8 Pet Safe Floor Cleaners and DIY Solutions

What Are Pet-Safe Floor Cleaners?

Prancy paws, fuzzy bellies and even drooly tongues are constantly frolicking, slinking and scurrying through our homes. Later, when they start licking and grooming, dogs and cats can be in real danger if they’ve stepped in something toxic. Pet-safe floor cleaners can help ensure the residues they pick up during their day won’t hurt them.

“Often these products are also more environmentally friendly because they contain natural ingredients or avoid the use of harsh chemicals that can be caustic or irritative or even toxic in certain amounts,” says Rebecca Greenstein, a veterinary medical advisor for Rover.

Common ingredients to avoid include:

• Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol);
• Bleach (chlorine);
• Ammonia;
• Hydrogen peroxide;
• Formaldehyde (AKA formalin, methanol, methylene oxide);
• Perchloroethylene;
• Phenols;
• Phosphates;
• Glycol ethers;
• Phthalates (artificial fragrances);
• Glycol ether benzoic acid;
• Ethanol;
• Quaternary ammonium compounds;
• Sulfates;
• Triclosan.

Using Pet Safe Floor Cleaners

When using pet-safe floor cleaners, you still need to be careful. “When it comes to pets, nothing is ever ‘totally safe!’ ” Greenstein says. “We can’t always trust that our curious pets won’t try to ingest large amounts by accident, which can lead to anything from simple irritation to GI upset to more serious issues depending on the amount in question.”

Also, keep in mind some commercial cleaning products containing toxic ingredients are not considered dangerous as long as they are used as directed. “Even at our vet clinic, we often need to use strong disinfectants or even bleach, but diluted,” she says.

Regardless of what cleaner you’re using, take these steps:

• Keep pets out of the room you’re cleaning until the floors are dry,
• Don’t leave disinfectants unattended. Store them in a secure location,
• Consider rinsing floors with water after cleaning,
• If you suspect ingestion, call ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 and get your pet to a vet immediately.

Still, there are lots of floor cleaners sold with pets in mind that contain none of the ingredients on the list above. Read on for our top picks, including two DIY pet floor cleaner recipes.

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