How to Protect Your Pets when You Clean

Your precious pets may be very sensitive to chemicals and odors that don’t bother you. 

Many kinds of household pets have an acute sense of smell, which makes them susceptible to harmful effects from common household cleaners. They may also become agitated or experience a negative reaction from cleaners that would not cause humans any irritation. 

We want to share with you a few things you can do to keep your pets safe as you clean, because we know you care about their health and safety, and these guidelines will allow you to protect them without sacrificing the cleanliness of your home. 

Use Proper Ventilation

Even if you use mild cleaners to tidy your home, you want to take into account your pets’ powerful sense of smell. The cleaners might not be harmful to them, but they can be irritating. So, whenever pet owners with indoor pets clean inside, they should open some windows and doors and ensure proper ventilation in the home. This helps to get the scents outside quickly so that they don’t linger and irritate pets. You can also set up a fan in the room you are cleaning to dissipate the chemical scents and make the room pleasant for pets much faster.

Keep Pets Away when Cleaning

One of the best ways to keep your pets safe when cleaning is to simply put them outside and let them get some fresh air. The natural environment is good for them, and they won’t be cooped up in a confined space that may not be great for their health as you clean. You can also put them into a different room where they won’t be bothered by the smell of the cleaning chemicals or come into contact with them. 

How practical it is to move your pets somewhere else while cleaning will vary from one house to another. You may not have the space to do this, but if you have even a small yard or a porch, you can tie a dog outside for a few hours or place a birdcage outside while you clean. You could also ask a friend or neighbor to keep your pet by them as you do the housework. Consider all of your options rather than subjecting your pets to potentially harmful cleaning chemicals. 

Use Cleaners That Are Pet Friendly

It is now well known that many conventional cleaners can be harmful or annoying to pets, so there is a huge selection of pet-friendly cleaning products for you to choose from. If your local household retailer or pet supplier doesn’t stock these, you can always purchase them online and have them shipped to you. Don’t settle for harmful cleaners when there are safe ones available. Even when using pet-friendly cleaners you do need to exercise caution. Some pets have allergies that might make even the safe cleaners unsafe for them. Try using a small amount near your pets before you attempt to clean the entire house with these products.

Also be sure to follow the instructions on the cleaning products. Don’t deviate from the directions in any way, as you will be taking chances with your pets’ health. Don’t assume you know better than the people who made the products and tested them to be safe. If your pet has any allergies, contact your veterinarian before trying new products in the home to ensure that the pet will be safe. 

Hire Professionals Who Will Protect Your Pets

Have you considered using cleaning experts to do some of the housework for you? This could be one of the better ways of protecting your pets. Many professional cleaning services are very well versed in caring for pets as they clean and keeping your precious animals safe from harm. They know which cleaners to use, and they might have access to cleaning supplies that you do not.

If you are hiring a cleaning service to do a good job, always check with them before they come to your home to ensure that they can cater for pets. Make sure they know what kind of pets you have and that they will use cleaning supplies that are known to be safe around those pets. Once again, you do have the option to remove your pets while the cleaning occurs, which may be advisable if you are having strangers come and do the cleaning for you.  

Use Safe Cleaning Practices

How you clean around your pets is just as important as what you clean with. If you are not careful, you could hurt your pets with your cleaning methods or cleaning supplies. One of the biggest potential dangers is the mop bucket, and it is not safe to leave an uncovered bucket of water where your pets can access it. They could drink from the water, which could be harmful once it is dirty and contaminated. They could also fall in and drown, so keep the mop bucket covered when you are not using it. 

Also be careful about how you sweep and dust, and you could disturb particles that may be irritating to your pets. Using a wet cloth to remove dust and sweeping in rooms of the house where your pets are not in will help to minimize any allergy symptoms and irritation. 

You should be careful about how vigorously you clean too, since you could scare pets. Older pets with weak hearts or nerve issues could be scared so badly that they suffer health issues, especially when you are vacuuming. Be aware of how much noise you are making in the confined space of your home and consider removing your pets temporarily or taking measures to minimize the sound. 

If you need to move heavy items like furniture as you clean, you could accidentally damage the pets. Be aware of your surroundings as you work, and your pets will be able to stay safe as you clean.

We hope these guidelines help you as you work to keep a clean home and take good care of your pets.