How to Keep Your Pets Safe While You Clean Your Home
Pet Safe Cleaning Products
Our pets are our family, so we want to keep them safe from harmful and dangerous products and chemicals. However, when you have pets, daily cleaning around your home is necessary. From muddy paws on the carpet to pet fur on the sofa, there is always something that needs to be cleaned. We must ensure the products we use to clean our home aren’t hurting our pets, so it’s essential to educate yourself when it comes to pet safe cleaning products.
It is important to know what you are using when bringing chemicals into your home. Not all chemicals will have an immediate effect on your pet. By exposing your pet to certain chemicals, you could be putting them at risk for developing very serious illnesses down the road.
What Types of Cleaning Products are Safe for
Pets?
When it comes to choosing a good cleaning product for your pet-friendly home, you can choose to purchase a specific cleaner that is available on the market, or you can make your own DIY pet-friendly cleaner. Before purchasing a product that claims to be non-toxic to pets, be sure to research the ingredients.
Some good DIY ingredients you can use to clean your home while keeping your pets safe include baking soda, white vinegar, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. When you use natural products you are familiar with, you know what your pets are being exposed to.
Ingredients to Avoid
Avoid using any cleaning products that include ammonia, chlorine, bleach, phenols, alcohols, alkalis, glycol ethers, or formaldehyde. These ingredients can be found in many cleaners, air fresheners, soaps, and even some pet shampoos. These ingredients can also be harmful and poisonous to your pets.
Always read the labels on the cleaning products you are using. If there are ingredients you are unfamiliar with, look them up to see if they could be potentially harmful to your pet. Many companies have made it their focus to create pet safe cleaning products, but you can’t always take their word for it. Always read the label and see what chemicals you are working with before exposing them in your home.
DIY Products
If you want to use the safest pet-friendly cleaning products in your home, eliminate the manufactured cleaners you’ve purchased, and use DIY, all-natural products you probably already have in your cupboards. There are several common household items that can be used to help remove odors and stains that our pets can leave behind.
One mixture you can use is a vinegar-baking soda spray. Mix two cups of vinegar, two cups of water, and four tablespoons of baking soda into a spray bottle.
This spray works especially well at removing urine smells and other odors. After you’ve blotted up as much of the mess as you can, simply spray this mixture on the spot, and let it break down and deodorize for about five minutes. Then, vacuum over the area.
Another great DIY pet cleaning mixture is hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. This mixture will help with odors, but it’s also great for lifting stains. You will need paper towels or rags, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap.
Soak up any excess liquid and then sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on top of the stain. Mix half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoon of dish soap and pour this solution over the baking soda. Scrub the area, let it sit for 10–15 minutes, and then vacuum the area. Repeat these steps for tough stains.
Best Practices for Cleaning with Pets Around
Where you store your cleaning products is very important. Make sure your pet can’t get to the cleaning products by storing them up high, or by securing the cabinet doors with child safety locks.
Never use cleaning products when your pet is in the same room. Even if your pet doesn’t come into direct contact with the cleaning product, the vapors and fumes in the air can be enough to harm them. Allow the room to air out completely before allowing your pet to come back in.
It is also important to not leave behind any residue after you have cleaned. If you use a chemical to clean a spot on the carpet, get as much of the cleaner out of the carpet as you can so your pet doesn’t ingest any of it. If your pet picks up cleaning residue, they can spread the toxic chemicals onto their entire body while grooming themselves. This could ultimately result in your pet getting sick.
When you have pets, it’s a good idea to keep a lint roller and a handheld vacuum close by. Both items will help you keep unwanted pet fur off furniture, and off your clothes. Brushing your pet regularly will also help minimize shedding.
