Cat-Friendly Household Cleaning Products

If you have a cat, you know that they take care of the vast majority of their grooming, which means that anything that touches their fur or feet ends up in their mouths. If you clean your home with chemical cleaning products, small amounts of those chemicals will end up in your cat's mouth and stomach. Because cats are so much smaller than humans, theyre much more sensitive to chemicals than we are and more susceptible to illness caused by exposure to these chemicals. To keep your cat safe, there are a number of cat-friendly household cleaning products you can choose. As a bonus, these products are better for you, your whole family and the environment.

Two of the most frequently recommended alternative household cleaners are simple baking soda and vinegar, and for good reason these two common household products clean just as well as most commercial cleansers, are much less expensive and are much safer for you, your family, your pets and the environment.

Baking soda provides a good abrasive for scrubbing bathroom sinks, bathtubs and kitchen counters. You can sprinkle baking soda onto a surface then rub with a damp cloth or make a paste of baking soda and water. A thick paste of baking soda and water can even be used to clean your oven. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse all surfaces you dont want your cat to ingest large quantities of baking soda, as it can cause a chemical imbalance in your cat's blood.

In addition, white distilled vinegar is a powerful bacteria killer. Use vinegar to kill germs on kitchen surfaces, to shine your windows or to freshen your laundry, for example the odor of the vinegar will evaporate as the vinegar does. White distilled vinegar can also do many of the jobs that chlorine bleach can do, without producing fumes that can be toxic to your cat.

Hydrogen peroxide is another cleaner thats just beginning to come into its own. Like baking soda and vinegar, it is good at removing stains and has disinfectant properties. Hydrogen peroxide is also especially useful for cleaning a cat's litter box. Not only does it kill any bacteria, but it removes odors as well.

There are also a number of commercially available products that are environmentally friendly. Many of these products contain citrus oils, but while these oils are good for cleaning, they can be harmful to cats. Most products contain small enough amounts that it isnt an overriding concern however, if youre using a commercial cleanser containing citrus oil, be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards. Lemon juice can be used for cleaning in much the same way as citrus oils and can even be mixed with oil to make furniture polish.

Whenever possible, choose natural products to clean and care for your home. Not only will you create a safer environment for your pet, youll be creating a safer environment for yourself as well. Your cat and the environment will thank you.