If you have a dog, you live in an animal house. But that doesn’t mean you must resign yourself to living in a slovenly frat house; au contraire! In fact, the animal houses I know are the most stylish homes on the block. Seriously. Keeping an animal house clean is not without its special challenges, to be sure.
Of course, you’ll wind up washing your dog with regularity, because a clean canine contributes to a clean home. But there’s more to keeping your animal house clean than shampoo and between-bath wipes, although these are crucial. You’ll find yourself spot-cleaning your home a lot more than your dogless counterparts, which probably explains why, in my experience, animal houses tend to be cleaner than most dogless residences—but who would ever want to live at a dogless address?
However, if you use mass-brand household cleaners, you may also find yourself experiencing sneezing and congestion as a result of inhaling more than the usual amount of artificial ingredients, thanks to the greater frequency with which you mop, spritz, and buff. (Too often, people suspect they may be allergic to a pet when in fact the root of their discomfort is chemical sensitivity—yet they hastily banish the pet from the home, thinking that’s the source of the problem.) Besides contributing to sinus discomfort, certain chemical-heavy cleaners can also irritate the skin of both people (especially babies) and pets; in fact, pets’ skin can sometimes prove to be even more sensitive than that of humans.
Avoiding harsh chemicals is one excellent reason to use all-natural, biodegradable cleaning products. Here are two more: green cleaners are kinder to the environment, and they’re not tested on animals. Proof that there’s power in gentleness: these products really work—in many cases, they work much more effectively than their chemical-laden counterparts!
What’s more, cruelty-free green cleaners tend to come in a range of pleasant natural scents, from lavender to lemon verbena to geranium, giving you an aromatherapy boost every time you swab your decks. For instance, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day offers a range of aroma therapeutic household cleaners in addition to its excellent Pet Wipes. These products’ upbeat names—like Planet or Liquid Sunshine, which is marvelously citrusy—are a bonus.
Remember, dogs investigate things with their tongues. You wouldn’t want them licking up trace chemicals, so extend your green cleaning to absolutely every surface in your home. Select natural glass cleaners, floor cleaners, dishwashing liquids, dusting creams, and laundry detergents. Since my dogs have demonstrated very sensitive skin, I make sure to wash my linens with Ecover non-chlorine bleach alternative instead of chlorine bleach—and I never wash their bowls in anything but green dishwashing liquid.
If you happen to run out of natural cleaning products, here’s a helpful tip: a few drops of essential lavender oil—a popular ingredient in green cleaners—does more than smell lovely; combined with hot water, it does a great job of cleaning and disinfecting a variety of surfaces, and it’s available at your local health-food store.
As for aromatherapy, nothing beats oil of lavender for its ability to calm and fight stress—in the two-legged, as well as the four. So when you’re all done cleaning, a drop or two in a warm bath is guaranteed to provide a soothing great escape—until it’s time to start cleaning up after your canine all over again.
