Stop using toxic chemicals in your home – sincerely, a concerned dog mom

Like yesterday, please, full stop. This goes for if you love your cat, too! Really any pet, at this point. And I’m not talking about the number of [human] foods that are dangerous and gruesomely unhealthy to be feeding your dog (like grapes, onions, cooked bones, chocolate, etc. etc.), I’m talking about all the toxic chemicals in your home that are harmful to your pets.

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Some of the stuff you use, that is not only considered unsafe for your pet, is also unhealthy for Y O U. After spending almost 10 years in the Vet industry, there’s A L O T I’ve learned and taken away as a dog mom, much of which goes against the polished mainstream in the ever-growing, billion-dollar pet industry.

Unfortunately, I can’t make you see behind the veil of what companies are trying to sell you – all that you’re breathing, ingesting, and putting on your skin. But if you knew exactly what’s in most of the products you do use (around your home) that are labeled “generally considered safe” (aka, in “moderation” or “low/minimal usage/exposure”) and the ailments they can lead to and cause…then you just might change your mind and start putting quality of life superior to those fresh scents, artificial cleaners, and aesthetically pleasing, *popular* labels in the name of a falsified “clean” home.

Yikes, that was a mouthful, and we haven’t even reached the good parts. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some alternatives you can start using! But seriously, though, if you love your dog…stop using these toxic chemicals in your home. Sincerely, a concerned dog mom.

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If you love your dog, stop using toxic chemicals in your home

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floor, counter, shower, window + dust cleaners

I know, I know… then W H A T do you use?! Listen, there are options. You really don’t need bleach, Windex, pledge, or scrubbing bubbles to clean your floors, sinks, shower, toilet, counter, and wood surfaces. Nor are most of those beautifully scented cleaners ACTUALLY getting rid of odor-causing bacteria, anyway.

And unless you’re trying to cover up a murder scene…you shouldn’t need bleach, either. Besides, we should know by now bleach doesn’t even get rid of mold, so there’s that. Throw it away.

What you are doing, when you use those products on the reg, is creating a stagnant fume of chemicals (like a gas) that gets released into the air of your home – that which you breathe on a regular basis. Now consider your pet, who is likely in the home more often than you. In fact, they’re likely in contact with those chemicals and not only inhaling them but also ingesting them.

Ever think about the fact your dog licks their paws (or the floor, like my dog, an avid surface licker) from walking on floors disinfected with bleach, Pine Sol, Fabuloso, or Murphy wood oil soap? Just because it’s dry means diddly squat – solvents, emulsifiers, preservatives, fake fragrances, and silicones essentially leave a fine film on your floors (some only to mask those bacterial odors- yay!), which comes right off and absorbed into the skin of bare feet and paws.

A great alternative for cleaning laminate, tile, vinyl, and wood floors is a steam Shark mop. It uses strictly water – hot steam, rather – to give your floors a good, deep clean while killing bacteria on the surface. Plus, the mop heads are washable and reuseable! Easy-peasy. *You can even add some white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to the water reservoir for extra cleaning power, like I do.

White vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are great cleaning and dusting alternatives (especially for surfaces, including windows). If it’s streaks and dust particles that bother you – wipe your mirrors and windows with newspaper or terrycloth, not paper towels! I simply add a 3:1 (water:vinegar) or 1:1 (water:peroxide) ratio to a spray bottle and spray away! You can even add vinegar straight into your toilet, scrub, and let it sit until you flush it next.

And if you A B S O L U T E L Y can’t do without some heavy-duty cleaner, which I get for certain things like the kitchen sink, shower, tub or toilet, do your BEST to limit use, dilute if concentrated, rinse thoroughly, and have good filtration (have a fan running, windows open, or close the door to the bathroom after it is cleaned).

Avoid using harmful products on surfaces your pet walks on and has primary access to – like the floors. When you’re choosing products, look for those W I T H O U T ingredients like ammonia, trisodium phosphate, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and artificial colors (at minimum).

Also avoid artificial fragrances, because what you’re actually getting is one word packed with potentially 1,000s of unlisted ingredients (because they don’t have to disclose them to you – how nice). Many dangerous ingredients are actually “odorless”, while many ingredients in most of your cleaning products today are toxic across the board; they’re considered an irritant (to the skin, eyes, nose and mouth when inhaled) and harmful when swallowed. Yes, even in trace amounts to your pet.

candles, essential oil diffusers, air fresheners + fragrance sprays

Yeeeeeeep. And these were a hard one to let go. As far as the perfumes and artificial fragrances go – not only do they make up most of your average candles, but you’re also B U R N I N G them…to THEN breathe them in. [face palm]

Worst of all, I’ve read and heard far too many reports of seizures and neurological issues among pets following the use of aerosols and cleaning chemicals. Besides, if you’re spraying that stuff (or it lingers in the air) anywhere near their bedding or food and water bowl…you’re literally asking for problems. I don’t know about you, but it’s worth it to me to have a slightly musty or naturally-occurring smell in my house for the safety and health of my pets.

