar with their regular collar and the battery lasts probably about nine months. Actually, no, about three or four months, not nine months. Anyway, it goes and you put it on the dog collar and it works super. It's a waterproof thing on the collar. So if your dog likes to go out and play in the water, no big deal.

[00:27:17] Eric Goranson: But this is a really cool way to do it. Now it is about a 400 piece through them because it's on sale. It looks like right now, but they're regular about four 79. They've got it on sale on their website today, at least at three 99, but you're just basically cutting a hole in the door and it's just a great way to keep your pets in now and let them out when you need to.

[00:27:37] Eric Goranson: And so it's a really good, got industrial grade stuff in it. So it's a heavy duty door and pretty quick to install as well. So that's something to take a look and they've really engineered these to last a lifetime with the Lexan door and stuff in it. It's just an airtight seal that'll save you on the power bills if you're trying to let the dogs out.

[00:27:57] Eric Goranson: So it's not a bad thing. I want to get me come [00:28:00] back here from break. I want to talk about. One of the biggest misconceptions with dogs, and that's going to be wood flooring, because I'm seeing companies out there that are selling wood flooring online that is pet proof. Quite frankly, I think that's not true.

[00:28:16] Eric Goranson: You can't really have a pet proof product that's made out of wood because There's some things you'd have to do so it doesn't get damaged. We'll talk about that just as soon as a round the house returns.[00:29:00]

[00:29:01] Eric Goranson: It's the end of the show. Drinking down people, it's time to go. It's that time again, it's last call. Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we hope you get the most outta your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. If you wanna find out more about us, head over to around the house online.com.

[00:29:20] Eric Goranson: Or give us a call in the studio at 833 239 4144. That number again is 833. Two, three, nine, four, one, four, four. I've been talking here earlier. We were having a great discussion with Connor from crocodile cloth. And now we're talking about really trying to come up with a healthy environment for your dogs and pets inside your house.

[00:29:41] Eric Goranson: And so my cleaning tips as well. So we were talking as we went on to break. About flooring and I think here's the deal and I'm just going to cut to the chase with this I don't like to sit here and and beat around the bush at all about these products that are out there I think being sold incorrectly [00:30:00] because there are pre finished floor products out there That are saying that they're pet proof, and if it's made of wood, let's be honest, it's not.

[00:30:08] Eric Goranson: Here's what happens. If you have a dog accident with a wood floor, when you put in a pre finished wood floor, it is not sealed between those planks. And if you have to cut it or do anything else, These are things that just happen. It could be resistant that maybe they did finish all the sides of this material.

[00:30:30] Eric Goranson: Maybe they did do some of that, but all it takes is one little scratch and now you've got a place for dog urine, water, everything else to get in there. And it's still made of wood. You can't sit there and do a pet proof product made out of real wood, especially if it's oak or Walnut or one of those and have that last.

[00:30:49] Eric Goranson: It's just not going to. And the problem is you're not seeing the national companies do this, but there's some smaller companies out that are saying that if you want to have a pet proof product, you need to go with [00:31:00] tile. You need to go with luxury vinyl plank. If you are going to do wood, I would recommend a sand and finish in place where you've got the finish over the whole top surface.

[00:31:10] Eric Goranson: So that way it'll be a little bit better off because when you sand and finish a finish in place, like you would a normal hardwood floor that is three quarter inch solid material, you nail it, glue it down, whatever you're doing. Then you sand it, put on your stain, your sealer, your finished coat. That's gonna be probably the most durable out of those because now you've got a consistent surface across the top.

[00:31:34] Eric Goranson: And yes, you will have some little cracks that are expansion contraction, but it's still gonna be pretty pet proof as far as it goes, but it's never gonna be foolproof. When it's a piece of wood. And so that's the thing. And that's one thing that I say with manufacturers warranties, if somebody gives you a warranty on that floor, one, it has to be on a prefinished floor.

[00:31:55] Eric Goranson: It has to be installed exactly how the manufacturer recommends it. And then you want that to [00:32:00] be a large national company that has a warranty that will stand behind it. So if it's like an Armstrong or Dow or anybody out there, that's one of these big companies and they say, Hey, it's pet proof, then guess what?

[00:32:12] Eric Goranson: It probably is going to be, at least they're going to replace it, or at least the material. So take a look at the warranty, understand it. Before you go spend that big dollars of trying to put wood and make it survive your pets, just understand what its limitations are and what your expectations are for the product.

[00:32:30] Eric Goranson: If you have to do the floor again in five years and you're totally cool with that. Awesome. Go enjoy it. If it gets damaged, you can always put another one in, but just be careful out there. So what are the things that I have really noticed? And this is something that you're seeing now out there is people doing projects building a dog wash.

[00:32:49] Eric Goranson: And I'm going to do one here on television here coming up in the next few weeks. I'm going to build a dog wash station outside. So when the dogs are playing in the mud, I can take them over there or Julie can take them over there and wipe them, [00:33:00] wash them, get them cleaned up before they come inside the house.

[00:33:03] Eric Goranson: So that way we don't have to take them all the way upstairs to the shower to get them cleaned up to have that area. And I'm going to do it outside because even though it freezes. In the winter time, I'm going to create a space that can be out there that we can get the dogs cleaned up. And in the winter time, it's not that muddy because things are frozen.

[00:33:19] Eric Goranson: So it's not that big a deal, but I want to have it where I get them clean before they come into the house. So if you've got a space in your garage or shop, you want to do that. It's a great place to do it. Now, one of the things that, uh, I have bought for my outdoor dog area that I'll go out about once a month and do, and this is, we were just talking about that with my pet door.

