5 Pet-Friendly Cleaners In Your Cupboard Now

Y’all, I love a super clean house and I actually enjoy cleaning. But I don’t enjoy all the chemicals and toxins that are found in most commercial products that are made for house cleaning. That stuff is dangerous to the entire family, pets included.

A few years ago, I decided to start making my own household cleaners, and it’s not as complicated as you might think. In fact, I’m betting you’ve got many (if not all) of the necessary ingredients in your cupboard right now. Check out these 5 pet-friendly cleaners:

• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Peroxide
• Essential Oils
• Castile Soap
• Lemon Juice

These are all-natural, non-toxic ingredients that will help keep your home clean, shiny, and smelling great, and they’re completely safe for pets, kids, and people. Bonus: most of them are super cheap.

But how can you use these ingredients for your everyday housekeeping? Keep reading as I share a few tips below!

Vinegar

White vinegar is truly a multi-purpose must-have when it comes to green housekeeping. You may not love the smell, but the good news is that it will dissipate very quickly, and you can always add a few drops of essential oil to mask the smell. Use vinegar for the following cleaning tasks:

• Mopping – I add one cup of white vinegar for every gallon of hot water to a bucket to mop the floors in my home. It dries quickly and leaves my floors nice and clean and safe for my pets.
• Windows, Glass, and Mirrors – Use 5 parts water to one part white vinegar in a spray bottle for a no-streak clean every time. I like to use paper towels for cleaning these surfaces.
• Bathroom Surfaces – I mix 1 cup of vinegar with a quarter cup of peroxide and just a little bit of Castile Soap in a spray bottle. I spray this concoction on the surfaces in my bathroom, let it sit for a minute or so, and then wipe with a damp cleaning cloth.

Baking Soda

Baking soda can be used for so many different cleaning chores. Use it to clean and freshen the inside of your refrigerator, to remove stains on carpets and laundry, and to clean your oven. 

You can also make your own pet-safe carpet sprinkle with baking soda. 

Peroxide

Recently one of my dogs threw up on my bedroom carpet, and even though I cleaned it up right away, it left a stain that no commercial carpet cleaner could touch. I decided to try peroxide, and must to my happy surprise, it removed the stain completely! I just put it in a spray bottle, saturated the stain, then I sprinkled a little baking soda on it. I let it sit for a few minutes, then I scrubbed it with a damp cloth until the stain was gone. It took a little elbow grease, but the peroxide got the job done!

One word of caution here: always, always test peroxide in an inconspicuous area of your rug or carpet before using it.

Essential Oils

If you like a clean smelling home (and who doesn’t), essential oils are a great, natural way to freshen up your space. Make sure that you are using pet-friendly oils, and then add a few drops to a diffuser to work as an air freshener. A few drops of essential oils can also be added to homemade cleaning products to give them a pleasant scent. See more uses for pet-friendly essential oils here. 

Castile Soap

A castile soap like Dr. Broner’s is vegetable based soap that is completely non-toxic and great for housecleaning. It can also be used to make your own homemade pet shampoo.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a great multi-purpose ingredient to have on hand for cleaning. It naturally cuts grease and it leaves a fresh, clean scent. 

As you can see, there are a lot of great ways to keep your home clean and fresh without the use of commercial cleaners that are full of harmful toxins. These are just a few of the ways you can make your home just a little greener without spending a lot of money. You can find a few more of my tips for housekeeping with dogs here. 

NOTE: there are a few really good commercial cleaners that I use in my own home, but I firmly believe that if you can make your own, it’s a healthier option for the entire family.

Always keep the ASCPA Animal Poison Control Center number on hand for emergencies. Simply call 888-426-4435 if you have a poison issue with your pet.

Do you have a favorite homemade cleaner that’s safe for pets? Share it with me in a comment below or stop by my Facebook page and join in the conversation there!