- Did you know the air inside your house is often very unhealthy and can be dangerous to you and your pets. If your animals spend a good deal of time inside your home it is important to be knowledgeable about the fact that there are toxic particles and chemicals inside your home, such as paint, carpet, air fresheners, scented candles, fabric softeners, fabrics with flame retardants, and a variety of many many other products that put off harmful chemical odors into our air. So many of these products cause discomfort and major illness for humans and their pets. It is often undetected that products like these cause these issues. People and pets with allergies can be especially sensitive to these toxins. So how can you ensure the best indoor air? To start, good ventilation is a must in your home! A quality air purifier is ideal to help clean the inside air as much as possible. Do your best to not buy toxic products (scented candles/air fresheners, fabric softeners that are un-natural.) There are many products out there that now provide natural options for items mentioned above and with Spring Cleaning around the corner, switch to all natural cleaning products! You can now find a wide variety of healthy non-toxic cleaning products at natural health food stores. Many cleaners are easy to make yourself and are often less costly if you choose this route.
Here are some cleaning products you can replace with inexpensive and non toxic options that you may already have in your home.
- Baking Soda – can help you clean and disinfect your kitchen and bathroom. Just dust surfaces and wipe off with a moist cloth or sponge. It is also a great air freshener for your refrigerator.
- Tea Tree Oil – this is a good choice if you need a more powerful disinfectant for your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. You can try and mixture of two cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and about 25 drops of tea tree oil which is a natural antibacterial and antifungal solution.
- Vinegar & Water – this is all you would need to tackle floors which you can use on wood, ceramic tile, linoleum or vinyl. Not for wood surfaces. It is recommended to add 1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water. There’s no need to rinse after cleaning or saturate the floor while mopping.
- Olive Oil & Lemon Juice – mixing these two solutions together can be used as a Polish for wood furniture and it will leave your home smelling citrus fresh. Use 2 cups Olive oil and 1 cup lemon juice. Go with the grain of the wood. You can also visit the link below for more information about a homemade wood polish and olive oil! https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/6-ways-to-clean-with-olive-oil-117261
- Air Fresheners – try simmering some mint tea or cinnamon and orange peels in water in a saucepan on the stove or you can diffuse pet safe essential oils.
There are many “green” (natural) products that are considered safe for animals but important to remember these are chemicals too even if they are natural. It is always a good idea to use precautions with them by reading the back label on the bottle and practice safe storage as you would use with toxic chemical products. Don’t allow your dog to lick freshly cleaned surfaces or chew on sponges or cloths that are used for cleaning when using other cleaning products. Think about where your dog hangs out most when inside the house and consider doing things differently in those areas first. Perhaps you give those areas an extra rinse or wiping down and then make sure you can crack a window or two to offer a good flow of ventilation as often as possible. Your furry family members are important and so are you! Clean pawsitively with pet safe products, it is the responsible thing to do for your family and the Earth who takes care of all our families. Happy Spring Cleaning!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
Information provided by “The Essential Dog” magazine. Article written by Dr. Karen Becker
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