So what I’m saying is to throw away your Bath and Body Works crap. I said it – it’s crappola. All of it – the candles, air fresheners, and especially those endocrine-disrupting perfumes, air fresheners, and body sprays. It all doesn’t really matter, because what you essentially put O N your body gets absorbed I N T O your body.

This includes topical sprays you put on your dog. So lemme just annunciate this: if you’re consistently having to use artificial fragrance sprays on your dog, you’re simply not bathing them enough. Am I saying to avoid it in the event they rolled in a dead worm post fresh bath? No, but the idea of the sprays is to be used sparingly, not as a daily deodorant.

Now essential oils have actually been the *not so* new thing to use as a fragrance replacement. But the thing about essential oils is you have to be careful what you buy – they’re not all the same and can be just as dangerous. A lot of products today even promote the use of essential oils in their fragrance sprays. Tread carefully, always dilute, avoid facial and open wound contact and use sparingly – all I’m saying.

Most essential oils are actually toxic to your pets – so far the only safe ones I use in my home (in a diffuser, when necessary) are Lavender and Frankincense and Myrrh. You N E V E R want to use essential oils undiluted, ever, so I just avoid using them straight topically on my pets altogether.

Some things just ain’t worth it, and I’m telling you that the numerous products you use on a daily basis to make your home smell homey, or heavenly, are doing more damage than you can smell. If it matters that much to you, use the boil or oven method – simmer a pot of water or slow bake some orange peels, cloves, and fresh herbs. Or better yet, bake some cookies.

dish soap and dish detergent

Hullo, did-ya-know, that many common dish soaps contain ammonia, and laundry detergents are known for having carcinogens and neurotoxins? They may not even be listed as an ingredient, again, because they don’t need to diclose it. Oh, how lovely, honest, and transparent of brands.

P L U S, ugh, most soaps contains color. Seriously, the artificial color thing shouldn’t even exist anymore. Like, WHY DOES EVERYTHING NEED TO BE BLUE OR RED?! But brands aren’t stupid because they know, and you know, that when it comes down to choosing…it’s all about whatever is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Red 40 (found in many processed food and medicines) has already been getting torn apart for Y E A R S about its safety for consumption, so it’s no different when it’s being put on the body. And not only are most dish soaps filled with fake coloring but also a S L E W of acronym ingredients (the whole PEG, SLS, DEA, MEA, TEA, etc. etc.). Brands really want to make it obvious that the average Joe is just too tolerant to even look up what those mean, let alone what they’re for, and whether they’re worth the “generally considered safe” risk. Most people assume brands would never put something in their product if it was harmful to us.

But you and I know we just simply can’t do without soap, obviously, so it’s important to look for one that is C L E A N. Even this, for me, has been an ongoing struggle where I’ve had to switch many times. It’s the constant battle of learning – the more you know the more you know.

First off, a dish soap without dyes, fragrances or coloring. *Yup, even essential oil fragrances. Second, a dish soap without all the acronyms. Third, one with plant-based ingredients that are food-grade safe, because if you’re washing your dog’s bowl and your own dishes with dish detergent [soap], you’re essentially ingesting trace remnants of it.

These are a select few clean brands I feel good about:

ATTITUDE Liquid Dish Soap (this is my go-to fave right now)

PURACY Green Tea and Lime

Molly’s Suds Fragrance-free

shampoos + conditioners

Again with the artificial colors and fragrances – this one may seem absolutely impossible. Even I have scouted far and wide for a good shampoo for my pets just without those two things. Then you have silicones, phthalates, sulfates, propylene glycol, and other words hardly anyone can properly pronounce.

I’ve really had to pick my battles when it comes to what I put on my dog’s skin. Part of me even thinks simply a good rinsing with water (and massaging the skin with one of these to loosen the natural oils) or an oatmeal bath (using real oats) is a nice in-between legit bath alternative.

Meanwhile, many people often use shampoos and conditioners meant for humans on their pets. It’s as if those are completely unaware of the fact that S O M A N Y companies literally test their products on animals, and it’s why we have the ‘Cruelty-Free’ movement. Stop!

One thing I can only hope to deter you from is choosing anything that is seemingly over-marketed for smell and color. And we know we all do, because that’s what dog owners care about most – a dog that doesn’t smell…like a dog. Mind you, you’re dog is not you, so it’s important to stop assuming we can treat them the same. So here are some alternative options I like and that my own dog’s dermatologist and Holistic vet approve:

EarthBath Lavender Shampoo / EarthBath Hypoallergenic Fragrance-free Shampoo

DERMagic Diatomaceous Shampoo Bar (naturally repels fleas!)

