Cleaning your home when you have pets can be made extra difficult by the constant worry that you’re using a product in your home that may affect your pets. You don’t want this to be the case, so make sure you’re using products within your home to clean your couch that is safe for your pets. It can be really difficult to keep a tidy home and pets at the same time, so take the time to look into your cleaning products before using them in your home.
Which cleaning products are not safe to use with pets?
You really have to think about everything when cleaning your home when you’ve got pets. For example, dogs especially may lick the floors and this may result in them ingesting chemicals, which will be detrimental to their overall health. Think of it like this, if you wouldn’t put the cleaning product in your mouth, then don’t allow your pet to lick or put it in their mouth either. There are some chemicals that are regularly found in household cleaners that are very harmful to pets and these include; chlorine, ammonia, formaldehyde, phenols and sodium hydroxide. Make sure that your pets don’t come into contact with any of these named substances.
Can cleaning with bleach ever be safe if you’ve got pets?
Bleach contains some of the poisonous chemicals that we have just mentioned. So, can cleaning with bleach ever be safe? So long as your pet doesn’t come into direct contact with the bleach, you should be okay to continue to use it in your home. If you spill bleach somewhere, make sure that you have rinsed the entire area and keep windows and ventilation vents open for as long as possible. This will minimise the risk of your pet licking a surface that has had bleach on it. There are several products that don’t contain bleach which would make for a safer alternative to use within your home if you’ve got pets.
Are there any cleaning products that are safe for use with pets?
We know that all the information we have just given you can seem a little scary and have put you off cleaning for life. But don’t worry too much. There are so many ways that you can keep your home clean without the use of toxic chemicals which may affect your pets. Look out for cleaning products that have ‘non-toxic’ and ‘pet-safe’ written on them.
What are the pet-safe ways of cleaning my home?
The good news is that there are some easy things you can do to make your cleaning pet-safe. Here are some of the ways you can ensure that you have both a clean home and safe pets.
Keep cleaning products out of the way
Some pets can be quite clever and curious, which may mean that they find their way into cupboards they shouldn’t. The best way to ensure that your pet never comes into contact with poisonous cleaning products is to store them high up and locked away. If you’ve got children, you may already have this protocol in place, however, it should be in place if you’ve got pets in your home too.
Read the labels on the back of chemicals
Reading the labels on cleaning products is again, one of the easiest ways to ensure nothing toxic to your pets even enters your home. If the label says that they are not pet-free, then make sure to follow the step above and keep the product out of the way of your pets.
Make sure your pet is out of harm’s way
Pets can sometimes get in the way when you’re cleaning your home anyway, so shut them in another room or get another member of your family to take them out. They can tread muddy paws through your lovely clean floors and sometimes even doors. So, if you are cleaning the areas that your animals will use, don’t let them back into the room before everything is dry and use water to rinse any harmful chemicals off surfaces. After cleaning, open windows and doors to make sure the air can circulate in the room and remove any toxic particles. It’s all about the balance of keeping your house clean, and your pets safe.
