Hey, guys. Hope all is well with you. This week we are going to dive right in and talk about cleaning your house.

What does cleaning your house have to do with your dog? Well, there are many cleaners which are actually extremely dangerous and toxic to your dog. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know, most people have no idea cleaning their home could be dangerous. Right?

They’re obviously dangerous to us too. However, more dangerous to our dogs because they are more exposed to them. Your dog lays on the floor, for example, meanwhile continuously breathing in those toxins.

I don’t have room here to go through all of them, but I want to share a few of them with you today.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air pollution inside the home can be up to 100 times higher than the air pollution outside dependent on a number of factors — one of the highest being your household cleaners.

No. 1 on this is ammonia. Ammonia is one of the most popular cleaning agents, but it’s highly toxic to both you and your dog. Ammonia primarily affects the respiratory system, but can also irritate your dog’s skin and eyes. The most common cleaning agent, ammonia, is found in include oven cleaners, hardwood floor cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, and window cleaner.

The next one is easier to guess. It’s bleach (chlorine). Bleach is used for literally everything. We use bleach to clean even the harshest of messes, right? Let’s disinfect. Let’s make our clothes whiter. Let’s mop the floor.

Even though it’s an excellent disinfectant, it has been known to cause cancer in both humans and dogs over a period of time. If your dog were to swallow the bleach, you’re looking at vomiting, diarrhea, burns inside the mouth, seizures, and even potentially shock or worse. Simply inhaling the fumes can result in respiratory issues for both humans and dogs. Even if we don’t use bleach straight from the bottle, it’s also commonly found in toilet bowl cleaner, laundry detergent, mildew cleaners.

There are many more toxic cleaners, but there is one more ingredient I want to go over with you. And, this one may shock you –formaldehyde. Seriously? This is in our cleaning products? This is often known as an elbalming agent but it can also be found in plug-in fragrances, paper towelss, pet shampoo, general household cleaner, and hand soap. That’s crazy.

Right now you might be thinking, “what the heck can I clean with?” I wouldn’t leave you hanging wondering what to do now. Of course there are other safe recipes, but I will share a few common ones with you.

First, wood cleaner. I’m not sure about your home, but my home has an unreal amount of hardwood flooring. But, this cleaner can also be used on ceramic floors, vinyl flooring, or linoleum. Mix 1 cup of vinegar into 1 cup of water and mop the floors. It’s that simple. This solution can also be used as an all-purpose cleaner.

As far as cleaning out the toilet boil (yuck), you can scrub it down with baking soda. This is a big one because I know of quite a few dogs who enjoy sneaking a drink from the potty. You can also use a baking soda scrub to clean pots and pans, as well as countertops, and the floor. Simply mix baking soda with warm water and salt.

Viola! You have your solution. Get to cleaning.

The baking soda scrub can also replace bleach because it’s an excellent stain remover.

Finally, the last one is an all-purpose cleaner. This is a huge one that I know all of you would be asking me about. What can you use to clean as much as possible and disinfect your home? Simple — apple cider vinegar, water, and lemon juice — that’s it. Those three ingredients mixed together can clean essentially everything and disinfects while cleaning.

That’s all the room I have left, but I encourage you to do some research and digging yourself. If you want to learn more about the risks of the toxic cleaners, please feel free to research on your own. If you want more recipes for safe cleaners, there are a ton of recipes out there for you.

Until next time.