Three Reasons Your Floor Cleaner Isn't Pet Safe .
How cleaning products contain toxins are harmful to pets.
Toxins from cleaning products used directly on floors and other household products end up on the ground. This makes floors a hotbed for harmful particulate matter. It is essential that we clean our floors with pet friendly cleaning products.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that air outdoors is two to five times less polluted than the air inside our homes. This fact adds to the health concern for our pets because they spend most of their time on the floors.
Pets are prone to a higher risk of toxin exposure due to inhalation of toxic vapours left behind by floor cleaners. Their skin and paws are in direct contact with the floors. This can result in toxins being absorbed through their skin. Our pets occasionally eat off the floor, sniff the floor and lick their paws causing the ingestion of harmful toxins.
The short term and long term adverse effects of exposure on our pets health may not intuitively be linked to harmful toxins from cleaning products. In the short term, exposure can lead to itchy eyes and contact dermatitis. Long term exposure can lead to diseases such as asthma.
The level and duration of exposure are among the factors that affect our pets’ health. Other factors include the type of toxin and behavioral patterns our pets.
Harmful Substances for Pets in Floor Cleaners
Chlorine
Bleach-based products such as tile scrubs contain chlorine. If ingested in large amounts, chlorine can cause burns inside the mouth, diarrhea and vomiting.
Ammonium Hydroxide
One of the most common substances found in floor cleaners is Ammonium Hydroxide because it is an effective cleaning agent. When ingested or inhaled, it can damage the respiratory system, skin and eyes of pets and humans alike. This makes it a highly toxic substance commonly used in most cleaning products.
Fragrance
Manufacturers are not required to disclose the substances that make up the fragrance. A fragrance listed as a single substance is typically made up of over 150 chemicals. It can contain harmful toxins such as phthalates that cause chemical burns, hormonal disruption and respiratory diseases.
Phthalates can bioaccumulate and persist in the environment causing harm to pets, especially smaller pets.
What to Look for in a Pet Safe Floor Cleaner?
A good place to begin would be to look at ingredients that make up the product. In North America, however, manufacturers are not required to list all the ingredients in their product.
Referring to databases like the Environmental Working Group's 'Guide to Healthy Cleaning' can help identify potential health risks posed by ingredients found in floor cleaners. Pet-friendly floor cleaners are typically natural and unscented.
Cleaning Tips for Pet-Friendly Floor Cleaning.
Listed below are preventative measures that will ensure clean floors that are pet-friendly:
Use a damp mop with pet-friendly floor cleaning products. Your floors dry faster and your pets are not exposed to toxins from regular cleaning products.
Deodorize your pet’s favourite spot by keeping an open bowl of baking soda near it
Washable mats under food bowls are easy to clean and ensure that your pet does not make a mess on the floor
Using an entry mat for pets. This helps limit the amount of debris and dust that comes into your home.
Sprinkling baking soda helps soak up smells from pet beds and carpet
CleanSpace Co
60 Atlantic Ave Suite 200, Toronto, ON M6K 1X9
647 374 0844