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Muddy paw prints tracked across the floor and nose prints stamped on the window help make a house a home, but daily life with dogs and cats can make staying tidy difficult. Sometimes it feels like a never-ending struggle between you and a layer of dirt and fur. So we dust, mop and scrub our homes to keep them clean for all of our family members. But is all this cleaning safe for our four-legged friends?
Harmful Cleaning Products: What You Need to Know
Some of the products that clean and disinfect our homes can harm our dogs and cats.
Topping the list of hazardous cleaning products are bleach, laundry detergent pods and phenol-based disinfectants such as Lysol and Pine-Sol. Bleach is a powerful disinfectant, but it is also a strong alkali (the opposite of an acid), which means it can erode paw pads if a pet walks through it, or can damage mouths and throats if ingested.
Pets can mistake laundry pods as food. The concentrated detergent in the pods can irritate the stomach and induce vomiting, or coat the airways and prevent breathing.
Phenol-based disinfectants effectively kill bacteria and viruses, but are toxic to both dogs and cats. Cats are especially sensitive to phenols and even small amounts absorbed through the skin can be deadly.
Minimizing the Risk
If you use commercial cleaning products in your home, store them in a latched cabinet or closet where your pet cannot access them. When cleaning, keep your pets in another area and dry all surfaces before they are allowed back in. Cats and dogs can accidentally ingest potentially harmful chemicals when they get cleaning product residue on their fur and then groom it off.
What to Do If Your Pet Is Exposed to Toxic Cleaners
Even when we're cautious, pets can eat or drink non-food items faster than you can take action. If you know your dog or cat has been exposed to a potentially harmful cleaning product, seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. Depending on the chemical and the level of exposure, supportive care and monitoring may be all that's required to prevent your pet from getting really sick.
Sometimes you may not be aware of the exposure. Signs of a potential poisoning in a dog or cat include vomiting, difficulty breathing, convulsions or seizures, abdominal pain, red and inflamed paw pads or skin (if there was contact exposure), decreased appetite and general lethargy. These signs can even appear out of the blue. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your veterinarian immediately.
Pet-Friendly Homemade Cleaners
Today's commercial cleaners are relatively new to home life; the majority of modern products were invented after WWII. Before that, people relied on soap made from animal fats (such as lanolin from sheep's wool) or vegetable oils (such as olive oil) plus kitchen staples including white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and water. You can make your own non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner with these quick and easy recipes.
Tips & Techniques for Pet-Friendly Cleaning
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1. Minimize the Mess
- Keep food and treats confined to an easy-to-clean room, such as the kitchen. This keeps food and crumbs in one space and helps prevent your pets from tracking them around the house and grinding them into carpets.
- Keep a rag or small towel near the door when your pets come inside. Wipe wet and muddy paws and clean up any dirty tracks while they are still fresh and easier to clean up.
- Invest in a good vacuum. It may seem expensive, but a powerful vacuum with a revolving brushroll helps suck up embedded dirt and fur and keeps carpets looking and smelling nicer, longer.
- Brush your dog or cat daily or every other day. Frequent brushing knocks out loose fur and dirt and cuts down on the amount of loose fur pets ingest when grooming.
2. Deodorize with Baking Soda
Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate, is not only a handy baking agent but also a deodorizer and mild abrasive. Tackle pet stains and odors with these applications:
- Sprinkle into a clean and empty litter box before filling it with the litter of your choice.
- Add to the washing machine along with laundry detergent to freshen up pet bedding.
- Sprinkle on carpets and allow to sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.
- Mix with a small amount of water to make a non-toxic paste to clean sinks, pet bowls and non-porous countertops.
3. Disinfect with Vinegar
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which acts as a cleaner and disinfectant. To clean with this household staple:
- Mix one part vinegar and one part water to make a bacterial disinfectant for countertops and other non-porous surfaces.
- Mix one part vinegar and four parts water to clean windows and other glass surfaces as well as remove soap scum and hard water deposits on glass and tile.
- A more diluted solution of one part vinegar to 10 parts water makes for an effective all-purpose cleaner.
4. Freshen Up with Lemons
Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is also a good cleaner and disinfectant. Either fresh squeezed or store-bought lemon juice can be used in place of vinegar in any of the above ratios to help your home look and smell good. Once all food scraps have been removed, rub cut lemon wedges on butcher blocks to remove odors and sanitize. This keeps the wood surface food-safe for both humans and pets that may jump on counters and lick up food scraps when you're not looking.
5. Dilute with Water
Blot fresh carpet stains with cold water to remove discoloration resulting from vomit, urine or feces. For small spills or other little messes, wipe counters and floors with water and a clean microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths have the ability to hold more dirt, grime and bacteria than other materials, without harsh chemicals.
6. Purchase Non-Toxic Products
Not all store-bought cleaning agents will harm your pet (if used properly). Check out the non-toxic options at your pet store—just check the label to make sure the product is safe to use around children and pets. Many store-bought disinfectants and stain and odor removers include some of the non-toxic ingredients mentioned above, like baking soda, water and lemon to clean your home without putting your pets in danger.
While humans don't go around licking the floors, windows or countertops—or our hands and feet—pets do. Think twice about the products you use to clean your home. When it comes to cleanup, prevention is the best option. Leave training pads around the house in the event of an accident and have pet-safe stain and odor removers on hand so you don't need to run out last minute and settle for a product that isn't safe for your pet. Switching to DIY or non-toxic cleaners can help keep your home fresh and clean and your pets happy and healthy.