I LOVE a clean, tidy and fresh smelling home. I don’t much like cleaning it to get there, but it’s pleasant to live in a place that feels more like a sanctuary than a zoo, especially now when we’re spending more and more time at home.
With the company of two (or more) dogs, sometimes it does get a little stinky. Can’t we ever have anything nice? They really don’t care if they’ve rolled in something dead, if your dogs are allowed on the couch, bed, or carpet, the stink is getting in your home! Cleaning with dogs can be one heck of a chore!
I used to absolutely crave the smell of Fabuloso cleaner on my floors. That, or bleach. Ick! I think that we’re conditioned to like the smells of mass produced cleaner because when we clean with something like that, it smells clean! It’s wonderful to walk into a clean-smelling house. The problem is that many of these cleaners really aren’t all that great for our pets or our families. There are toxins all around us and our pets.
Why!?
Our pets are smaller than we are and have 4 legs that pretty much have full contact with the floor at all times. Our pets lay and roll around on the floor. My dogs lick the floor when something delightful meets it. They may drink out of the toilet bowl. They also lick their feet. A lot. With that kind of exposure to cleaning chemicals, it’s no wonder that our dogs are facing a cancer epidemic.
Most common mass-produced cleaning products contain artificial chemicals, bleach, ammonia and more toxins that can cause irritation, neurological issues, and even cancer.
Cleaning with Dogs: These are a Firm “NO!”
Simple Green
I absolutely LOVE the smell of Simple Green! It’s a mild sensation of black licorice. I know most people don’t like black licorice, but I’m among the minority that likes high quality black licorice. It’s even got the word “GREEN” on its label! Simple Green also cleans and degreases things really well! Too bad. I’ll never use it on anything in my home again.
Right before Franklin became sick, I would spray this stuff on my bathroom floors to clean them. It’s green, right? Wrong. According to a study by Environmental Working Group (EWG), this cleaner contains 2 butoxietanol, which is a solvent that is easily absorbed through the skin and eyes and can damage red blood cells and cause irritation.
Simple Green’s website and bottle instructions recommend diluting the cleaner before using. Except that it’s in a handy spray bottle, which gives the impression that you should spray it directly on the surface you’re cleaning.
No thanks.
Comet Cleaner
This was a go-to for me at one time. Ever wonder why it’s so cheap? Wonder no more. This stuff is nasty! It contains 146 different chemicals, including some that have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and asthma. Some of the worst offending ingredients in this stuff; formaldehyde, benzene (which is known to cause cancer; American Cancer Society), chloroform (that stuff you’d put on the cotton ball to kill the frogs in bio class), and toluene, which can affect the central nervous system. NO, no, no, no NO! I don’t want to breathe that junk, and I don’t want my pets breathing it!
Febreze Air Effects
The air “treatment or purifier” industry is BOOMING! It’s expected to reach $13 million/year by 2025 according to Allied Market Research. Remember, we’ve been conditioned to think that having a clean-smelling environment means that we have to use mass-produced air treatment products that are made of chemicals.
According to the EPA, indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times, and even up to 100 times worse than outdoor air pollution! Some things that contribute to our indoor air quality being so poor are air fresheners, plug-in air fresheners of all types (yes, I do miss my Bath and Body Works air plug ins), and scented candles that may continuously release chemicals into our indoor air.
Febreze Air Effects are one of the dirties! This nasty produces 89 air contaminants! I always wondered why this stuff smelled like fakeness covering up the nastiness (I could always smell a bit of garbage or ickiness layered under the scent of Febreze).
Another resounding, NO!
Ajax, Dynamo, and Fab Laundry Soaps
These seem like cleaners I always spot at the dollar store. I’m overly suspicious of the household products at the dollar store. This stuff really fits under the “Sometimes cheap is more expensive” rule that Judge Marilyn Milian on The People’s Court warns us about. Sometimes, if something is a good deal, it will end up being more expensive in the long run. In the case of these cleaners, the price that you may pay with your pet’s health or your own isn’t worth any amount of savings you’d realize by using it.
Again, these cleaners contain formaldehyde. This is the preservative that dead people are pumped full of to preserve them for the viewing. The junk that we’re being warned of leaching into our soil and our drinking water from the formaldehyde filled people just out of our sight. Cleaning with dogs and using this junk, also a NO.
Formaldehyde is classified as a carcinogen by both the US government and the World Health Organization.
OK, So I Still Enjoy a Clean Home. Now What?
