Shedded Hair and Muddy Paws

Part of creating haven at home is doing my best to keep it clean but sharing a home with a pet can sometimes prove challenging. But looking at cleaning as self-care instead of a chore can help sidestep frustration and overwhelm.

Loving your clean house is one thing, but lovingly cleaning it is something else. Getting my hands on my stuff, listening to the stories of the chipped knick-knacks that once decorated my grandparents house, lingering over the photos that are important enough to frame, remembering why I live with the objects in my home makes the task of undoing, polishing, and putting rooms back together so much more than just a chore.

Ironically, some of the most toxic chemicals we have in our homes are used to clean.

Taking every precaution to lock these products away when not in use can only go so far when we’re using them to cleanse our belongings and the surfaces of our homes.

Consider making a few minor changes that will make your wallet, earth, and family a bit happier and healthier.

Identify what cleaning products pose a risk to you and your furry family members. The list below isn’t comprehensive or brand specific, but it does address the most common, most toxic cleaners that lurk in our homes.

Bleach and Ammonia

Oven Cleaners

Drain Decloggers

Surface Sprays and Wipes

Mildew and/or Tile Cleaners

Air Fresheners

Consider seeking out alternatives for these products. Still unsure which ones are the most toxic? Read the instructions. If they tell you not to allow contact with skin or require a well ventilated area… I would seek out a more natural alternative.

Household cleaners you didn't know you had

Now that you’ve separated out the harmful products from your cupboards, take a second glance and see if you have any of the following products…

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Lemon

Essential Oils

Natural & Organic Dish Soaps

Olive or Vegetable Oil

Hydrogen Peroxide

Vodka (whaaaat?)

Alone or mixed together, the items listed above can clean, disinfect, and bring new life to almost anything in your home.

I wouldn’t recommend serving any of these on a platter to your pets as none of them are necessarily safe to ingest.

However, they are a great deal safer than the chemicals usually found in a cleaning cabinet. A nose pressed against a window freshly cleaned with a vinegar solution will be much healthier than one pressed against a window freshly sprayed with the blue stuff!

I’ll let you get lost down the rabbit hole of natural cleaning alternatives, but I will share my favorite multi-surface, petfriendly, homemade cleaning solution.

1-2 Parts White Vinegar

1 Part Water

Optional Lemon or Lavender Essential Oil (Follow dilution instructions.)

Put this in a spray bottle and clean away! This solution will cut through the grease of a stovetop, clean slobber off of just about anything, brings shine to glass surfaces, safely clean floors, and disinfects.