Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Better late than never! Before you get busy, have you ever stopped to consider how the chemicals you use to clean your home can pose a threat to your family and pets? Many pet parents and people, in general, are switching to natural, pet-safe cleaners for their home, but why?
1. Natural cleaning solutions that you can easily make at home are non-toxic and reduce or eliminate the risk of health issues associated with using toxic chemicals (many name-brand cleaners contain quite a few harsh chemicals that will at the very least irritate your pet if ingested even in small amounts). Remember, your pets are four paws to the floors and other surfaces in your home. They also lick those same surfaces and their little (or big) paws that have come in contact with those surfaces. It would be impossible to prevent your pet from licking his paws and so by switching to a natural cleaner, you can be free of any guilt that you are slowly letting your pet ingest toxic chemicals.
2. Using natural products will save you money over time. It truly is less expensive! Who doesn’t want to have a few more bucks to put in the bank… or spend on more pet toys? With just a few ingredients that you can buy in bulk, you can create cost-effective, natural cleaning ingredients right in the comfort of your own home. Don’t worry about throwing out the cleaners you currently have as you can easily transition over time.
3. Natural cleaning products are not only pet-safe and child-safe but they are safe for the environment, too. You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to show good conscience towards the environment that we live in, and it doesn’t hurt that protecting the environment also helps protect the furry critters that Fido likes to watch on his walks or from the window. Go green!
What to buy? The following products are must haves for your tool box of natural cleaning agents. Most of these products may be used alone or in combination with other products on the list to keep your home spic and span in a safe way!
- Borax*
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Toothpaste
- Table Salt
- Castile Soap
- Cooking oil
- Lemons
Now what? Start with these easy, breezy natural and pet-safe cleaning solutions and you’ll be on your way to a clean home that is safe for your family and pets!
Kitchen Cleaner
In a spray bottle, mix the following:
4 tablespoons of baking soda
1 quart of warm water
Oven Cleaner
Equal parts water and borax*
For every ½ cup of borax and water, add one teaspoon of vinegar
Dishwasher detergent
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup of borax*
½ cup of salt
½ cup of lemons
Tub Scrubber
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax*
*Borax is generally considered a pet-safe, natural cleaning ingredient for pet-friendly areas, but if your pet eats a sizeable amount of pure dry borax powder, it might cause some mild irritation or tummy upset. It’s considered as safe as salt or baking soda, both things that would also cause irritation if your pooch ate a whole box of either! Please contact your vet if this happens to ask him/her how much borax is enough to worry about.
How’s that for a start? For more information about cleaning your home using natural, pet-safe ingredients, check out Ben Night’s book “Natural Green Cleaning: How to Organize, Clean, and Keep Your Home spotless Without Toxic Cleaners” or check out “The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Products You Can Make Yourself – the Natural, Chemical Free Way” by Becky Rapinchuk. You can also find Becky on her website: Clean Mama. We hope you will be well on your way to a happy and safe spring (err, summer) cleaning experience!
During our time with your pet, we make sure to clean up any mess we made during the visit, and part of our meet and greet includes asking which cleaners you would like us to use (and where they are located in your home) in case of any accidents or muddy paw prints. Contact us for more information on our walking packages.
Recent Comments