Veterinary Formula Hypoallergenic for Sensitive Skin

laundry detergent, softener + dryer sheets

Because I’m sure (or, at least, I hope) you wash your dog’s toys and bedding every now and then, right? The same you would your own towels and bedding?

It took years before I discovered that much of my dog’s skin allergies contributed to human dander, and were also alleviated once I switched to a clean detergent. So it’s a matter or removing that dander more while making sure what I’m using is clean.

Plus, I stopped using dryer sheets, altogether – they’re literally concentrated with toxic chemicals. And as for softener, replace with white vinegar (1 cup for a large load), and stop washing your clothes with H O T water! Use dryer balls or wool balls, instead. These are great replacements for fabric softener AND dryer sheets. If you must, use a high-grade essential oil (one that is safe for pets) – simply add a few drops to the wool balls and throw into your dryer!

I already know, how bouchey of me, but honestly making the switch has made me realize how little my clothes actually came out clean when using the toxin-filled detergents and extra crap thrown in for softness and smell (like those fling pods or scent beads). So these are the latests I variate using:

Charlie’s Soap Unscented (100 Loads – Powder) *Also comes in a liquid

Better Life Unscented (64 Loads – Liquid)

Molly’s Suds Original Laundry Detergent Powder (240 Loads – Unscented)

plastic-ware + dog toys

Yes, plastic is toxic. BPA-free or not, we all know (or should by now) the number of microplastics we consume – YES, I said consume – on a regular basis. It’s leeched in our food AND has already been proven to be found in the bloodstream. Google it. It PAINS me to see that much of consumerism is still and will always be P L A S T I C.

So if your dog is eating and drinking from a plastic bowl, please get rid of it. Plastic (as well as ceramic and some types of silicone) is porous, which means it can absorb bacteria – among other things, like soap left behind from cleaning it. Glass or stainless steel (real stainless) is preferred.

Unfortunately, my dogs require a slow feeder food bowl, which is hard to come by in anything but plastic or silicone. Until about a year ago I discovered this one – made from bamboo fiber and rice husk, designed by Veterinarians.

Also, let’s talk dog toys. Because when it comes to what my dogs can have, and have access to, I have definitely and unapologetically become one of those dog moms. I am selective on what toys and treats they get – no bones, sticks, or edibles that may break, splinter or get dislodged. Not under my watch. I also limit the kinds of toys I buy that are cheap plastic or soft covered in artificial coloring.

I know this makes me sound like my dog isn’t even allowed to live and be a dog, but my dog gets fun and stimulation in other ways and ways that matter like dog walks, roaming in their backyard, enjoying the sunshine, and getting more of my attention than an inanimate object. While this isn’t and can’t be everyone’s reality, I’m only trying to shed some light so more dog owners can make better informed decisions on what they allow their pets access to.

When it comes to the pet industry, apart from children’s toys and accessories, there is an undisputable lack of care. Everything is plastic or silicone. And if it’s a toy that says “edible”, it’s really nottttt. So when considering chew toys, avoid the plastics (and ropes) altogether, especially if your dog is an avid chewer. That also means avoiding giving your dog those fake “scented”/flavored chew bones. Just no. Even “rawhides” need to be removed from the shelves due to the number of chemicals used to make them, plus for pet health safety as a choking and digestional hazard is concerned.

It really isn’t worth the risk of choking, a tooth abscess, obstruction surgery, or serious gut issues for mental stimulation. Find other ways to stimulate and release your dog’s energy, such as more walks (even if it’s just for them to sniff), teaching them tricks or commands, swimming, car rides, introducing them to new people out in public, or scheduling time for them to play with other dogs they get along with.

Last, but certainly not least, pesticides

For the love of God, if you can help it, stop. using. pest and lawn control. Especially the heavily toxic pesticides like RoundUp. This also goes for in-home pesticides, such as ant and roach sprays and chemical traps. Not only are these dangerously T O X I C to your pets, but it’s also absolutely freaking T E R R I B L E for the environment! Lawn pesticides and treatments cause runoff, into the sewage system, which THEN goes back into our waterways.

Ditch the superficial desire for perfectly green, weed-free grass – it’s overrated! For safer alternatives, go Organic and natural, like beneficial nematodes. For weed killing and prevention, vinegar, Epsom salt, and dish soap in a sprayer. For pests, diatomaceous earth.

As for those who, unfortunately, live within an HOA…this might be a more complicated issue. Bring this to attention at your next board meeting, and press for a petition to stop [unnecessary] pest and weed control. There are B E T T E R, more natural alternatives that are pet and environmentally SAFE.

This post contains affiliate links. All products and links listed on TML are affiliates through 3rd parties such as Etsy and Amazon. Meaning, at no cost to you, by clicking and purchasing through those links I will earn a small commission. To learn more read TML Terms and Disclosure.