Enjoy Your Furry Friends and a Clean House

Enjoy Your Furry Friends and a Clean House

Many of us have pets at home that we cannot imagine living without; they are family members. Unfortunately, power cleaning chemicals can be toxic for pets and children. Keeping the house clean is essential, but be mindful of the products you use to get the job done.

Keeping pet hair and dust under control helps improve your home's indoor air quality (IAQ). Here are some cleaning products that are safe to use around pets and children.

Natural Plant-based Cleaners

You've probably seen these in the stores. Be sure to read the labels if you're concerned about what you're purchasing. Also, steer clear of bleach, formaldehyde, isopropyl, or phenols. Other products such as toilet bowl pods or toilet bowl cleaner can also be toxic if your pet likes to sneak a drink from the coldest water bowl in the house.

Sprays that contain disinfectants can be toxic if ingested while still wet. If you mop or wipe down surfaces that pets frequent, make sure that surfaces are dry before letting them back into the space.

Laundry

Some laundry products can be toxic to pets as well, especially unused dryer sheets. If ingested, they can cause an upset stomach, potential internal blockages, and vomiting. a used dryer sheet is less toxic but should be removed from your clean laundry and placed into a wastebasket as you remove items from a dryer.

Safe Alternatives and Different Solutions

There are alternatives and solutions to keeping toxic products away from pets while maintaining a clean home.

Weather-tolerant pets can be kept outside while you clean to keep them from accidental harm.

Tech and Tools

Most of us are familiar with vacuums and carpet cleaners. However, did you know that there are pet-specific cleaning tools? Consider upgrading your devices if you notice that they aren't getting the job done. Here's a great article from Rover on top-rated cleaning tools for pets. Grooming tools are also great for pets that shed frequently, controlling pet hair in the home. It might take a few tries to find the grooming tool that works best for you and your pets. Alternatively, having your pet routinely groomed by a professional is an option for those who can't groom their pets at home readily.

The everyday products that we use impact the home. It's essential to be mindful of that when purchasing cleaning products. Our furry friends don't have a say on how clean or dirty the house is. At the end of the day, they are totally worth the extra effort. Happy cleaning!