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Cleaning products to avoid or prefer?

1917 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  harv, 
H
I'll be cleaning the place in preparation for two shelter cats.
We're talking floor scrubbing, sink and tub cleaning, dusting, vacuuming--the whole nine yards.

This place hasn't had a good cleaning in years. Literally.

Are there cleaning products I should avoid? Which are cat-safe?
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asrowley
harv said:
I'll be cleaning the place in preparation for two shelter cats.
We're talking floor scrubbing, sink and tub cleaning, dusting, vacuuming--the whole nine yards.

This place hasn't had a good cleaning in years. Literally.

Are there cleaning products I should avoid? Which are cat-safe?
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As a rule of thumb, I always say anything they say is bad around babies is bad for animals.
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H
asrowley said:
As a rule of thumb, I always say anything they say is bad around babies is bad for animals.
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So now I need to get a baby before I get the cats?

Seriously, where can I look to get this info?
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asrowley
LOL no don't get a baby! :D
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C
I do use Mr. Clean, however.....rinse, rinse, rinse, then rinse again, any surfaces your cats might get onto (floors, counters, low wall areas). Bleach is incredibly toxic, one member here almost lost her cat because they just licked the floor after it was washed and had dried.

If you can, use baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice, all are very non toxic and are very good cleaners. I have very hard, rusty water and need a little more oomph to my cleaners, but if you live in any city with normal drinkable tap water you should be ok with the natural cleaners.

I'd say have fun cleaning, but I know better lol.
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C
Two thumbs up for vinegar over here! I use diluted vinegar in a spray bottle as sort of an all purpose cleaner. As far as I can see it cleans most anything to my satisfaction - mirrors, counters, sinks, I even use it when one of the cats coughs up a hairball to get the smell and the stain out of the carpet. I use dish liquid and baking soda or salt mixed into a paste when I need something abrasive, and I only use bleach as a last resort when I really need to make sure something is clean (I used bleach to scrub down the litter box after my brother had finished sitting his girlfriend's cat, for instance. When I clean the litter boxes I normally just use the same vinegar solution).

We still have other cleaners in the house but they rarely get used, and they absolutely do not get used around the cats. I'm a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry. Besides, I don't really think it's good for use to be using highly toxic cleaning products either.

Oh and I can't vouch for how well lemon works as a cleaner - my cats hate citrus, and I certainly could never let myself upset their precious noses :p
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H
Great hints link for removing the stuck-on carpet crud

Thanks to Google for this one:

DIYers: How to get old carpet padding up from hardwood floor [Archive] - Straight Dope Message Board

Addresses one of the messiest steps in my cleanup.

Harv
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