[00:33:40] Eric Goranson: What I like to do, it's made by Odoban, and it is a hose in sprayer that you can use outside, and it has enzymes that actually will eat all of the stuff that smells. So if you've got an area outside that maybe the cats are in, and they're urinating, or you've got that with dogs, Or that's the place that [00:34:00] you've trained your dog to go, especially if you have artificial turf, you can go out there, spray this stuff down.

[00:34:05] Eric Goranson: And it is like the fresh air scent without having to put a bunch of perfumes and stuff down for the dogs that might bother them. This is just a great way to wet it down, let it dry before you let the dogs out there, but the enzymes will go through and eat up any of those smells. And if you want to freshen up that area of the yard, where maybe they've been going a lot, this is a great way to do it.

[00:34:26] Eric Goranson: So it's a great product. It's made by autobahn. You can get it a lot of places. I think my Home Depot store had it in a real, it's really good stuff. And so those guys make some great materials out there for clean. And it's one of those things that, uh, you know, American made great stuff and you can literally just.

[00:34:46] Eric Goranson: Put it on the end of your hose and go out and deal with it. So take a look at that. It's a great spring cleaning hack for dealing with pets. And, uh, these guys are really good. And that's one thing that I do like their materials here is that they have [00:35:00] disinfectants. They have stuff for cleaning up fire and floods.

[00:35:03] Eric Goranson: They have a lot of different products. And I think the pet one is the smartest here for doing outside because you can literally go through and it will just absolutely absolutely. Outdoor and yard. It's their odor eliminator and it's actually uses a yucca natural deodorizing agent and biological enzymes.

[00:35:23] Eric Goranson: So take a look at that. It's a great way to clean up outside. And if you've got people coming over, it's a good way to go. So just put it on the end of your hose and you're awesome. Now, one of the things too, that, that is really good that I just used here. And it was pretty impressive. And this was something that I really enjoyed.

[00:35:42] Eric Goranson: There is a new, there's a new broom out there that has a leaf blower attachment on the end of it. And this is something that's really cool that I think is something that's important for people out there that have dog hair and hard floors. And this is, it's called the arrow broom. [00:36:00] And so you've got a broom on one side just came out on the market here.

[00:36:05] Eric Goranson: Literally two weeks ago. And it is a cool product. I got to test it out and play with it. But what you do is you go around and you've got a broom on one side and it's got a little tiny USB C chargeable blower on the end of it and it only wears, yes, geez, weighs two pounds. And so it's easy. Anybody can use this.

[00:36:24] Eric Goranson: It's meant for cleaning upside on your outside patio. But what the cool thing is, if you've got dog hair, that's getting under the fridge, the range. You can actually go around your house and actually blow this out with the arrow broom. And it's a great way to go. It's no bigger than your normal broom anyway.

[00:36:41] Eric Goranson: And it's a really good, good piece. I'm going to have him on the show at some point, but it's two pounds has a high speed motor that runs at 15, 000 RPM, rechargeable battery. And it'll run about. 30 minutes. So it's pretty good with a dual speed control. So these are things for getting around the house, getting the pet hair off of things.

[00:36:58] Eric Goranson: You can blow it without getting [00:37:00] out the leaf blower because the leaf blower, you don't want to bring in the house, especially if it's gas, even the electric ones, it's too powerful and you're going to make a mess out of it. So that's another great thing for dealing with pets. That's another one of my tricks right there.

[00:37:12] Eric Goranson: And then, uh, I've got a new one coming up here that I'm going to play with as well, because I have. On my lower floor here in my house, I have all hard floors. And that's one thing that with pets that I recommend, especially with dogs, just get rid of the carpets. And if you have carpets, have area rugs that you can take out and have cleaned.

[00:37:31] Eric Goranson: And that way you have those hard surfaces because it will just be easier to clean it with humans. We put off enough of our own dander and skin stuff that comes off of us through our natural day that creates dust and things, but when you have pets, you're just tripling in it, quadrupling it. And depending on how many pets you have, if you have those hard surfaces, then you can go through and it gives you something to mop, something to vacuum, something to sweep, or if you want to get tricky, you can go out and get one of those robot facts that will actually go out [00:38:00] and do it for you.

[00:38:01] Eric Goranson: And put it on a schedule and do that, but really take your time with this. And then the other thing is get some really good air cleaners for your house. If you've got that, whether it's your HVAC filter, or if you've got baseboard heat, Get one of those HEPA filters in there so you can go through and keep that cleaned up.

[00:38:20] Eric Goranson: I think it's a smart idea for all of you pet owners out there to make sure and just keep your air cleaner. The dogs will actually naturally bring in that dust and stuff because they're playing outside. They're playing inside and so many dogs out there are shedders. And so you've got that pet hair everywhere.

[00:38:37] Eric Goranson: This can be a great way to do it. Hey, if you have any of your own tips, send them over to me. I'll put them up in a future episode, head over to around the house online. com. And hopefully I brought some new stuff here for you in this last bit of the show for all of you dog owners out there and for cat owners as well.

[00:38:53] Eric Goranson: There's a lot of cool tricks out there. I am not one, so I'm not claiming to be the expert on that, but there's a lot of robotic cat boxes and [00:39:00] stuff out there that make life easier for you as well. Alright, everybody, have a great rest of your week. We'll see you next weekend, and if you're listening to us in the podcast, we'll see you Wednesday on the midweek.

[00:39:09] Eric Goranson: Special thanks for tuning into Around the House. We'll see you in a week