Finding a reliable pet safe cleaning product is not easy with all the options you have out there. Unfortunately, having a pet doesn’t make it any easier because many of these compounds are unsafe for pets!
So what cleaning products are pet safe (for cats and dogs)? In today’s article, we’ll walk you through a brief guide with all the information you need to pick a suitable cleaner you can safely use around your lovely companion. This includes top products, a list of toxic compounds to avoid, and household items that are reliable and pet safe. Let’s dive right in!
What Makes a Cleaning Product Pet Safe?
As a general rule of thumb, a cleaning product is considered pet safe if it contains no components that are considered toxic to pets by regulatory organizations, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Luckily, many brands have launched pet-friendly cleaner lines to save you the hassle of checking every product for potentially harmful chemicals. In addition to nontoxicity, the product shouldn’t cause severe irritations to the pet either through skin contact or by inhalation of fumes and vapours produced by the product. An additional bonus is that the product breaks down with time and is hypoallergenic.
Top 5 Pet Safe Cleaning Products on the Market
The best method to find pet safe products (for cats and dogs) is by checking the ingredients on the cleaner’s label and seeing if it contains any compounds that are generally avoided around pets.
To save you the hassle of scouring the market looking for safe products to use around your furry companion, here’s a quick list of our favourite cleaning products that are both effective and safe around pets:
- Biokleen Bac-Out Natural Stain Remover: One of the best overall cleaners out there that help you get rid of stubborn stains as well as odours without causing any harm to your pet
- Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner: It’s made of organic compounds that break down quickly, leaving no traces, making it an excellent heavy-duty cleaner that is 100% safe around pets.
- Puracy Professional Machine Detergent and Cleaner: An excellent carpet cleaner with unmatched capabilities from one of the most popular pet-friendly cleaning products manufacturers.
- Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator: One of the best deodorizing solutions on the market that is safe around pets and specializes in removing pet urine smell. The manufacturing company also has a long experience with commercial farms.
- PureGreen24 Safe All-Natural Disinfectant: Despite being a little pricey, this has a remarkably fast formula that kills all kinds of microbes and bacteria while staying safe for pets.
What Compounds Should You Avoid While Cleaning Around Pets?
Now that you have a better idea about the best pet safe cleaning products (for cats and dogs), let’s have a quick look at some of the red-flag compounds that you should never use with pets around the house:
Bleach & Ammonia
Bleach and ammonia are powerful acids and alkalis, respectively. This gives incredible powers against different kinds of hard stains. Ammonia is relatively common in ovens, glass, and drain cleaners. On the other hand, bleach is known for its excellent stain removing and disinfecting capabilities. However, the problem with the two chemicals is that they produce toxic fumes that can easily irritate your pet’s nose and eyes, let alone the damage they cause if they come in direct contact with the stuff, even after they dry up.
Benzalkonium Chloride
Like bleach, benzalkonium chloride is quite popular as a disinfectant and a powerful antibacterial. Although at low doses, it can be tolerable. However, they don’t break down quickly and can accumulate on your pet’s paws and cause severe irritation.
Phthalates
Although phthalates don’t have direct cleaning properties, they’re typically used in various deodorizers and are often listed as a fragrance. Phthalates can cause a wide variety of respiratory issues that can be pretty serious in pets with a strong sense of smell, such as dogs and cats.
Best Household Pet Safe Cleaning Solutions
In addition to the previously mentioned products, here are some of the DIY pet safe cleaning products that you might already have in your house that also happen to be safe for use around pets:
Baking Soda (Deodorizing Agent)
Baking soda is standard in all households because it has incredible cleaning abilities combined with a scrubbing brush. Moreover, it’s also been effective in removing urine stench! Luckily, this mild salt is safe around pets and won’t produce harmful fumes that can irritate that pet’s lungs.
Hydrogen Peroxide (Antiseptic)
Although hydrogen peroxide is a reasonably harsh chemical with the same effect as bleach, it has a lot of advantages that make it a miraculous solution for pet owners! First, it doesn’t have any bad smell, like bleach, and is highly effective in disinfecting surfaces within a few minutes. Additionally, it quickly breaks down into water and oxygen, so you don’t have to worry about your pet paws!
White Vinegar or Lemon Juice (Cleanser and Stain Remover)
Vinegar and lemon juice are mild and harmless acids known for their versatility while removing different stains. The smell might be off-putting to pets, but it quickly disappears once the surfaces dry up.
Tips to Maximize Safety While Cleaning Around Pets
- Keep your pets out of the area where you’re cleaning
- Never leave any cleaning product opened or unattended
- Clean after giving your pet some exercise time so they’re less active and eager to hang around
- Maintain proper ventilation in all rooms so evaporate the cleaning products and minimizes nasal irritation
- Never allow your pets back in the room before the products are rinsed or dried.
Wrap Up
With that said, you now have a complete answer to the famous question, “what cleaning products are pet safe?”.
As you can see, as long as you avoid the ingredients that are toxic or irritating to your pets’ skin, the product should be considered pet safe. If you want to save yourself the hassle of checking the ingredients of cleaners, consider using one of the pet safe cleaning products available on the market. Our West London tenancy cleaners recommend Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner because it’s an excellent all-around cleaner that deodorizes and removes stains while being completely safe around your lovely pet!
