Spring Cleaning Great for Houses, Dangerous for Pets

By Maid Brigade of Northern CT

It's tough to keep everything clean and tidy for all members of the household, but it's even tougher trying to do it while choosing products that are harmless for our furry friends.

Unfortunately, some of the household cleaners we use can cause toxicity in our pets because of the harsh chemicals in them.

Cleaning products, deodorizers, and other indoor agents can potentially have mild to serious side effects for our pets.

Chemicals in the air can end up in their eyes, nose, and throat. They also explore the environment with their senses of smell and taste and they often take in substances through sniffs and licks.

Additionally, pets groom themselves with their own tongues. As a result, cleaning products on the skin and coat enter their digestive tract and blood stream with a few licks of their paws.

Single or repeat exposures have potential for short and long term negative health consequences for cats and dogs. Ingestion of, or contact with, cleaning products can cause a variety of health problems, including ptyalism (salivation), emesis (vomiting), diarrhea, anorexia (decreased appetite), cough, sneeze, nasal and ocular (eye) discharge, lethargy, seizures, and death.

Signs of a problem may not be evident until your pet develops metabolic disease (kidney, liver, or other organ system abnormality), cancer, or other illness.

We know you love your furry babies like they are your own children, so we know that you want to keep them safe.

Try to purchase products lacking odor or known toxic components, follow all product manufacturer’s directions, and never apply cleaners directly to your pet.

You can also keep your pet out of potentially toxic areas, such as off the newly cleaned counter.

We at Maid Brigade are “green cleaners” and when you hire us, you can rest assured that we are committed to doing everything possible to minimize and prevent potential health risks associated with traditional cleaning services.

Want to learn more? Check us out at http://www.maidbrigade.com/ct/manchester and on Facebook.