Eco-friendly cleaning products for the home are all the rage these days. While many of these earth-conscious brands are a good thing because they do either minimize or prevent damage to our environment, the public is often not always aware that many of these same products are not necessarily safe for use around pets and/or children.
Since early this year, I have been reading and educating myself as much as I can about small things our family can do to change the way we live so that we are being kinder to the Earth. One of the first eco books I read and reviewed for this blog several months ago, Living Like Ed by actor turned environmentalist Ed Begley, taught me -- among other things -- much about the dangers of using toxic substances in the home.
Which brings me to the discussion of doing housework. If you are one of my many regular readers you might recall the post proclaiming that I hate spring cleaning. Nevertheless, I do clean my house and I've tested various brands of eco-friendly products such as one I used to successfully remove heavy stains from a light colored carpet. The problem with that particular product is that even though it is eco-friendly, it is also strong smelling and the label warns against breathing in fumes and other dangers if it is not used properly. Always, without exception, check with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Household Products Database before buying products you are unfamiliar with to access the latest detailed health and safety information.
When talking about household cleaning products, safety can sometimes be a bit of a vague term, so what exactly does safe for pets and children really mean? PawSafe Cleaners, as I learned from reading the products' labels, are different than some of the other green products on the market in that they are not formulated with anything that is hazardous for a person breathe in. A note appearing on all the manufacturer's products in this line states, "In case of eye contact, flush with water. Be safe and keep cleaning products out of reach of pets and children." So, just like with other household solutions, you should ere on the side of caution when using and storing these.
PawSafe Window Cleaner, on the other hand, did not smell "chemically" and I think that's largely due to the fact that the latter product is made with just a few components including deionized water, vegetable derived surfactants, ethanol, emulsifiers, fragrance and organic pigment. Another product, PawSafe Toy Cleaner, is labeled safe to use for cleaning both children's toys as well as pet food & water bowls, animal toys, collars & leads, and litter boxes. The safety qualities of these two products are representative of the other solutions the company markets.
A detailed product-by-product list of all the PawSafe Cleaners and what each contains is available here.
Where to Buy PawSafe
Even though PawSafe products -- from the makers of Simple Solution -- can be found primarily in pet specialty stores nationwide at present, the product line is labeled as safe to use to clean your home, especially around children, too. Perhaps it will be available in a wider range of retail locations soon as the market for this product expands. See the company's Where to Buy directory for the store closest to you.
Even though PawSafe products -- from the makers of Simple Solution -- can be found primarily in pet specialty stores nationwide at present, the product line is labeled as safe to use to clean your home, especially around children, too. Perhaps it will be available in a wider range of retail locations soon as the market for this product expands. See the company's Where to Buy directory for the store closest to you.
