If you have pets, you’ll understand that a new puppy or kitty can be mischievous. Your pet may chew on furniture, tear apart carpets or, in my case, lick the floor for absolutely no reason. In the last blog post, I mentioned my pup, Louie, whom my family adopted from a pet shelter two years ago. Adopting a young pup is a fun experience, however, it made me question the products I use in my household. You may ask yourself, as I did…are my cleaning products safe with my pets around?
There are hundreds of cleaning products sold each day from floor cleaners, dust rags to powdery chemicals. Obviously, we want to keep our homes clean and germ-free. But regardless, if you are a name-brand connoisseur or live on generic brand street (like myself), pet owners need to understand that some cleaning products can cause harm to your four-legged best friend. Some cleaners can cause burns on your pets’ paws or even stomach troubles if the product is swallowed. In worse-case scenarios, pet-friendly products can be fatal. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty on pet-safe cleaning products.
Floor Cleaners
Non-toxic products are a good place to start when researching safe for pet cleaners. Name brand products such as Bean & Lily Floor Cleaner can be bought from Amazon.com. If you are looking for something more reasonable and without shipping, check out Fabuloso Multi-purpose Cleaners which are non-hazardous to pets and babies. The Swiffer brand has wet and dry kits specifically for pets and convenient for unexpected paw prints through the kitchen. Simple Green products are also safe for pets and offer a variety of options such as multi-surface, carpet, and glass cleaners. These three items can be purchased at a local discount store or online.
Furniture Sprays
Have you suddenly discovered that your kitchen or dining room chair legs have teeth marks on them? This is probably due to a teething puppy who needs to chew on anything that stands still. This is where I am with my pup, Louie, who still has his puppy teeth and chews my woodwork like a beaver. Petco.com has some great deals on deterrent sprays for cats and dogs. Four Paws Keep Off repellent, for example, is less than ten dollars and can be applied daily to surfaces. Kitty-approved anti-scratch repellents can also be purchased online but be sure to look for a natural product with simple ingredients such as herbal blends.
DIY
If you really want to be mindful of the products you use in your homes, try creating your own pet-safe cleaning products. An all-purpose hard floor cleaner can be created by combining one cup of vinegar and one liter of water. For the glass front of your oven, use five tablespoons of lemon juice with two liters of water. Carpets are a breeze with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dishwashing liquid. It may be extra work to create these concoctions, but they work just as well and, in some cases, even better.
Remember to not use any type of bleach or ammonia and watch spray bottle cleaners as they can travel in the air and land on your pet’s water bowl. Personally, I have used Swiffer products for over twenty years. It is convenient and safe, and I know my pup Louie isn’t being harmed when he unexplainably licks the kitchen floor (can anyone tell me why?). Remember to check with your veterinarian for other tips on safe cleaning products!
All proceeds from Thousand Hills Pet Resort support New Life K9s. New Life K9s provides service dogs to veterans and first responders with PTSD at no cost to them.
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