Keeping Your House Clean – Chemical Free For Your Pets
How to keep a clean house(chemical-free) when living with pets.
Let’s face it. If you live with dogs, cats or any other pet at home, there’s been more than one accident that you need to clean immediately or your house will end it up smelling like a zoo. An instant solution to clean an incident at home will be grab a bottle of bleach and clean with it, but the chemicals, fumes and the awfully strong smell will be bad for you and your family, specially if you have children.
Using detergents, powders, strong cleaners or air fresheners on any surface and fabric where your pets have been is usually an everyday thing to maintain a tidy home. While strong products work well enough, the toxic chemicals found in these products and the fumes traces left all over can be hazardous for you and your pets.Times have changed, and when a baby(or two) join the household, it’s fair to say that priorities change somehow when it comes to cleaning without all the chemicals we once relied on before.
Following these tips may help you maintain clean(and safe) home.
Get rid of pet hair
Investing in a powerful, pet-hair specific vacuum is a great idea. A good one will remove almost every trace of pet hair and dander, reducing the need for air fresheners in addition to cleaners you usually use. HEPA filters will also trap allergens, pollutant and dust, ensuring a healthier environment for everyone at home. Once you have removed most of the pet hair, you can get down to some serious deep cleaning by following some homemade alternatives to the usual products that are just as effective.
Make your own chemical-free all purpose surface cleaner.
Vinegar is a great, natural cleaner with acidic properties that will inhibit the growth of mould and bacteria while removing any pet mess in your home. If you are not a fan of vinegar, lemon juice will work as well for the following recipe.
Recipe: Mix ¾ cup of white wine vinegar(or lemon juice) with 3 teaspoons of baking soda and a few drops of tea tree oil. Add to a spray bottle and top up with water.
All Natural Carpet Stain Remover
Sprinkle some baking soda over the stain and leave for around 10 minutes before vacuuming. Then cover the stain until it disappears with a mix of equal parts of white wine vinegar, dish soap and warm water. The baking soda will pull up and separate the grime from the carpet fibers, allowing for most of the stain to be caught and removed during the vacuuming.
Natural Hardwood Cleaner
Many people believe that hardwood floors are easier to keep clean than carpets when you have pets, and while that’s true in some respects, you still have to deal with paw marks, pet hair and the depletion of any shine.
Recipe: Mix a gallon of warm water with either ¼ cup of white wine vinegar, a few drops of olive oil, or 10 steeped tea bags. For smaller patches of scuff marks, add baking soda to a damp sponge and scrub away.
Organic Doggy Cleaner
When you don’t want to give your pets a bath, you may choose to use a homemade deodorizer instead. It’s better for both my dogs and the babies who touch them!
Recipe: Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil to a spray can full of warm water. Mist onto your dog, rub in and leave to air dry. Or, you can sprinkle baking soda on their coat before rubbing it in and brushing it out.
All Natural Upholstery Cleaner
Just like on your floors, pets are known to leave stains, grime and hair on your furniture and upholstery too. Again, as you and your family are in close contact with these items, it’s best to use homemade, natural alternatives to chemical cleaners.
Recipe: Mix ½ cup white wine vinegar/biodegradable soap/hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup warm water then blot mixture over the spot to be cleaned; or, sprinkle baking soda over any stains, leave to settle for 10 minutes and then scrub off with a damp sponge.
Note: Not all fabrics will react well to hydrogen peroxide so be sure to test it out on a small, hidden patch of upholstery first.
Whether you are concerned about the chemicals you let into your home or not, now you know that there are plenty of ways to create chemical-free homemade cleaning alternatives, that will clean your home just as well as the synthetic products on the market. Even with pets, you’ll be able to keep your home clean while also keeping it green and healthy.