What cleaning products should I avoid with dogs?

Cleaners with powerful odours and strong chemicals should alert pet owners, as many of them are dangerous to dogs. From toilet bowl cleaners to bleach sprays, one of the most common causes of poisoning in pets is household cleaning products. Many everyday house cleaning products, even those advertised to be eco-friendly, can contain toxic chemicals that can cause illness in animals. When cleaning your home, always check the ingredients before you buy them. While it can be challenging to keep all toxic chemicals away from dogs and cats, the team advise owners to avoid using ammonia-based cleaners, bleach-based cleaners, and many carpet and floor cleaners. Ammonia can create gases that can make pets sick and even kill smaller pets if they have enough exposure. You'll find ammonia in many commercial products, so it's essential to read the labels before you use them. Tile cleaners, Glass cleaners, Wood cleaners, Vinyl cleaners, Disinfectants, Multi-purpose cleaners, Toilet bowl cleaners, All-purpose cleaners, Grout whiteners, Deodorisers, Mould and mildew removers, Perchloroethylene, Butoxy Ethanol, Naphthalene, Floor cleaners and commercial carpet cleaners are cleaning products that are not safe for dogs.

Chlorine bleaches may come into contact with dogs by chewing the containers or drinking from recently cleaned toilets. Bleach diluted in water may be less harmful, but can still cause dribbling and stomach problems. More concentrated solutions of bleach can cause corrosive injury to the mouth or gut and may cause further complications if splashed in the eye or on the skin. Detergents, such as laundry detergent, soaps and many household multipurpose cleaners, contain chemicals which can cause salivation and stomach problems. Oven cleaners, drain cleaners and other caustics/corrosives can cause tissue damage, and if licked up by your dog, splashes from these may also cause injury to the eyes and the skin surrounding the mouth. Other common items found in cleaning cupboards that could harm your dog include Dishwasher tablets, Dishwasher salt, Kettle descalers, and Metal polishes.

Many popular cleaning products, including floor cleaners, drain cleaners, oven cleaners and multi-surface cleaners, all contain ammonia. While they can effectively remove stains, this ingredient is toxic to pets, causing severe irritation to their skin and eyes, as well as burning in the nose, throat and stomach if they lick it. Pets have a hypersensitive sense of smell so the strong scent of bleach is likely to irritate your pup's nose, possibly even leading to breathing problems. Bleach can also be incredibly harmful to our much-loved pets if ingested because of the chlorine content. Phthalates — a family of industrial chemicals — are often found in home air fresheners, linen sprays and carpet fresheners to reduce odours in the home, but these too can be dangerous if inhaled or used near pets. Another cleaning ingredient to avoid is disinfectants containing benzalkonium chloride, such as antibacterial kitchen and bathroom sprays. At low doses they are relatively safe, but this strong chemical can cause surface irritation on pets' paws, eyes and nose. Make sure to keep your pet well away from products containing ammonia and if you have to use them, keep your pet in a different room until it’s completely dry. If you have to use bleach make sure to rinse the area with plenty of water and allow it to dry, keep your pet away until it is completely dry.

Certain products are toxic to pets and they can’t read labels like us, so it’s our job to keep them safe. Which cleaning products do I need to avoid? Here are three cleaning products that pet owners need to be extra careful of. 1. Bleach If you’re cleaning the floor with bleach, make sure it’s diluted with water and rinse the floors afterwards. 2. Laundry detergents, tablets and capsules All of these can be toxic for a pet if they ingest a large amount. 3. Dishwasher tablets These can pose a threat to our pets, so always remember to store them in a Tupperware container out of the way. Hand sanitiser often contains alcohol and will need to if you are using it against coronavirus, this can be toxic and cause sickness and tiredness, as well as seizures if large amounts are ingested.

The most common hazardous cleaning products include bleach, oven cleaners, laundry detergents, drain cleaners, floor cleaners, and toilet cleaners. Household cleaning products and chemicals can be dangerous for pets if not used properly. Some cleaning products contain chemicals that can be toxic to pets if ingested or inhaled. Ensure adequate ventilation to avoid potential harm to pets when using any cleaning product. Bleach can be extremely hazardous for pets if ingested. It is important to keep all cleaning products out of reach of pets. We advise that you read the labels of any cleaning products to ensure they are safe for pets. Always store cleaning products in their original containers and in a secure location away from pets.