Eco-friendly house cleaning tips if you own a pet

Having a pet inside your home means you have to clean a bit more frequently than you usually do. However, you need to keep your pet and your family healthy, which is not possible if you’re using harmful chemicals. Moreover, it doesn’t do any good for the environment, either.

So, it’s best to read on and see how you can maintain your home clean with a pet inside it and still stay on the eco-friendly side.

How certain chemicals hurt pets

In general, animals are more endangered by harmful chemicals than people because they are closer to the floor. That makes it easier for the dust particles with toxins to enter their bodies. It’s especially dangerous for dogs because they spend most of their time lying on the floor. Plus, certain chemicals can burn their feet.

Ammonia, which can be found in polishing cleaners, is harmful when breathed in. As animals have smaller lungs than us, no wonder it can hurt them more.

Another substance that can be especially dangerous to pregnant animals is 2-butoxyethanol. It irritates eyes and nose and can cause birth defects. It’s even more dangerous because it smells sweet, which attracts animals.

Know your labels

Not every substance is equally non-harmful for every type of animal. For example, pyrethrins, among other substances, are not harmful to dogs, but they are for cats and especially for fish. Furthermore, toxins in aerosol containers are very harmful to reptiles and birds.

“Natural” doesn’t always mean “safe for pets“

Even if you try to be eco-friendly and use natural substances and ingredients, some of them could harm your pet. Essential oils, for example, can harm your pet if they are misused, especially tea tree oil, which can be deadly for cats.

Choose pet-safe and eco-friendly commercial cleaners

If you prefer buying commercial cleaning products, here’s how you can choose those which are pet-safe and still environmentally friendly.

You need to look for products that have been labelled as “pet-friendly“. However, that’s not all. To make sure the products will also take care of the environment, they also need to be labelled as “chemical-free“, “non-toxic“, as well as “biodegradable“.

Other cleaning tips

To achieve pristine hygiene inside your home, some things should be left to professionals. Things like rugs and carpets get covered with your pet’s hairs and no matter how thoroughly you vacuum it, there will always be something left behind or a stain that won’t go off.

Environmentally-friendly solutions are highly present in developed countries, such as Australia. Over there, steam carpet cleaning on Central Coast, as well as other parts, is highly popular. The reason is that steam cleaning is eco-friendly and non-harmful to your family and your pet.

If you use easy-to-clean mats under your pet’s bowls, you will prevent stains and spills on the carpet or wooden floor. Your pet’s washable toys can be washed with bed covers but those that can’t go into the washer should be soaked in hot water and cleaned with the designated brush.

When washing your pet’s clothes, avoid dry cleaning – it usually involves chemicals that could remain inside the clothes, and irritate your pet’s skin.

In spring, it’s better to start grooming your pet more frequently to get ahead of the excessive shedding. Warm weather will force you to clean your furniture from hairs more often but you can reduce it if you have your pet groomed more than usual, including trimming and a proper bath.

Natural and safe cleaning products

baking soda
safe for you, your pet, and the environment, it’s effective and easy to get;
lemon juice
a natural acid great for fighting bacteria;
soap
if it’s unscented, it’s biodegradable, and also very effective at cleaning almost anything. Just don’t use soaps containing petroleum distillates;
white vinegar
excellent from removing grease, odors, mildew, as well as stains;
alcohol
great disinfectant, especially vodka for removing unpleasant smells, while grain alcohol is usually used for cleaning;
washing soda
also known as SAL Soda, this is a mineral that removes grease, softens water, removes hardcore stains and successfully cleans tubs, tiles, and walls. However, don’t use it on aluminum and be careful as it could irritate mucous membranes;
cornstarch
you can use it to clean carpets, rugs, and windows, but also to polish furniture.

Bottom line

It’s important to keep your pet healthy and to make sure it isn’t too obvious he/she is living inside. While sometimes it can be annoying having to clean up regularly after your pet, it doesn’t mean you should lose your own health and the environment out of sight.

It’s achievable to remain eco-friendly even if you keep your pet inside your home, and to keep everybody healthy and away from chemicals and toxins that come in many cleaning products.

Author Bio
Ron Wolf is a hobby designer and a DIY enthusiast, and, above all, a very blessed father of two. Besides that, he has a strong passion for writing. He is a featured blogger at various blogs and magazines in which he shared his research and experience with the vast online community. If he is not working he enjoys being outside with his family. Hiking, bike riding, and BBQing are always a thing for him. In the evening, he likes to watch documentaries or build something with kids in their lego corner.