I get it! I thoroughly enjoy a clean house. There are many DIY options for household cleaners that WILL NOT harm you or your pets and help you enjoy a sparkling clean home. An added bonus of DIY cleaners is that they save a TON of money! Most clean, quality DIY options are less expensive than that dollar store cleaner junk that can make you sick!
All Purpose Cleaner
This is the All-Purpose cleaner I can’t get away from… It cleans the stainless in my kitchen without streaking, it works on glass, wood and tile too! I mostly use it on my countertops and stainless appliances as it doesn’t leave streaks.
A simple mixture of Vodka (about ¼ cup to 5 cups of water), and about 10 drops of essential oil. CAUTION: I typically only use high-quality oils like DOTerra or Young Living. Other essential oils are often cut with suspicious ingredients. Also, be mindful of the scent of essential oil you are using; some oils, like eucalyptus, cinnamon, ylang ylang, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, and wintergreen are toxic to pets.
Another word of caution related to essential oils; many cats are far more sensitive to essential oils than dogs. Please research or talk to your veterinarian regarding use of specific oils in your home if you have cats.
I also caution you not to use this cleaner on floors, as it still has a bit of alcohol in it, which isn’t good for our pets.
White Vinegar Floor Cleaner
This is an excellent cleaner, is non-toxic, and kills most mold, germs and bacteria. Dilute a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water to clean floors and surfaces. If you would like it to smell nice, add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil scent. I personally enjoy tea tree oil, which also has antibacterial properties.
Castile Soap
Also non-toxic, and has a pleasant scent.
All Purpose Cleaner: Dilute a few drops of Castile Soap and water in a spray bottle.
Window Cleaner: Mix ¼-½ teaspoons of Castile Soap with 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.
Furniture Polish: Mix ½ teaspoon of oil such as olive oil, jojoba oil, or coconut oil, ¼ cup white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to clean and condition wood. This mixture can be kept in a container and applied with a dry cloth.
Sinks, Tub, and Tile Cleaner: You can mix this right as you’re cleaning. Combine ½ cup of baking soda and a little Castile Soap. Use it on a sponge or cleaning cloth and apply directly to the surface you are cleaning.
Carpet Deodorizer: I used to love the scent of Arm and Hammer Pet Fresh. No more. Even though it is baking soda based, synthetic, chemical fragrances are mixed in. The ingredient panel states, “contains fragrance allergens”. Although the ASPCA’s Poisonous Household Products website claims that carpet cleaners are generally safe when used properly (ie, don’t let your pet in the room until you’ve vacuumed it up), I don’t use them any more. Franklin lived most of his short 8 years amongst these cleaning chemicals because I didn’t know any better not to use them.
DIY Carpet Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda directly on carpets. Let it sit for 30 minutes and vacuum it up! The bonus is that it will also keep your vacuum cleaner smelling fresh too! If you like a little scent in your carpet cleaner, consider sprinkling just a little bit of crushed, dried lavender around the room when you sprinkle the baking soda.
Vomit or Urine on Carpet: Cleaning with Dogs and Their Accidents
If you can, clean up the mess when it’s wet. If it’s dry already, blot with warm water and a clean cloth before pouring a little Club Soda on the stain and blotting that up. After cleaning the mess, spray with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution, pour a liberal amount of baking soda on the stain, and let it sit overnight. Vacuum the baking soda up in the morning.
You may also place a clean, dry rag over the stain, put something flat like a piece of cardboard or book on top of the cloth, and then place something heavy like a weight on the book. Leave the weight on overnight, THEN apply the baking soda and vacuum several hours later. This pulls the stain and wetness from the carpet and pad.
You can follow the same procedure with poop on the carpets.
The Takeaway
It IS possible to have a clean, fresh-smelling home AND keep your pet healthy. Like anything else worth doing, this is a little more work than just purchasing the run-of-the-mill, mass produced cleaning products. In the long run, you’ll save money on cleaning products, vet bills potentially related to exposing your pets to toxins in common cleaning products, and you’ll keep yourself and the rest of your family healthier.
In regards to cancer or ANY kind, I’d rather spend a fortune in prevention than what I’d spend in personal grief and stress related to a cancer diagnosis. Not to mention the huge financial cost of a cancer diagnosis in a pet, who often doesn’t have insurance like we do. In your pets, cancer prevention is everything. Don’t wait until it’s too late. There are steps you can take NOW to prevent you and your best friends from getting sick.