While household cleaners have made it quick and easy to disinfect your home and keep it germ-free, our pets can be sensitive to some of the ingredients found in commercial cleaners, and some can even make them sick. In this blog we will talk about some common household hazards found in cleaning supplies and how to keep your pet safe.
The Basics
First, we’ll go over some good general rules. For starters, regardless of whether or not you have pets or children in the home, it is important to read the labels carefully. Understanding how to safely use a product, what to avoid mixing it with, how to store it safely, and what to do if it comes into contact with your skin or is accidentally ingested or inhaled is imperative to safe cleaning. Always read labels carefully and check whether a product is marked as pet-safe, as many can be (when used as instructed).
Secondly, make sure all cleaning supplies are kept out of reach of pets at all times. We recommend keeping supplies in a climate-controlled room in a closet or cabinet - ideally, some where curious pets won’t be able to push or nudge their way into. It should be noted that the most common way pets experience household cleaner toxicity is not from getting into the products themselves but rather inhaling the fumes after you have cleaned, walking across floors that still contain traces of the cleaning products and grooming themselves or chewing their paws, or even licking or eating off floors that still contain product residue.
Thirdly, make sure your pets are kept in the other room while you clean and do not allow them back into that room until all surfaces have dried completely. Wet spots may encourage your pet to lick newly cleaned surfaces and even products marked as pet-safe can be dangerous when directly ingested. Additionally, be mindful of our pet’s sensitive airways (especially if you keep birds in your home, they are exceptionally sensitive) and avoid spraying any kind of aerosol cleaner, air freshener, or other liquid spray cleaners around your pets.
Common Household Hazards
Bleach
Bleach can be toxic to pets when ingested, inhaled, or if it comes into contact with the skin. As bleach is a highly corrosive cleaning product, it can do serious damage to the skin and fur, as well as internal damage if swallowed. While the chlorine element in bleach is considered highly toxic, please be advised that non-chlorine bleach can also be dangerous as it contains hydrogen peroxide which can induce vomiting as well as skin irritation.
The dilution ratio also plays a big part in the level of toxicity when a pet is exposed to bleach. Please be sure that you are properly diluting bleach and all other household chemicals as instructed for the given cleaning task and allowing surfaces to completely dry and fumes to dissipate before allowing pets back in this area.
We generally do not recommend using bleach to clean your pets food bowls, toys, or bedding as any residue can cause irritation in the mouth, skin, or even cause stomach upset. If you must use bleach in your home for any reason, ensure that you are not mixing or applying it around your pet, always use the recommended dilution ratio, and never mix bleach with any other cleaning products or chemicals - this can create toxic fumes harmful to both humans and pets.
Lysol
There was a time during the earlier stages of the pandemic when Lysol was completely sold out of stores due to its effective germ-killing properties. Lysol contains the active ingredient Phenol which can be extremely problematic for pets, especially cats. Unlike us, our pets lack the necessary liver enzymes to absorb and process certain ingredients when they come into contact with them. This doesn’t only apply to environmental things such as cleaners but can apply to food and human medications as well - A good example of this is chocolate being safe for us to consume but can lead to serious complications or even death in pets. Their bodies just can’t handle all of the things we can.
Pets may inhale or ingest Lysol if it is sprayed around them or onto surfaces they frequent. Even if a surface appears to be completely dry, enough residue may remain that can lead to toxicity even if there was just enough for your pet to walk through and then clean their paws, for example. As pets are unable to process the ingredients in Lysol, exposure to these chemicals can lead to many problems including lesions in the mouth or on the skin, liver or kidney damage, stomach upset, seizures, or even death. If you must use this product, please be mindful of all areas that the spray may be touching and avoid spraying around places that your pet frequent such as their sleeping area or where their food and water bowls are kept. Additionally, be sure that you are using the product as instructed and allowing the areas to completely dry before allowing your pet back into that room.
Using the wipes instead can give you a little more control about where the product is being applied compared to a spray, but the same safety protocols should be implemented regardless of the method used to clean.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a common ingredient used in a variety of cleaning products, but can be commonly found in kitchen products used to de-grease stainless steel appliances and ovens. It can often be found in glass cleaner, as well. Like the other products discussed, exposure to this ingredient can cause chemical burns or lesions on the mouth or skin and can cause damage to the lung tissue when inhaled. While bleach should never be mixed with any other cleaning agent, a particularly poisonous gas is created when bleach and ammonia products are mixed which can be extremely damaging or even cause death.
Other types of harmful cleaners
While the dangers and risks are similar to those products and ingredients already discussed, there are a few other types of cleaners to be wary of and to use with caution around pets.
For example, bathroom cleaners including shower sprays and toilet bowl cleaners: not only can these products give off harmful fumes, but due to the presence of water in the bathroom, pets may be more likely to ingest these chemicals by licking them off the floor. For this reason, we recommend keeping the bathroom off-limits for a while after cleaning to allow all surfaces to dry and fumes to dissipate and generally keeping toilet lids closed if you have a dog or cat that likes to drink from the toilet bowl. We do not recommend using any kind of continuous toilet bowl cleaner for this reason.
All purpose cleaners such as Mr. Clean multipurpose spray or Lysol Multi surface spray are effective in cleaning and killing viruses and bacteria but often contain a variety of toxic ingredients. Please use caution when using these in the home - while they might seem convenient and safe for all surfaces, most are not safe for pets.
Although the more simple products such as Windex might seem like they are safer to use, chemicals such as glass cleaners can still be dangerous to pets. Be especially cautious if your pet spends a lot of time looking out the windows or licking the glass.
In addition, it is recommended that you follow the guidelines instructed on the label when using laundry detergent to wash clothes, blankets or pet bedding. The rinse cycle does not always rinse off all of the detergent especially when more detergent is used than recommended and the residue left behind may be harmful to your pet especially those with sensitive skin or pet to chew on their bedding. Not unlike humans, some pets may experience itchy skin or even hives when an irritating ingredient comes into contact with their skin.
If your pet has come into contact with a household cleaner, contact the ASPCA’s Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435 right away and/or head to your nearest emergency clinic for medical treatment. Unless instructed to by poison control or a veterinarian, do not attempt to induce vomiting at home. If possible, bring all cleaner bottles with you to the veterinarian’s office or take a photo of the label so your veterinary staff knows what ingredients your pet was exposed to. For more information, check out ASPCA’s website on poisonous household substances and poison control information: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control.
For further questions or concerns please contact your us at 972-347-6100.
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