You love your pets, but you also love a clean home. So how do you know if you’re buying pet-safe cleaning supplies? Pet-friendly cleaning has become an enormous industry as more and more people are taking notice and demanding companies consider their pets’ safety.
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Check the Label For Pet-Safe Cleaning Supplies
Do you know the old saying, KISS? Keep It Simple, Silly? When it comes to pet-safe cleaning, it starts with the simplest of strategies. First, read the label on the cleaning products. The product will list whether it is safe to use around pets or children and provide instructions on how to use it.
Some products will tell you they are pet-friendly cleaning supplies only after they dry. This means you must keep your dog or cat away from them because it would be dangerous if they sniff, lick, or walk on it when it is liquid. If you are ever in doubt, call your veterinarian or check this list put out by the AKC of dangerous products for dogs.
Utilize Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
When selecting pet-safe cleaning supplies, choose non-toxic cleaning products. However, when choosing these, still read the label and directions because even non-toxic products may cause issues if consumed or misused. Additionally, some natural products, such as essential oils, can cause problems for pets. Research natural products in the same way as any products when looking for pet-friendly cleaning supplies.
Store Pet-Safe Cleaning Supplies in a Secure Location
While you may have purchased pet-friendly cleaning supplies, you still don’t want Kitty or Rover to get into them when you aren’t around. Make sure to place them in a secured cabinet or pantry where your pets can’t access them, and double-check for other household hazards for your pets while you’re at it!
Keep Pets Away During House Cleaning
One of the most straightforward solutions for pet-safe cleaning is to keep your loving furry friends separated from you while you do your house cleaning. This prevents them from tracking paw prints across the floor, and you’ll know they are away from any potentially harmful chemicals that aren’t meant for pet-friendly cleaning.
In an emergency, call the Pet Poison Helpline immediately.
How Do I Clean With Pets?
We love our furry friends, but they require work to keep our homes looking their best. So, here’s a pet-friendly cleaning checklist to make it easier for us to maintain our homes with pets:
- Floors
- Pet toys
- Bowls
- Potty accidents
- Pet bedding
Give Floors a Deep Clean
With your furred loved ones bringing germs in from the outdoors and everyone in the house coming into contact with the floors daily, you will want to deep clean your floors often, perhaps as much as twice a week. Always vacuum first, even on hard floors, to ensure you pick up all pet hair first. Then make sure that you utilize pet-safe cleaning products for mopping!
Don’t Forget Those Pet Toys!
According to Martha Stewart, pet toys that are frequently played with will harbor bacteria and dirt, which you want to clean. Most toys can be cleaned using hot water and then squeezing dry. However, you do not want to use Lysol spray or any other detergent that uses harsh chemicals. These are definitely not safe pet-safe cleaning supplies because your pets carry their toys in their mouth, and these could poison your animal friend.
Always follow the cleaning instructions on the toy’s packaging. Washing with soap and hot water cleans most hard toys made from plastic or rubber. You will want to ensure these toys are thoroughly rinsed and dried before you give them back to your pet.
Other toys have different cleaning methods:
- Rubber toys
- Rope toys
- Stuffed animals
Soft Synthetic and Rubber Toys
When you have soft plastic toys for chewing or dental health, don’t put them in the dishwasher. They may melt. Instead, hand wash and dry them to remove all the dirt and germs.
Rope and Pull Toys
For toys made of rope, wet them, and place them in the microwave for at least a minute. This will be sufficient to kill all germs, mold, and yeast that might be present. Putting these toys through the washing machine on a hot cycle without detergent, which is a guaranteed pet-safe cleaning method, is also possible.
Stuffed Animals
We all know that pets love carrying their stuffed animals or favorite blankets around. These can go into the washing machine, although you will want to place them into a mesh garment bag or pillowcase to protect them from being damaged by the spin motion. You can also run it through the dryer on low.
It is a good idea to check their toys weekly, or, at minimum, every two weeks to ensure that their toys are in good shape. Throw out toys that are missing pieces or have ripped stuffing. For those toys that receive extra love, put them on an escalated pet-friendly cleaning schedule.
Wash Those Food and Water Bowls
We make sure to fill their bowls with food and water, but did you know that it’s essential to wash their bowls daily and sanitize them once a week, at least? Germs and bacteria quickly multiply on their bowls; if you own more than one pet, you might want to consider washing them in the dishwasher more often. So, add “pet bowl washing” to your checklist of things to clean every day.
Address Accidents Promptly
Lingering odors occur when our pets’ accidents aren’t addressed immediately. Keep pet-safe cleaning supplies on hand so that when an inevitable accident occurs, you can swiftly remedy it with the proper pet-friendly cleaning method.
Wash All Pet Bedding Weekly
Just as we wash our linens weekly, we also need to wash our loyal pets’ bedding. Be sure to wash all beds and blankets in the washing machine on a high-heat setting with pet-friendly cleaning detergent. This will get rid of any lingering dander and odor.
Pets can be a beautiful addition to anyone’s life but ensuring that we keep them safe when we clean our homes is vital. Luckily, there is a company that understands your love for pets and will partner with you in keeping your home clean with pet-friendly cleaning supplies.
Pure House Cleaning serves communities in and around Seattle, Bellevue, and Kirkland to help keep your home looking and feeling its best with cleaning that fits your schedule and budget. Visit our website to learn about our cleaning process, prices for cleaning in Seattle, other coverage areas, and more.