Six essential rules for dog owners on using cleaning products in the home safely

Cleaning up after your dog can seem like a never-ending challenge for many people, and dogs certainly aren’t the cleanest or tidiest of animals, even if your dog isn’t one of the worst offenders!

Whatever type of products you use to clean with, how often you clean, and if you blitz the house yourself or hire in a cleaning service, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration if you have a dog when it comes to cleaning your home and picking the products you use to do so.

This is something that all dog owners should bear in mind in order to keep their dogs safe and prevent potential toxicity or other problems from arising; and this is what we will look at within this article.

Read on to learn the six essential rules for dog owners when it comes to choosing and using cleaning products for the home.

Check the label before you bring it home

You should always read the label on cleaning products to ensure that you use and store them safely and appropriately, and so that you know what you’re bringing into your home and any risks associated with it.

If you have a dog, you should check the labels and make an assessment about the best product to buy and any potential risks and added concerns about things before you bring them home; when you’re in the store looking at the options.

Doing this means that you can pick the product you deem most suitable while you have all of the available choices in front of you, and means that you’ll already know when you get home how to safely store it.

Don’t assume that natural or organic products are non-toxic

Many people today want to avoid harsh chemicals for cleaning their homes or products that are particularly harmful to the environment, looking for more natural alternatives in their place. However, just because a product is natural or organics or carefully described and marketed to suggest it is a good pick doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe or should not be treated with the appropriate respect!

Plenty of natural and organic products of all types can be caustic, poisonous or toxic, and you should take the same care over them as you would with any other cleaning products.

Store cleaning products out of reach of dogs and always put them away after use

Always keep cleaning products of all types (including sponges and cloths you’ve used with them) well out of your dog’s reach, in their original containers and in secure places.

Many people keep cleaning products under the kitchen sink, and if you do this ensure that the door to it shuts and secures properly and cannot be pushed or knocked open by your dog, and that there’s nothing else in there that might attract your dog’s attention.

Keep food, water and cleaning products apart

Don’t store your dog’s food or food bowls in the same cupboard as cleaning things, even if both are in containers. Also, when you’re cleaning the room where your dog’s food and water is, take it out of the room or take the bowls up to replace with fresh so that they do not get contaminated with cleaning sprays and other products.

Think about potential challenges regarding your own dog

Everyone’s home, cleaning routine and dog is different, so have a think about any specific situations relating to your own dog or unique challenges that are present in your own home when it comes to your dog, cleaning, and safety.

For instance, if you have a cleaner come in, where is your dog, and will they be safe and out of the way whilst cleaning materials might be out and in use?

If you have a dog that is apt to drink from the toilet given half a chance, this is going to mean that you won’t be able to use rim blocks, and will need to take particular care about closing the toilet lid and the door to the bathroom reliably when you clean the toilet and use things like bleach.

Don’t have your pets in the same room as you’re cleaning

Finally, don’t clean around your dog or have them in the same room as you are when you’re doing the cleaning. When it comes to cleaning products, they may inhale their fumes and also generally get in the way and run the risk of knocking things over, trying to play with dusters and sponges, and generally making things harder than they need to be as well as placing themselves at risk.

Even hoovering is something most dogs get quite wound up about and they might make a big fuss and both get in the way and pose a danger, so the best approach is to close your dog out of the room you’re cleaning and have a final check-around to ensure you’ve picked all of the cleaning products up and put them away before you let the dog back in.