Keeping our house clean and tidy is, of course, really important for both our own health and our dogs, but how safe are our dogs really? We may not realize it, but a lot of the cleaning products and ingredients we use in and outside of the house are not always compatible with our dogs’ health and well-being.
Some may realize that too late when their dog starts to show signs of illness and poisoning, but it may still be early for some people to throw away these products and replace them with dog-friendly alternatives.
So whether you’re new to dog ownership or a seasoned vet, there’s no time like the present to make your home more dog-safe. These are 6 common household products that could be dangerous to your dog as well as some alternatives we recommend.
Dangerous Household Cleaning Products (And Their Alternatives!)
#1 – Air fresheners
The first culprit on our list? The seemingly innocent air freshener. This includes air fresheners that typically come in a variety of scents packed into a cannister, plug-in air fresheners, and even car air fresheners. Air fresheners are a particular favorite of dog owners who use them to combat any dog odor and other unwanted smells that they want to clear away.
But while it may seem like an easy fix, air fresheners could be doing some serious damage to your dog’s lungs. This is because many contain alcohol and synthetic scents that damage the lining of your dog’s lungs as well as the inside of their noses and mouths.
Dog-friendly alternative: If you want to cut out air fresheners from your home but want a safer way to keep your home smelling lovely, try finding candles that are dog-safe and non-toxic or make your own potpourri out of dried flowers and cloves. Here’s a good example:
#2 – Floor cleaners
Most people don’t realize how dangerous it is to use floor cleaners with a dog in the home. Floor cleaners are formulated to be as harsh as possible to make cleaning floors really easy, which means that they are packed with harmful ingredients like alcohol, bleach, and chlorine.
And because your dog spends most of their time on floors, it is only a matter of time until they accidentally ingest it, which could lead to serious poisoning. Alternatively, you may start to see rashes on a dog’s skin after coming in contact with floor cleaners.
Dog-friendly alternative: Instead of spending money on floor cleaners, make your own from natural non-toxic ingredients like apple cider vinegar and white vinegar, which can be diluted with water. Not only are they cheaper to make, but they are also just as effective at cleaning floors!
#3 – Kitchen counter cleaners
If you’re like most dog owners, your dog’s food and water bowls are probably in the kitchen. But if you are using common kitchen cleaners, you could be putting your dog’s health in danger.
This is because kitchen counter cleaners are typically in spray bottles and when you spray them over your counters, oven, and stove, you could be unwittingly spraying some dangerous particles into your dog’s water bowl and food.
While this may not be immediately obvious, over time, your dog may start showing signs of poisoning as they ingest more and more of these dangerous chemicals.
Dog-friendly alternatives: Like floor cleaners, kitchen counter cleaners can be replaced with natural non-toxic ingredients like vinegar and salt. For stubborn grease stains, there are dog-specific cleaners that are made from plants and other natural ingredients.
Here’s a good example of a kitchen cleaner that’s safe for both kids and pets:
#4 – Laundry detergents and fabric softeners
The way you wash and clean your clothes may seem completely unrelated to your dog’s health, but in fact, many dogs in the US today are poisoned by the accidental ingestion of laundry detergents and fabric softeners.
Not to mention the fact that non-hypoallergenic detergents and softeners could trigger a dog’s allergy when they lay down or go near newly-washed clothes and sheets.
Bleach, alcohol, and perfumes could lead to kidney damage and cancers if your dog accidentally ingests these ingredients that are present in most detergents.
Dog-friendly alternatives: Just because most detergents and fabric softeners are dangerous to dogs, that does not mean that you will have to give up on washing your clothes.
There are many companies today that specifically target this concern and have formulated dog-safe detergents made with non-toxic ingredients. Ask your vet for some recommendations if you are not sure which is best. You can also keep furniture and carpets clean with good pet vacuum cleaners.
#5 – Toilet cleaners
Because of obvious reasons, toilet cleaners are formulated to be extremely harsh. That means the inclusion of ingredients like bleach, chlorine, alcohol, ammonia, or formaldehyde, which you know are harmful to pets.
But with toilet cleaners, the risk may go beyond accidental ingestion. Some experts suggest that even inhalation of these ingredients can lead to serious damage to your dog’s health. Dogs breathe faster than humans and so take in much more of the vapors that are released by these cleaners compared to humans.
Dog-friendly alternatives: You don’t have to use strong chemicals to effectively clean your toilet. In fact, you can maybe clean it better with non-toxic ingredients like apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Both these ingredients will clean your toilet, keep your dog safe, and even save you a few dollars in cleaning products!
#6 – Mothballs
Mothballs are so common to our households that we may not even realize their threat, but mothball vapors can be seriously poisonous to dogs.
At the same time mothballs keep moths away, they are also strangely appealing to dogs, who are drawn to them. Mothballs typically have naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which are incredibly poisonous and toxic ingredients.
If you don’t want to replace your mothballs, then it would be a good idea to keep all your mothballs in airtight spaces where your dog won’t accidentally get into. That should effectively trap the vapors.
Dog-friendly alternatives: If you choose to replace your mothballs, there are some non-toxic mothballs on the market that should be safe for dogs. On the other hand, you can also handmake some mothballs with natural ingredients like juniper.
Conclusion
To keep your dog safe and healthy, it is important to consider all the things you keep in your house and how they can affect your fur baby. By understanding the dangers of certain ingredients and by pro-actively choosing non-toxic products, you can keep your home a safe haven for your dog.