Pet Safe Cleaning Products

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As dog moms, we love our pets, but we also love a clean house. It can seem difficult to keep a clean house with pets, but with the right pet safe cleaning products and routine it can be made simple. Check out our post on how to keep a clean house with dogs for tips on this. Once you’re ready to come up with a cleaning routine, you’ll want to find the safest products to keep your house clean while keeping your pups safe. Many cleaning products contain potentially harmful ingredients that can negatively impact your dog’s health. We’re going to break down the best safe, effective cleaning products for your home.

Why Pet-Safe Cleaning Products Matter

Pet-Safe Seventh Generation Disinfectant — Use pet-safe disinfectants

Everyday cleaning products can contain chemicals that are harmful and outright toxic to dogs. This can include bleach, ammonia, and certain essential oils. Dogs can come in contact with these chemicals by licking the floor or licking their paws. These chemicals can also cause skin irritation from direct contact. It is also possible for dogs to inhale these chemicals, causing damage to their lungs. As dog moms, we want peace of mind in using products that are not harmful to our dogs.

What to Look for in Cleaning Products

Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner — Pet-safe floor cleaner

When looking for pet-safe cleaning products, you need to pay attention to the ingredients. Just because something says “all natural” on it does not mean it is necessarily pet-safe. Look for non-toxic ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and enzymatic blends.

While you may like the smell of certain fragrances in cleaning products, these are often not safe for pets (nor people for that matter). Fragrances can contain harmful chemicals. Phthalates are chemicals used to help add fragrances to products and are considered to be harmful to humans and dogs. Look for products that are phthalate-free.

Even certain essential oils can be toxic to dogs even though these are a more natural way to add fragrances. Essential oils to AVOID with dogs include cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, wintergreen, and ylang ylang. Common cleaning essential oils like lavender and lemongrass are generally considered safe for dogs. However, proper precautions should still be taken to ensure dogs do not ingest these or come into contact with them.

***Note: While we are focusing on dogs, please note essential oils are NOT considered safe for cats and can be highly toxic to them!

Baking soda and vinegar are two often recommended products to use for basic pet-safe cleaning. Baking soda can help lift stains while vinegar can neutralize urine odors. You can make homemade cleaning products with these ingredients.

Best Products for Dog Moms

All-Purpose Cleaners:
- MRS. MEYER’S CLEAN DAY Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner: Featuring plant-based ingredients, Mrs. Meyer’s cleaners are considered pet-friendly (just watch for scents that contain toxic essential oils). They also use cruelty-free formulas and have recyclable packaging to be environmentally friendly.
- Seventh Generation Lemongrass Citrus Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner: Using plant-based ingredients, Seventh Generation products are designed to be safe for pets. They are also committed to being cruelty free.
- BLUELAND Multi-surface Cleaner, Fresh Lemon Scent: Being plant and mineral based, Blueland multi-surface cleaner is pet-safe while still being effective at cleaning tough stains and grime. This is also eco-friendly with a refillable bottle using plastic-free refill tablets.
Floor Cleaners:
- Bona Pet System Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner, Dog Formulation: Using hydrogen peroxide, it penetrates tough stains and eliminates odors while being pet-safe. It is safe for most floor types.
- Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner: Being environmentally friendly and pet-safe, Method has a line of effective floor cleaners that be used on multiple floor types including hardwood, vinyl, linoleum, and tile.
Laundry Products:
- Truly Free Laundry Wash Detergent: Focusing on pet and human safe ingredients, Truly Free’s detergent cleans clothes and bedding without including harmful ingredients. They are also very environmentally conscious by reducing single use plastics, instead providing refill pouches. Recommending the unscented version if using for pets, as their signature scent includes a variety of essential oils.
- Clean People Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets: Free from synthetic fibers (plastic), plant-based, and cruelty free, Clean People is a natural brand that is pet-safe. Choose the fragrance free version to avoid essential oils.
Window and Glass Cleaners:
- Aunt Fannie’s Glass & Window Cleaning Vinegar Spray: A non-toxic, streak-free solution that uses vinegar making it safe for pets and humans. The ingredient list does include several essential oils, some of which that are not safe for dogs (eucalyptus and peppermint). However, their website claims this is a pet-safe product. *Alternatively, you could use a homemade vinegar solution without essential oils if concerned. Simply mix equal parts white vinegar and water and use with a spray bottle.
Carpet Cleaners:
- Rocco & Roxie Carpet Cleaner Solution for Pets: Using a hydrogen peroxide blend, this is a pet-safe carpet cleaner that will remover stains and neutralizer odors.
- Good Natured Brand Carpet Freshener & Deodorizer Powder: Made from a blend of sodium bicarbonate (ie, Baking Soda) and essential oils, this is a safe carpet powder for dogs. Use the lavender scent, however, as the Lemon includes eucalyptus which is not safe for dogs. *Alternatively, simply use Baking Soda (the main component of the above product) to sprinkle on carpet for a cheap, easy carpet cleaning solution!

Additional Tips for Pet-Safe Cleaning

While using pet-safe cleaning products will help protect your pets, there are other safety tips to consider as well. Keep pets away from areas while you are cleaning to avoid exposure to cleaning products. Even though you’re using pet-safe products, you still don’t want your dogs ingesting any of the products. Block off rooms or areas you are cleaning to avoid your dog getting into cleaning products or walking on freshly cleaned areas. There could still be product residue on the floor that they could lick or get on their paws.

You also want to make sure the area you are cleaning is properly ventilated to avoid excess exposure to any cleaning products. This can cause toxic inhalation of products that can negatively affect your pets.

Store any cleaning products in a safe area that your dog will not have any access to. Consider child locks for cabinets so your dog isn’t able to get into cleaning products by accident.

It is always important to know how to handle an emergency ingestion or exposure. Have your regular vet’s number on hand as well as several local emergency vets. There are also Animal Poison Control Hotlines available such as ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435). They offer a 24/7 hotline specifically for if your pet has ingested a potentially poisonous substance. They do state on their website that a consultation fee may apply, but this is worth it if your dog’s life may be in danger.

Because we love our dogs so much, we want to choose only the safest cleaning products. Fortunately, there are many products available with a little bit of searching and ingredient research. It is totally possible to keep a clean house with dogs while using pet-safe products!

Have a favorite pet-safe cleaning product you love? Share in the comments below to help fellow dog moms keep a tidy, safe home!