How Do You Mop a Floor That Is Safe for Pets?

It’s important to keep your floors clean, especially for pet owners. But, we need to be careful because many regular floor cleaners have strong chemicals that can be harmful to pets. So, how do you mop a floor that is safe for pets?

Here’s a simple guide: To clean a floor that’s safe for pets, think about using non-toxic options like pet-friendly cleaners or do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions like vinegar and water, lemon juice and water, or liquid castile soap and water. Always make sure there’s enough air circulation, wait for the floor to completely dry before letting pets in, and keep cleaning products out of their reach.

In this easy-to-follow guide, we’ll talk about why it’s crucial to choose safe floor cleaners, point out the ingredients to avoid, and give you a close look at the five best pet-friendly floor cleaners and DIY choices.

Understanding the Risks: Ingredients to Avoid in Floor Cleaners

Before we talk about ways to clean floors that are safe for pets, it’s really important to know about some things that can be harmful to them. Strong chemicals like ammonia, bleach, and fake smells in cleaning stuff can make pets sick because they’re so close to the floor. 

Sadly, many cleaning products labeled as eco-friendly or green are not as safe as they seem. (Greenwashing means that companies try to make their product or company look more environmentally friendly, natural, or non-toxic than it really is.)

So, even if a floor cleaner or all-purpose cleaner says it’s “eco-friendly,” “green,” “organic,” “made with natural ingredients,” “a mix of science and nature,” “vegan,” “not tested on animals,” “earth-friendly,” and so on, it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t have stuff that could hurt your pet.

As we mentioned before, pets, especially small ones, can’t handle many common cleaning ingredients.

What are Those Harmful Cleaning Ingredients? 

Here’s a list of things to avoid in floor cleaners if you have pets:

• Ammonia
• Bleach (chlorine, sodium hypochlorite) is not good for pets when used in toilet bowls and floor cleaners. It can even be deadly for smaller pets if too much gets in the air.
• Essential oils: Yep, you heard it right! Even natural essential oils, 100% pure, can be harmful or annoying to cats and dogs. 
• Ethanol
• Formaldehyde and chemicals that release formaldehyde, including some essential oils with terpenes. They can react with ozone and make formaldehyde in your home. 
• Glycol ether benzoic acid
• Glycol ethers like propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and diethylene glycol
• Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
• Perchloroethylene
• Phenols, a kind of chemical that’s bad for pets and is in pine-scented floor cleaners
• Phosphates
• Phthalates (found in fake fragrances)
• Quaternary ammonium compounds (also called Quats or Quacs). They’re often in disinfectant and ammonia-based cleaning products.
• Sulfates
• Triclosan

Choose a Pet-safe Floor Cleaner That is Safe for Pets? 

So, what floor cleaners are safe for pets? To choose a pet-safe floor cleaner, a thorough vetting process is essential. Here’s a 5-step approach to ensure the products you select are genuinely safe for your pets:

• Choose Eco-Friendly, Non-toxic Floor Cleaner for Pet’s Safety: Opt for non-toxic and eco-friendly cleaning brands rather than mainstream chemical options.

• Check Labels for Warnings: Examine product labels for any “Warning,” “Danger,” or “Poisonous” language or symbols.

• Use the EWG Database: Consult the Environmental Working Group’s Database to assess the product’s toxicity score. Even though this database is meant to check how safe products are for people, the score it gives (1 being the least harmful and 10 being the most harmful) can help you decide if the product might be safe for pets.

• Verify Ingredients: If the EWG test gives the product a good score of 1 or 2, ask the company on their website or by calling if they tell you everything that’s in the product. Most companies have a full list of ingredients on their website.

By doing this, you can eliminate the worst products from the list we mentioned earlier. If the product is safe, you can go ahead and buy it.

• Seek Veterinarian Approval: When in doubt, consult your veterinarian for recommendations or approval.

How Do You Mop a Floor That Is Safe for Pets? Top 5 Pet-Safe Floor Cleaners and DIY Options

Let’s check out the top 5 floor cleaners that are safe for pets and some do-it-yourself (DIY) options:

Steam Mopping: Chemical-Free Cleaning/ Non-toxic Mopping Solution

Steam mopping is a great way to clean your floors without using any chemicals. However, be careful with pets, as the steam can cause serious burns.

Follow the instructions from the company on how to use these mops, and always use distilled water to make the mop last longer. If you get a new steam mop, we suggest using the sunning method to quickly get rid of VOCs (chemical smells) before using it.

If you have a steam mop that was used with harmful chemicals, it’s important to clean it well and let it get rid of the chemical smell before using it.

Usually, steam mopping works well for all kinds of floors, but it’s a good idea to check with the company to be sure.

Vinegar + Water: DIY Natural Cleaner

Using all-natural distilled white vinegar is a popular trick for cleaning floors without harmful chemicals. It’s safe for pets like dogs and cats.

Vinegar has acetic acid that helps break down dirt and acts as a natural degreaser. It also has natural sanitizing power and has been shown effective in killing —

• E. Coli, 
• Salmonella, 
• and Listeria monocytogenes.

To make your own pet-safe DIY vinegar cleaner, mix 50% vinegar with 50% water in a spray bottle or mop and use it while cleaning.

Keep in mind that vinegar is safe and not harmful, but it’s quite acidic. So, don’t let children or pets get to the undiluted vinegar.

If someone in your home is sensitive to smells or has breathing problems, it’s better not to spray vinegar in the air. Instead, wipe it on surfaces and keep windows open when you clean.

Lemon Juice + Water: Antimicrobial Cleaning

Lemon juice mixed with water is a natural and safe way to clean floors without harmful chemicals. This process is the best way to clean tile floors with pets, along with vinyl floors.

However, it’s important to know that acidic cleaners like lemon juice might not be good for hardwood floors, concrete tiles, natural stone, marble, or unglazed quarry stone.

To use lemon juice for a safe DIY cleaner on tile, vinyl, or linoleum floors:

• Put 100% fresh or bottled lemon juice in a spray bottle, or mix it 50:50 with water.
• Spray it on the floors and wipe them clean.

Liquid Castile Soap + Water For Pet-safe Hardwood Floor Cleaner

For cleaning hardwood floors in a pet-safe way, you can use unscented liquid castile soap. Here’s a simple way to make the cleaner:

• Mix 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap with 1 quart (4 cups) of water.
• Put the mixture into a spray bottle or a spray mop.
• Mop your wood floors with it and let them dry completely.
• If you like, you can add a few drops of a pet-safe essential oil for a gentle and natural scent.

Tips to Minimize Risks While Cleaning

Even with pet-safe cleaners, precautions are necessary to minimize risks. Consider the following tips:

• Keep pets in a separate room or outdoors during cleaning.
• Maintain good ventilation by opening windows or using fans.
• Allow surfaces to dry completely before allowing pets back in.
• Keep cleaning products out of reach of pets.
• Contact your vet or poison control if ingestion occurs.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, keeping our homes clean is important, especially if we have pets. However, we should always make sure that the products we use are safe for our furry friends. By picking floor cleaners that are good for pets and staying away from harmful ingredients, we can make a safe and healthy space for both us and our pets. Whether we go for trusted pet-friendly cleaners or easy DIY solutions, the big question remains: How do you mop a floor that is safe for pets? The answer is found in our careful choices and dedication to keeping our beloved pets safe and happy.

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