When you own a pet, you accept you have to clean up after them as part of your weekly chores. But what a lot of people don’t realise is that many of the most common household cleaning products we use to keep our homes clean are actually quite harmful to dogs and cats. Here’s an overview of the things you need to watch out for.
If swallowed, these products could be fatal
Bleach, oven cleaner, laundry capsules and dishwasher tablets… all of these products carry a warning that says, ‘keep away from children’. But it’s equally important that you keep these products away from cats and dogs, too. If your pet was to swallow one of these substances, the results could be fatal. Even just inhaling the gases given off by things like bleach and oven cleaner can make your dog or cat feel very unwell.
How dogs and cats can get poisoned by non-pet safe cleaning products
Dogs and cats are inquisitive animals. So, like small children they’ll often explore the house looking for things that catch their eye. And like children, they’re not aware of the dangers posed by the cleaning products we take for granted. That’s why it’s so important to keep these products out of the way of your pets. It’s all too easy for cats and dogs to drink a toxic substance or walk through a spill and then lick the substance off their paws. If you’ve ever seen your dog drink from the toilet bowl, can you imagine how easy it would be for them to do so just after you’ve put toilet cleaner down?
Harmful chemicals to look out for
A simple rule to live by is that if you wouldn’t put a chemical in your own mouth then you should keep it as far away from your pets as possible. The last thing you want is for your dog or cat to end up licking a harmful substance off a surface that you’ve failed to rinse thoroughly. Even a small amount of cleaning product can make your pet poorly. Next time you’re doing your housework, pause a moment to look at the list of ingredients on the back of the cleaning products you use. It’s likely you’ll find they include one or more of these toxins:
Ammonia
Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
Perchloroethylene (PERC)
Phenols
Phthalates
Sodium Hydroxide
Triclosan
You’ll find these chemicals in everything from bleach and toilet cleaner to drain cleaner and floor cleaners. And while in small amounts they’re relatively safe to use around humans, each of these chemicals are harmful to both cats and dogs.
If you must use non-pet safe cleaning products, rinse well
The trouble with a lot of home cleaning products is that the directions for use aren’t always totally clear. For example, many people don’t realise that for an anti-bacterial spray to be effective you need to leave it on the surface for a good couple of minutes. After this point, you need to rinse thoroughly to get rid of any residue. This is particularly important when you have pets as even the slightest trace of these chemicals can make your dogs or cats unwell.
Here are two pet-safe cleaning methods you can trust
It’s actually pretty simple to keep your home clean without relying on toxic cleaning chemicals. And the really good news is that when you find safe pet cleaning products, or cleaning methods, chances are you’ll have found an environmentally-friendly one too. For example, steam cleaning is a great way of keeping your home clean from top to bottom. A product like the Thane H2O HD produces steam of over 200°c giving it the power to loosen and lift stubborn stains and grime. But not only that, it even kills bacteria too. For example, the Thane H2O HD steam mop is scientifically proven to eliminate 99% of household bacteria, and even dust mites. Yet because steam cleaning requires no harmful chemicals, it’s a 100% pet safe cleaning method, as well.
Pet-safe cleaning using salt and water
Another great pet safe cleaning product is the Thane H2O e3 cleaning system. It uses water, salt and electricity to create electrolysed S-Water™ – a pet safe cleaning solution that both sanitises and deodorises. A low level of electricity is passed through the saltwater, which in turn creates two powerful oxidants. The first is a pet safe cleaner that cuts through grease and grime, while the second is a sanitiser and deodoriser. You can use your Thane H2O e3 cleaning system in all sorts of ways. For example, the mop is great for wiping away muddy pawprints or pet mess, while the sprayer does a great job of keeping your pet’s bed clean and odour-free. And that’s all possible because the Thane H2O e3 is 100% safe to use around pets.
Discover how you can introduce effective, pet safe cleaning into your home, thanks to Thane, here.
