The Important Truth About Household Cleaners and Pets
We all want a clean house, especially when we share our home with critters of all shapes, sizes, and species. What amazes me, however, is how little information there is in the community about how TOXIC householder cleaners are for our family’s health and, more so, how they negatively effect our pets. Right now, 50% of dogs over the age of 10 are believed to develop canine cancer during their lifetime. As pet guardians there are so many actions we can take to cut this number down — one of the easiest, in my opinion, is ditching toxic chemicals in and around our home.
Generic, store-bought cleaners, fragrances, and pest repellents are riddled with carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins that are not only harmful for us (hello cancer and hormonal imbalances!), but they are arguably MORE harmful to our dogs and cats. When products like Swiffer, Febreeze, Raid and even Glade Plugins are dispersed we breathe in the chemicals. Asthma like symptoms, headaches, and mild allergic reactions can often be explained by the toxic chemicals inhaled from many of these commercial products.
Often times a buildup of these chemicals in your pet's body will manifest as symptoms that mimic common food allergies. Pet parents rush to the store to change their dog or cat's diets, when really they should be ditching the air fresheners, bleach, and dryer sheets in their home. The toxic-if-consumed ingredients also fall on the floors and countertops, left to wreak havoc on every “body” through direct contact with our skin.
But what’s the big difference between pets and humans in this case? Humans have the luxury of wearing clothes that protect our skin from these damaging products. And we don’t lick ourselves to keep clean, instead we routinely shower off any residual toxins from our exterior bodies. You can probably see why our pets remain particularly vulnerable and overly-exposed. These chemicals are resting throughout our homes and will be absorbed through our pet's paws, collected on their fur, and later ingested during their daily grooming sessions.
So next time you're buying your cleaning and household supplies, all you need to do to protect everyone in your home is CHOOSE NATURAL products. You’ll be amazed by the abundant, low-cost options at your local Target store, for example.
Or DIY your cleaning goods, then you know exactly what's in them! Here are some simple recipes shared in a recent video on this topic by integrative veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker.
DIY Wood Floor Cleaner:
4 cups Water
1 tsp Fractionated Coconut Oil
1 tsp Castile Soap
DIY Glass/Window Cleaner:
1 cup Water
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1 tbsp Cornstarch
DIY Granite/Marble/Stone Cleaner:
1 L Water
1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol
5 drops Castile Soap
Optional 1/2 oz Colloidal Silver
DIY Tub/Tile & Sink Cleaner:
6 oz White Vinegar
6 oz Water
5 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
You can find more DIY pet-safe recipe hacks & watch the full video featuring Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib here: https://tinyurl.com/w2pfp2h